The house next door...or how to NOT build a house

[Elizabeth Greene]

So footings aren't really a thing there?

[jdurand]

I thought they were, but not for that house. They build to a different drummer.

[greyhoundollie]

I would say that the owners have probably already spent 3 to 4 times what their original planed expenditures were for the foundation, and haven't yet realized that they are not done spending money on their foundation. Having not yet reached ground surface level yet, being still just a whole in the ground, soon is the winter rain season. Good luck to them with the rest of this season.

Mr Durand I am assuming you have an attorney? At some point these folks will run out of money, and the banks will walk away. I would hope you have worked on your repayment for damages already received and damages to come to your property. Don't wait too long and find there is only a hole in the ground to bring a suit against.

[Scotsman Hosie]

That retaining wall should have been sheet piling...

Sheet piling up? I think that's the euphemism jdurand has been looking for.

[jdurand]

They're working late today, put down some dirt, pound, dirt, pound, ...

I notice they DID patch over the external larger holes. Guess the inside ones will be taken care of by the wall finishing that also has to cover all that waffle pattern. Maybe they'll mount plasterboard out from the wall and hope nobody ever looks behind it.

[Toolmaker51]

They're working late today, put down some dirt, pound, dirt, pound, ...

I notice they DID patch over the external larger holes. Guess the inside ones will be taken care of by the wall finishing that also has to cover all that waffle pattern. Maybe they'll mount plasterboard out from the wall and hope nobody ever looks behind it.

Yes. They can hide it physically.
But (with maniacal laugh) it'll reside forever in this supreme digital record; we can refrain blackmail for a small fee. . .

[Frank S]

What I am thinking is the homeowner is going to need the digital record some day. Maybe not soon but in a few years

[PDXsparky]

Eagerly awaiting further photos. This house "construction" is like watching a slow motion train wreck. I just can't look away.

[Frank S]

Eagerly awaiting further photos. This house "construction" is like watching a slow motion train wreck. I just can't look away.

I hear you, Although I've never contracted to build a house I've been involved in the civil engineering aspect of several industrial and high rise buildings mostly to insure the civil engineers took into account the machinery or steel structural members we were going to have to install later.
But this thing does have all the trappings of a train wreck in progress.
there is adequate steel in the construction I'll give them that.
I'm pretty sure I know why they did not vibrate the concrete in to make sure all the voids were filled was due to the selection of forming materials.
Steel form panels could have been rented and bolted together for less cost than the lumber in the forms they constructed then they could have vibrated the concrete in properly with a superior finish and no need to slice away a bulge from an almost failed form.
An even bigger concern is the total lack of any moisture barrier anywhere in the basement wall or floor construction, But hey, maybe they used concrete that is completely moisture prof. I can't say since I'm not there.
My mistake I just looked all the way back to the 1st page and did see they laid down a barrier under the floor portion.
And maybe that R1 foam being taped together is enough to protect the sides I've just never seen it done that way without spraying a layer of barrier on prior to application of foam insulation

[jdurand]

They've started putting in the wood bits, they're also still backfilling around the outside.