| You should be able after reading this, to perform | | | | footing including corners. Lapping in and out all the |
| simple forming methods for linear footings and pier | | | | way around. Now start your inside form. Stand the |
| footings for a basic foundation. I will cover optional | | | | board 24" away from the outside form board and |
| ways to form foundation walls as well. Along the | | | | hold it in place with either a 28" piece of the 1" x3" |
| way I will leave you hints that will either be ways to | | | | lumber scrap keeping a minimum of 24" between the |
| save money, safety items or perhaps a reference or | | | | forms. The building inspector will check this dimension. |
| two for you to go to for more information if you | | | | He/she does not care if it's slightly larger but he/she |
| need it. | | | | will fail it, if it's less than 24". Again work all the way |
| Linear Footing Formwork- Linear footings is a fancy | | | | around your footing until you have a full rectangle |
| word for strip footings that you may have seen | | | | with a form board for both the inside and outside of |
| being placed under a new house or garage. They are | | | | your footing in place. |
| the first basic piece in the foundation system you will | | | | Now is the time to begin making your forms strong |
| need for your project. Linear footings may form a | | | | enough to hold the weight of the concrete. Starting |
| square, a circle, an arc or perhaps just a projection | | | | in one corner, add enough wood stakes, nailing each |
| sticking out from the main building that will support a | | | | one as you go to the formwork with 10 penny |
| knee wall or a retaining wall. | | | | duplex nails. Steel stakes have pre-drilled holes in |
| Observe therewill be several men involved as well as | | | | them so you simply insert the nail in a hole and drive |
| the use of wheelbarrows to haul the concrete and | | | | it in. Continue this until one side is secured soundly. |
| place it in the footing forms. Also note the small | | | | Now stand the inside forms making sure you maintain |
| squares in the center of the excavation are for a | | | | the minimum width required by your drawings. Install |
| pier footing that may support a column later on. The | | | | "spreaders" made of scrap lumber across the top of |
| concrete is placed and leveled off flush with top of | | | | the forms to hold them apart and help hold them |
| forms. | | | | from tipping over when the concrete is placed inside. |
| Materials: Materials for footings can range from | | | | Continue on all the way around the footings until all |
| dimensional lumber such as a 2" x 12" or 2' x10" to | | | | forms are nailed and staked. NOTE: As you proceed |
| plywood, scrap lumber pieces, or any other wood | | | | with the formwork, using your level and tripod, make |
| you have laying around. Typically, footing lumber can | | | | sure the forms are LEVEL! They are of no use if |
| be used over and over again to save money. 12 | | | | they weave up and down and will make installation of |
| penny,10 penny and 8 penny common nails, some | | | | the foundation itself, nearly impossible. If you |
| string line, pencils, level, ruler or measuring tape and a | | | | encounter rock or other obstruction, ask your building |
| tripod and bubble level. A tripod and level can be | | | | inspector how he/she wants to see the footing |
| rented by the day from most Rental centers. They | | | | formed at that location. They may allow you to pin |
| will show you how to set it up and use it if you need | | | | the rebar to the rock, ask that some of the rock be |
| help. A string line bubble level is approximately $2.00 | | | | removed to provide a level surface and so on. Now |
| at most home hardware stores. | | | | install the rebar. Just slide the long lengths under your |
| Tools-Long handled pointed shovels, short handled | | | | spreaders making bends at the corners. Using tie |
| square shovel, hammers, pick, 12 pound sledge | | | | wire, hang the bars from the spreaders so the rebar |
| hammer, tie wire, and a chalk line box. | | | | is located within the bottom 1/3 of the footing height. |
| Reinforcement- In most parts of the country steel | | | | 12" high footing? Hang the bars 3-4" above the |
| reinforcement is required in foundation footings. It | | | | ground. This will help provide the strongest footing |
| could be 2-#5 bars continuous or 2-#6's and this | | | | you can make. When all rebar is complete, call for |
| information will be shown on your building drawings. | | | | inspection and take a rest. |
| Reinforcement bar sizes are based on 1/8" | | | | Placing the concrete-When pouring a large footing or |
| increments of 1". So #5vbar is 5/8" thick, #6 bar is 6 | | | | foundation, you will most likely purchase the concrete |
| 8 or ¾" thick and so on. Bars range from #3 to | | | | from a Redi-mix concrete supplier. They will want to |
| ##24 but will never see anything larger than a #7 in | | | | know, how many yards you need, what strength |
| any typical house footing. Rebar (for short) is | | | | concrete and what time of day you would like it to |
| available at home centers, lumberyards and if you | | | | be on site. Have your information ready. Order two |
| have a local steel supplier in the phone book, they | | | | days before you need it and check again on the day |
| may deliver as well. Rebar comes in 20' or 30'lengths | | | | it is supposed to be delivered to make sure there will |
| with 20' lengths which are easier to handle and are | | | | not be any delays. Weather, plant breakdowns and |
| preferable. You can bend a #3, 4 or 5 in a simple jig | | | | even manpower can sometimes delay truck delivery |
| made of stacked cement blocks or a trailer hitch on | | | | times. They will get there as closely to the hour you |
| a pickup truck. It will take some effort but there | | | | requested as possible. BE READY! When the truck |
| aren't that many to bend. | | | | shows up is not the time to find out you have a flat |
| Cutting rebar may be done with a demolition saw or | | | | on the wheelbarrow or can't find the shovels. Have |
| a skill saw with a carbide blade although that is much | | | | your tools and manpower ready. Most companies |
| slower. WEAR SAFETY GLASSES AT ALL TIMES! | | | | allow up to 1 hour on site for unloading. After that |
| Flying debris from the saw blade and sparks can | | | | you pay additional time charges for the truck and the |
| cause serious eye injuries. Watch the sparks as well. | | | | driver. It can get costly! Unless you are superhuman |
| Be aware of where you're working and have a firm | | | | and very well experienced do not try and unload |
| footing when doing this work. Make sure no one is | | | | 10yds of concrete with only 2 people. You most likely |
| standing in the path of the cutting debris or sparks. | | | | will spill more than you use, the concrete will get hard |
| Rebar installed in a pier footing. Many footings have 2 | | | | before you finish it and rushing around can cause an |
| or 3 continuous bars tied together end to end for | | | | injury. Be prepared with sufficient manpower. |
| added strength of the footing. Walls may have just | | | | After the concrete is placed in your forms and |
| vertical bars or both vertical and horizontal bars in | | | | roughly troweled off to the top of the forms, take a |
| them. | | | | few minutes break. The concrete will start to setup |
| Installation: Here's the fun part where you actually | | | | and if your plans call for vertical bars in the footings |
| see something getting done. Once you have | | | | for the new foundation walls, this is the time to install |
| performed the layout of the building lines, you are | | | | those. They should all be pre-made and laid out |
| ready to start installing the formwork. Remember, | | | | roughly where they are to go in the footings. Again, |
| this is not cabinet or finished work that will be seen | | | | plan ahead. You may "stab" these rebar into the wet |
| later on. It is simply a temporary form to hold the | | | | concrete, wiggling them around slightly to get the |
| concrete in shape until it dries. When your concrete is | | | | concrete to fill in around the hole you made. Your |
| hardened, YOU RIP ALL THE FORMS BACK OUT! | | | | plans will tell you if the bars go on the inside or |
| While we are here, when you have finished and | | | | outside "face" pf the wall or in the center and how |
| poured your footings, remove ALL wood from | | | | far apart they are to be. "Inside" and "Outside" face |
| around the work. Leaving wood in place and burying | | | | simply means the inside or outside of the new all. |
| it will draw insects and especially termites. They just | | | | Most times the bars are to be placed 2" away from |
| love damp wood. This will be a serious problem later | | | | the face. Your drawings will tell you this information. |
| on. Take your time to clean it all out. Start in one | | | | Starting in one corner, install one bar in intersection of |
| corner of your foundation (we will for now assume it | | | | the corner and then measure whatever dimension |
| is a rectangle) and start laying out the longest lengths | | | | the drawing shows for centers. 32" on center (O.C.). |
| of lumber you have to use. Your drawings will tell you | | | | Just measure over 32" and install the next bar and so |
| if your footing is 20" wide and 10"' deep or 24" wide | | | | on. When you come to the next corner, make sure |
| and 12" deep and so on. The first number given such | | | | one bar is at the corner intersection center again. |
| as 24" x12" typically means the width of the footing | | | | You can add extra bars of you have a question, just |
| is 24", and the depth is 12". Typical means this is the | | | | don't add too few. |
| size used everywhere unless the architect shows a | | | | Next day. Now that you found the muscles you |
| different size in a specific place. If your footing is 24" | | | | never knew you had (just a little sore?) it is time to |
| x 12", you would be using 2" x12" x 12' or 10' | | | | strip all the formwork off the footings. Yes all that |
| dimensional lumber marked as SPF. (Spruce, Pine, Fir). | | | | great form work you did is now just scarp lumber |
| In different areas of the country, faming lumber | | | | pile material. Take ALL wood out of the foundation |
| could be Southern Yellow Pine, white pine or other | | | | area. Rotting wood underground draws termites and |
| most common and cheapest wood available. | | | | other nasty insects! Footings are complete. |
| Remember, this is not structural framing lumber so | | | | Foundation forms completed and filled with concrete. |
| there is no reason to buy the highest priced wood | | | | Not child's play! |
| for this work. Buy the Cheapest! | | | | Foundation walls: Walls may be constructed of |
| OK so you worked your way all around the building | | | | concrete block units (Masonry or CMU), poured |
| and find out the building doesn't fit your lumber | | | | concrete, pressure treated wood and today even |
| lengths. Amazing! Say the building is 42' long. by | | | | Styrofoam foundation blocks are available. Whatever |
| lapping your forms one foot each, you will only get | | | | the type you are using, if you did a good job on |
| 39' from 4 10' pieces and you need 42'. Now you are | | | | your footings and they are nice and level, the walls |
| allowed to cut some pieces to fit the corners. Try to | | | | are going to be easy to install. If your foundation is |
| keep the cutting to a minimum so you can save your | | | | masonry, your work is done. Your mason will now |
| lumber for another project. OK, now we have lumber | | | | layout the wall locations, lay the CMU, pour the CMU |
| laid out all the way around the foundation. Holding the | | | | cells that have the rebar in them and install the straps |
| lumber in place can be done by several methods and | | | | for the sill plate for the house, shed, garage, etc. |
| all are fine. | | | | Make sure his contract includes all this work and |
| Formwork can be held in place by using wooden | | | | materials. If the foundation is concrete, the concrete |
| stakes, steel stakes, perforated strapping steel tape, | | | | contractor will bring all the forms with him. Again, |
| or wood spreaders. Steel stakes are quicker but are | | | | make sure all the formwork, wall ties, rebar required, |
| expensive to buy. If you can rent a box of 24 or 48, | | | | windows and other accessories are included in his |
| do so as they greatly speed up the work. If you are | | | | contract. It is possible for a homeowner to form and |
| using wood stakes you have to purchase some 1" x | | | | pour a foundation but it is not child's play. For rentals, |
| 3" x12' lumber for cutting of stakes. If your ground is | | | | rebar installation for the walls, actual placement of |
| very soft or wet, the stakes may have to be | | | | the concrete, how to use the trucks properly and |
| 30"-36" long, if the ground is firm 24" long stakes will | | | | possibly the use of a concrete pump are all best left |
| do. Cut a point on each stake and make a couple of | | | | to the pros. Concrete is extremely heavy when wet. |
| dozen of them to start. Stand your first footing form | | | | Improperly constructed wall forms can result in a |
| directly under you layout line and drive a stake | | | | "blow-out" of the formwork and serious injury or |
| alongside on the outside! You have to be able to | | | | death can result. |
| remove them later. Now keeping the form under | | | | Footings are the basic and first building block of your |
| your layout line, move along the board and place | | | | project. Sheds may sit only on 4 solid concrete |
| another stake at the other end keeping the entire | | | | blocks but those are the footings. They too must be |
| length of the board under the string line. Make sure | | | | solid and level to provide a good footing for your |
| your form is in line with the foundation footing layout | | | | shed. Take your time and do it right and the rest of |
| line. Place your second form alongside the first on the | | | | your building will be easier to keep plumb and level. |
| outside and lap it 1" over the first. Drive a 16 penny | | | | Hopefully this has given you lots of ideas and |
| duplex nail in the lap to hold it while you work along. | | | | information on the right and wrong ways to install |
| Third form; place it to the inside of the 2nd board, | | | | footings. Whether it is a large or small project, the |
| lapping it one foot as well. Nail these together from | | | | theory is the same. Take your time to read your |
| the outside! Continue on around the footing until you | | | | drawings, always use safety glasses when using a |
| have stood forms for the entire exterior of the | | | | power tool or placing concrete. |