How To Add a Footing to a House Foundation | This Old House

The foundation on our house has no footings. Kevin and Mark McCullough fix the problem by pouring a buttress along the foundation.

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How To Add a Footing to a House Foundation | This Old House

[alfredlind]

We encounter this in Seattle homes all the time. As a general contractor who specializes in repair work this it is an improvement to the foundation but it's not the best way. Rather do four foot sections leaving 8 ft of soil between the sections.. Excavate for an entire new footing directly underneath the foundation so you have a direct load transfer onto this new block of concrete. When you have the 4-foot hole dug put rebar in your medium sized Roto Hammer and drive it into the adjacent soil. Cut the half inch rebar in 42 in length. Hammer it into the soil 21 in so you will have your 40 rebar diameter lap for tying the next section into it. Sad to see he did not use a concrete vibrator

[alfredlind]

I had to redo a foundation that was poured with half a footing like this about two months back. The side that didn't have the footing started tilting out. This was probably due to this footing section that was added being deeper and on firmer soil. We had to create a footing on the other side. We drilled and epoxies rebar into their side that had the half footing. So now they have a full footing under the wall.

[amnesiacmyx]

I like how Mark and Kevin are wearing the same shirt.

[RobertLeBlancPhoto]

Since an important part of this is to have the new concrete "slip" under the existing foundation, why didn't they use vibrators to facilitate with that and reduce any air bubbles that would form under the old foundation?

[AlabanzasyAdoración]

I wish you'd did the whole video, forms and everything.

[oovotzify]

Every time I watch one of these videos I wonder what the cost is of the job, they never mention it.

[proaerro]

This footing, although not a real FULL footer is still better than nothing, i do hope you added a drainage system to the inside or outside of the home.

[proaerro]

I had to log in just to put this comment on an observation, after I logged in I did catch that he mentioned that this was also done IN LIEU OF the house weighs less because the roof and other things were missing. BUT still there was risk (like if it rained hard after you removed dirt under the walls) when you start removing dirt under the walls you lose the weight limits on the soil which means the walls could fall into the ground. I am researching putting footers under in my case, older stone walls. I am not sure if I am going to do it, but I am hypotheticalizing how I would do it if it comes to it. I would do 2-4 ft sections, but there is no exact science because I cant find any information on how much weight these walls can hold per foot/height of these stone walls, plus there are other variables like hidden cracks, mortar deterioration etc.

[FirChif]

What's crazy is that house and foundation walls look really new, how could they not have a footing already?

[CanadianHardwoodPro]

Is this as strong as underpinning in 3 foot sections? The foundation walls sit on just a few inches according to the contractor. I'm sure the engineering was done correctly, but wonder how it compares to underpinning.

[praiseYAHalways]

How could (or should) I do this to a slab foundation?? I have a guest home on my property that had a slab foundation poured on some raised ground but they didn't pour a footer. I can dig around 3 sides of it and put one in fairly easy but down the middle were they joined the house to a different slab which is 18-20 inches lower, I can't. (well, not 'easily') I have had the upper slab foam jacked but I'm thinking a proper footer on all the edges of the upper would be a good idea....thoughts???

[TheJagjr]

I renovated a Barn into a house and had to pour foundations under... we ended up removing 15 yards of dirt 3 yards of rock and still had to drill and rebar pin into bedrock because we could not get down to code depth.

[richard]

They should have vibrated the concrete to ensure it fills the void. Then they need to do the outside as well.

[jessicamcisaac]

Great video! We recently purchased a home that is over 100 years old . We recently started installing and interior weeping system to help with drainage and water issues . We realized when digging that we cannot locate one of the footings. This would be the footing along the back of the house . We're worried there may not be one there . As the more we dig the more dirt we find ! Is this common ?

[searsbootcamp]

Lower expense option to pump? Frugal you say 🤔

[kendog]

Did they then dig down on the opposite side, and do the same thing, to cover both sides of the foundation wall?

[amadoukamaso]

Is it correct to lay a conc footing on an already existing strip onc fonudation .Instead of putting the footing and concrete it before the strip concreting, I found out that my Mason already pour a con that area, so I want to place the footing on top of the strip . Is it correct?

[VampireOnline]

I want to know why there wasn't a footing in the 1st place...

[CITAP]

Were the pins epoxeyed into the existing foundation or simply drilled and stuck in the holes. There are a couple things I'd have done differently but looks good.

[inspectorsteve]

How do they make sure the undercut part gets full of concrete? Wouldn't just pouring the concrete in leave a void under the existing foundation where the undercut it?