Do I Need To Retrofit My Old Foundation?

Рет қаралды 13,461

5 жыл бұрын

Does your seismic retrofit need a new foundation? Before spending tens of thousands on foundation work, watch this video. It might save you a lot of money.
Foundations are actually the least important part of any seismic retrofit. History and testing have shown us that most old foundations can be part of a seismic retrofit.
Even brick foundations can perform well in earthquakes if they are addressed properly.
Go to our website to learn more and ask us to come look at your house.
Website
bayarearetrofit.com/

Пікірлер: 38

@saaaaauce 2 жыл бұрын

I'm buying an old victorian home in northen California with what looks to be the original brick foundation. I'm glad I ran into your channel. You give very good honest information about retrofitting.

@maggiedaniel8699 4 жыл бұрын

I learned a lot. Thank you

@helloaridesign 3 жыл бұрын

Very helpful video for us folks who are making decisions about old San Francisco victorian houses with brick foundations. thanks for your time, Howard.

@bayarearetrofit5814 3 жыл бұрын

These videos are a lot of work in the spirit of benefitting the public. If you support the channel by subscribing I would appreciate it.

@watcher-someone-awake 3 жыл бұрын

just stumbled upon this video trying to figure out the best way to secure my elderly mother's East SJ foothills house to its foundations, lots to learn, thank you, subbed!

@bayarearetrofit5814 3 жыл бұрын

Happy to hear I could help. Please be sure and subscribe.

@WShawn 3 жыл бұрын

This was quite eye-opening, thanks! Subscribed and poring over your website. We live in Portland, OR, and the 100-year-old foundation of our bungalow is very crumbly in spots, with a section dividing our half-basement from the crawlspace literally turning into sand. The local seismic expert (as seen on Ask This Old House) quoted us $30K in 2014 to pour new footings and walls inside the entire perimeter of our existing walls and tying our house to new cripple walls built onto the new concrete. I'm guessing the cost would be at least double that now. Maybe we should hire a reputable seismic engineer who doesn't have a stake in the contracting to get their take.

@bayarearetrofit5814 2 жыл бұрын

Sorry I am so late in my reply. I do not know KZfaq did not notify me about your comment. You can figure it out yourself.

@themayorbnb 4 жыл бұрын

Love this video. My aunt has an old brick foundation is areas of her 1920’s build. Crumbling and falling apart. This may be the answer she needs. Does the new foundation wall require trenching and footing pour? Should rebar be placed with in? She has a full basement which is rare in So California

@bayarearetrofit5814 4 жыл бұрын

Go to bayarearetrofit.com/brick-foundations/ it will explain a lot. If you wouldn't mind subscribing to my channel I would appreciate it.

@Clifford270 2 жыл бұрын

@@bayarearetrofit5814 That's a good article. Thanks for sharing

@bayarearetrofit5814 2 жыл бұрын

@@Clifford270 Thaks for letting me know.

@MatthewWalker_93_ 2 жыл бұрын

If a new/sister wall is poured to support the original foundation, would one typically attach the new wall (via it's mud sill and/or top plate) to the old, or keep them separate? If one has a sister wall with anchors through top plate, would one forego doing any attachments to old foundation/plates and simple rely on new sister wall for all connections? I've seen this done but want to know if it makes sense.

@bayarearetrofit5814 2 жыл бұрын

Why use the old foundation? Sistered foundations are poured because the old foundation has lots of problems. Old foundations normally perform quite well. See bayarearetrofit.com/foundation-cracks/

@bunasan 3 жыл бұрын

This is a great video. I have foundation (house from 1925) where at least one of the sides has 1 to 3 rows of short cinder blocks filed with cement sits on top of a poured foundation. How is that bolted? Do you just drill down through all the cinder block cement until you get into the poured cement? Or would something like simpson strong tie st6224 16ga straps bolted into poured cement foundation and and attached to mudsill via SD screws be enough? I assume the straps may not have much lateral force protection. Thanks for any input.

@bayarearetrofit5814 3 жыл бұрын

I would drill straight into the brick.

@bunasan 3 жыл бұрын

@@bayarearetrofit5814 into the brick only or through it all the way to the poured concrete? Thanks again.

@infocook4854 3 жыл бұрын

It night have been wet set with nails. Get a stud finder and chack for that. Otherwise, drill all the way to the concrete and use Hilti expoxy. I think it is HY 200

@gordoneason2356 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video as it seems to address my exact problem. I have a foundation wall that is not sitting on it's mudsill. Do you think that a foundation cap would be the most economical way to fix this situation? Have you ever known of a new pressure treated 4x6 being used for a mudsill instead of the foundation cap? I'm wondering because of the gap size being no larger than 3 1/2 inches and tapering down in size. Or, do you think if TF structural repair mortar would work? Thank you for any input you may offer.

@bayarearetrofit5814 3 жыл бұрын

You mean there is a gap between the foundation and the bottom plate of the wall?

@gordoneason2356 3 жыл бұрын

@@bayarearetrofit5814 Yes, from one end of the house to the other there is a tapered gap from zero to 3 1/2 inches. We leveled the house after we bought it which caused this issue.

@bayarearetrofit5814 3 жыл бұрын

Use pressure treated shims

@gordoneason2356 3 жыл бұрын

@@bayarearetrofit5814 Thank you so much for your advice! I appreciate all of your help more than you know!

@bayarearetrofit5814 3 жыл бұрын

Happy to help. Be sure and subscribe.

@callalloo2000 4 жыл бұрын

Also, do I have to do anything to embrace the corners, or is the new 10’ foundation in front suffice?

@bayarearetrofit5814 4 жыл бұрын

Jenny, I am sorry. I thought I answered you some time ago. How is your project coming along.? I am adding more material to my webpage on brick foundations that will tell you exactly how to address your problem. You can also help put the article together if you want to, Look at the web page on brick foundations. I am working with the top seismic retrofit engineer in the country on this and you will get the best advice available. Please call me and I can tell you more.

@callalloo2000 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Howard, I have an old brick foundation and odd U “horseshoe” shape house and some walls are longer 51’ and other sides are 24’ and 15’. I saw the part that u mentioned for brick foundation, u pour a new concrete foundation in front that’s 10’. In my situation, what length of a foundation should I use since some walls are longer and some are shorter?

@bayarearetrofit5814 4 жыл бұрын

Are you the person from Los Angeles I talked to?

@callalloo2000 4 жыл бұрын

Bay Area Seismic Retrofit , yes! I also texted u some photos of my floor plan, did u get it? The house is a 2 story Spanish home.

@bayarearetrofit5814 4 жыл бұрын

First figure out how many linear feet of plywood you need and you base everything off of that. To do that you need to know how much the house weighs. How many square feet and is it stucco or wood on the outside? How old is it?

@callalloo2000 4 жыл бұрын

Bay Area Seismic Retrofit , the house originally built 1890, outside is stucco, 2 stories. 3052 Sq ft. How do I know how much it weighs?

@bayarearetrofit5814 4 жыл бұрын

It weighs 45 pounds per square foot according to the engineering calculations found on the website. Take that and multiply it by 0.186. Divide by 2. That is the amount of force you must resist on each side of the house. Go to this webpage bayarearetrofit.com/hardware-and-plywood-earthquake-resistance/ and figure out what you need and get back to me. Usually you are looking at L90s everywhere and you can use any type of bolt. When you are looking at the plywood table use the 870 Lbs per linear foot requirements on the table. . Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. You are probably going to need to use mudsill blocking. bayarearetrofit.com/mudsill-connection-in-cripple-wall-retrofits/ Use the Simpson SDS screws, don't use nails.

@moon3173 8 ай бұрын

playing at 1.75x makes this at a normal speech speed

@bayarearetrofit5814 8 ай бұрын

LOL!

@jenniferclark857 5 ай бұрын

This may be a silly question, but is the air gap created by the plastic piping completely open to the outside? Is that gap an entry point for rodents?

@bayarearetrofit5814 Ай бұрын

If a mouse will fit you can assume it will be.