In January they poured the foundation and basement walls for my new
home. The guys came and put up the forms, and the next day they came
and told me that because the outdoor temperature is below zero the
concrete trucks will not come, but they said that if I let them mix
their own, I will get the job for half price. I agreed. They took a
front end loader and scooped the clay soil that came out of the dug
hole into a drum mixer, added water and poured the entire foundation
and walls in a few hours.

At first I thought they were going to add concrete but he explained to
me that they do not need concrete in the wintertime, only in the
summer. He said that plain mud and water will turn as hard as rock in
a few hours in the winter. He was right. It was hard as rock the next
morning and the builders were there to build the house. The
temperature was well below zero but they framed the house that same
day and had it roofed and sided the next day. By the end of the week
the plumbing and wiring was complete and I moved in.

I am a little worried about this foundation though. The last few days
the weather warmed, and I noticed these foundation walls are not as
hard as they were when they were poured. In fact, one corner of the
house has sagged and there is a bowing in the basement walls in that
corner. Thi seems most noticable near the furnace, and where the
I-beam rests on the basement walls.

They told me these walls would be hard as a rock, and they were, but
they are getting softer now. Should I be worried about this, or does
this just happen as part of normal settling? I saved a considerable
amount of money on the basement pour, so I dont want to complain to
the company, and they said they do many jobs this way. The even
showed me pictures of roads and driveways they made this way, and said
they stayed hard all winter.

Floyd

nice story, tell it to reader's digest.
wrote in message
...
In January they poured the foundation and basement walls for my new
home. The guys came and put up the forms, and the next day they came
and told me that because the outdoor temperature is below zero the
concrete trucks will not come, but they said that if I let them mix
their own, I will get the job for half price. I agreed. They took a
front end loader and scooped the clay soil that came out of the dug
hole into a drum mixer, added water and poured the entire foundation
and walls in a few hours.

At first I thought they were going to add concrete but he explained to
me that they do not need concrete in the wintertime, only in the
summer. He said that plain mud and water will turn as hard as rock in
a few hours in the winter. He was right. It was hard as rock the next
morning and the builders were there to build the house. The
temperature was well below zero but they framed the house that same
day and had it roofed and sided the next day. By the end of the week
the plumbing and wiring was complete and I moved in.

I am a little worried about this foundation though. The last few days
the weather warmed, and I noticed these foundation walls are not as
hard as they were when they were poured. In fact, one corner of the
house has sagged and there is a bowing in the basement walls in that
corner. Thi seems most noticable near the furnace, and where the
I-beam rests on the basement walls.

They told me these walls would be hard as a rock, and they were, but
they are getting softer now. Should I be worried about this, or does
this just happen as part of normal settling? I saved a considerable
amount of money on the basement pour, so I dont want to complain to
the company, and they said they do many jobs this way. The even
showed me pictures of roads and driveways they made this way, and said
they stayed hard all winter.

Floyd

wrote:
They told me these walls would be hard as a rock, and they were, but
they are getting softer now. Should I be worried about this, or does
this just happen as part of normal settling? I saved a considerable
amount of money on the basement pour, so I dont want to complain to
the company, and they said they do many jobs this way. The even
showed me pictures of roads and driveways they made this way, and said
they stayed hard all winter.


You've been had. I'd commit suicide immediately.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

wrote:
In January they

Your troll rating is going down fast. I rate this one a -.05
Yesterdays was a 1.5 out of 10.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

If your going to play games and tell stories, at least make them
realistic
and not stupid.

wrote in message
oups.com...
If your going to play games and tell stories, at least make them
realistic
and not stupid.

Not to defend the troll, but a few years ago, 'rammed earth' foundations and
even complete houses, were all the rage amongst the tree-huggers, mainly in
the arid areas out west. (along with the hay-bale houses). Of course, over
the rammed earth, they always kept a good coat of something water-resistant.
Think modern adobe. Used properly, dirt can be a good building material.
Hell, they made a planet out of it.

aem sends....

wrote:
They took a
front end loader and scooped the clay soil that came out of the dug
hole into a drum mixer, added water and ..........


Should have added 10 shovel fulls of grout to the mix.