Watch This Video Before Pouring A Concrete Foundation – Construction Tips

Click on this link for more videos on construction, building foundations and concrete. Here's a video I wish everyone who ever poured a concrete building foundation would watch at least once before pouring the concrete and then wondering why they had problems that could have been solved with a little information. I see this all the time and will probably see it for years to come, but once the concrete is dry, any excess bulges will probably need to be chipped away with the chipping hammer or jackhammer and this isn't going to be easy.

[jarredstevenswalls]

With your walls, the most important thing is your wall ties. They will keep a 10" wall 10" everywhere. As far as the bracing on the wall, first you set pins. Snap a chalk line and nail a 2x4 block down to the footing against the bottom of your forms on both sides. You can form the whole wall until you get to a corner like that, then go back and plumb the ends of your walls and corners. Then you run your string line before and after you pour. When setting forms, I will start in the best corner, and set a couple of forms each way. I use aluminum forms where the big boys are 30" wide 9' tall. You snap your line from pin to pin, after that if I had a ten inch wall, I would measure 44" each way because on the inside I will have a 4" inside corner, a ten inch wall, and one 30" form each way, use a big framing square and mark a line square with your chalk line in pencil both directions your setting forms. The joint where the first and second form meet should ALWAYS be on those square lines. That way when you get to a corner, your forms are running together perfectly every time and after making a turn or two you will be in the right spot on both sides of the form and your corners will be square inside and outside too. I'm a flat work contractor, but poured footings and walks with my old man for over 15 years and you figure out that there is a lot to forming proper walls. Find a good Mason with some aluminum forms, as long as the footing is poured level and FLOATED, instead of just leveled out with a rake, then if you want a 9' wall, you will have a 9' wall level within 3/16 from corner to corner. Just need a good concrete contractor

[jonw]

I’m a third term carpenter apprentice and I have been doing siding for the entirety of my career thus far. I am actually starting with a new company Monday doing concrete and I was looking for some videos for reference purposes..very helpful and informative just to give me an idea of what is in store for me. Thank you for this video! 👍

[gregvancom]

I don't know if you're missed the point of the video, but it was to double check everything and make sure that everything is reinforced correctly so that someone else doesn't have to worry about fixing anything and yes you can actually do it right the first time, I've done it plenty of times and so have others.

[GarciaJustinBArchPE]

Contractors and Homeowners: I can't stress enough the importance of getting a soils report before placing a foundation. Soil preparation for a foundation is the most important step in foundation construction. If your soil strength is low, it won't matter on hoe well the concrete foundation is constructed; the house will experience differential settlement - a costly mistake.

[TheJblackmanwork]

I found this much more informative to pouring concrete and checking forms than a lot of videos Ive seen, thank you for taking the time to make this video.

[novelsonfire]

Thanks for the video, my Dad was in construction and was the inventor of preform concreting techniques and he always said it starts with correct forms every time.

[vinygee]

Cause of the Bulge is Gap in form work wasnt closed properly
In Australia we would chip it as furing out a wall as you mention could have additional probs down the line. Specially on a prefab frame. Other reasons for this type of mistake could be relegated to the Surveyor who did the Set out.
Thats why before we start we measure all pegs if theres a small discrepancy we will usually rectify it our selves if measurements are way out as we have experienced this too, we make a call to the builder and get him or her to get the site resurveyed as measurments really are critical no matter what.

[ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

The formwork he shows as an example is half-assed. Guaranteed to move since the bracing is so light. And it's always terrible practice to leave wood stakes embedded in forms - a perfect pathway for termites.

[thomascena]

i live in the philippines and nobody uses wood forms for a foundation.. its basically hollow blocks to make the form.. and the inside of the forms filled with gravel.. tamped down.. add sand .. watered.. and tamped down again.. then pour the cement.. came out great.. no cracks.. no bowing of wood..

[sparkimoto]

This is just one example of why I prefer to do these types of jobs by myself, rather than hire someone to do them. Because no one who I hire is gonna take the extra time that I would to make the forms perfect. The downside is that I'm a lot slower. But that's better than going back to fix mistakes that were made the first time.

[petej]

if your patioing or paving around the hose you dont have to remove any of the concrete and a small deviencce in the forming is not that bad a massive difference yes but not a small one very informative but over critical on some aspecs

[MrLeonard]

I've seen plenty of concrete crews screw up the slabs. Not many of them think about quality. I've been in construction for 35 years. If the slab starts out wrong then the rest of the subs have to fix the problems usually. It becomes fix the previous guys problem.

[gateway]

When I did framing work there was a spacific form crew we hated to follow, their work looked almost this good. Sure makes doing quality work just that much harder.

[niveknospmoht]

I'm old enough to remember working with my dad making foundations from concrete block. Always straight, always level and always square and to specs. Architects back then seemed to be conscious about external dimensions on the prints so you didn't end up with a house that was say 32' 3-1/2'' long. Contractors got lazy and cheap and this is the result. The horizontal lines in the foundation concrete look like hell to me.

[abdullahn]

From engineering perspective, I agree with most of the stuff you mentioned, but there is more important things to consider during construction.
1- as per the code, make sure that you have enough cover of 5cm (2in). This will prevent steel from corrosion.
2- Use concrete vabrators when pouring concrete. This will decrease the air content in the concrete and therefore you will get stronger concrete.
3- make sure to use reinforcement chairs or even small rocks to have your steel set on before pouring.

[robertmawanda]

Thanks for this video, I like straight, perfect square etc.

[renderuthis]

Always get the concrete as straight as you can. level and plumb. Then everything will be easier. Even your wife will be happier.

[RedStorm.]

You are so good at explaining things. Thank you😊

[mikeysback]

I've bricked a lot of houses in my career as a brick mason. Most people would NOT be happy to know what it looks like behind the brick wall . That goes for the frame work part of the house as well.

[jamiebrierly]

Down here in Ohio when we had out 9 ft basement poured they was spot on!! They were perfectly sq no void areas in concrete! All walls plumb! But they used metal wall panels and form release! Even the walkout on the basement was perfect! They had another company do all steps and flat work and they was real good also! They cut the concrete wet which I have never seen but as to today still no cracks and we are to the drywall stage now!! Also thanks for replying back when I was framing about the structural questions!!