We will be buying an older home in Florida. It's on concrete slab, with
stucco'd cement block walls. Basically, it's an L-shape and I want to
extend one leg of the L. I can envision how to do much of this, but seek
advice on how to tie in the new to the old.

1. How should the new slab be connected to the existing slab?
2. How should the new concrete block walls be connected/tied to the old
walls? (Which is effectively at the corners of the old wall.)
3. Any tips on how to make the stucco match (texture, continuity) so it
doesn't appear to be separately applied?

Especially for the first 2 questions, if you also have any recommendations
for books that would be a good reference I would appreciate hearing them.

Thanks.

In article , BobAtVandy
wrote:

We will be buying an older home in Florida. It's on concrete slab, with
stucco'd cement block walls. Basically, it's an L-shape and I want to
extend one leg of the L. I can envision how to do much of this, but seek
advice on how to tie in the new to the old.

You ARE going to need professional contractors to help you with some of
this stuff, if only to make the project safe and permitable.

Nevertheless, here is what we did on our addition (all work permitted
and performed by professional contractors).

1. How should the new slab be connected to the existing slab?

Slab & footings need to be engineered to support the weight of the
addition. You may need a soils report to ensure that the ground beneath
is stable. After that, drill horizontally into the existing slab; holes
about 12-18" deep, 1/2" dia, every two feet or so, for rebar
connectors. Epoxy a 5-6 foot length of rebar into each hole. These
connectors stick out into the new slab three feet or more, where they
tie into the new slab's rebar grid.

2. How should the new concrete block walls be connected/tied to the old
walls? (Which is effectively at the corners of the old wall.)

Ours was a stick frame house, so my answer doesn't apply.

3. Any tips on how to make the stucco match (texture, continuity) so it
doesn't appear to be separately applied?

We paid our plasterer extra to put a new color coat on the entire
house. It might cost an extra $1000, but will be worth it. No plasterer
can match existing stucco color OR texture _exactly_. You can buy
paints to match the new stucco, but every time it rains you'll see the
seam.

HTH

-Frank

--
(email: change out to in)

Great, thanks. That gives me an understanding of tying the slab. Can
anyone else comment about connecting the cement block walls?

"Frank J Warner" wrote in message
...
In article , BobAtVandy
wrote:

We will be buying an older home in Florida. It's on concrete slab, with
stucco'd cement block walls. Basically, it's an L-shape and I want to
extend one leg of the L. I can envision how to do much of this, but seek
advice on how to tie in the new to the old.

You ARE going to need professional contractors to help you with some of
this stuff, if only to make the project safe and permitable.

Nevertheless, here is what we did on our addition (all work permitted
and performed by professional contractors).

1. How should the new slab be connected to the existing slab?

Slab & footings need to be engineered to support the weight of the
addition. You may need a soils report to ensure that the ground beneath
is stable. After that, drill horizontally into the existing slab; holes
about 12-18" deep, 1/2" dia, every two feet or so, for rebar
connectors. Epoxy a 5-6 foot length of rebar into each hole. These
connectors stick out into the new slab three feet or more, where they
tie into the new slab's rebar grid.

2. How should the new concrete block walls be connected/tied to the old
walls? (Which is effectively at the corners of the old wall.)

Ours was a stick frame house, so my answer doesn't apply.

3. Any tips on how to make the stucco match (texture, continuity) so it
doesn't appear to be separately applied?

We paid our plasterer extra to put a new color coat on the entire
house. It might cost an extra $1000, but will be worth it. No plasterer
can match existing stucco color OR texture _exactly_. You can buy
paints to match the new stucco, but every time it rains you'll see the
seam.

HTH

-Frank

--
(email: change out to in)