Remodeling 2016 – Pier and beam

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The next step was to do the pier and beam foundation for the new laundry room. This started by drilling holes and pouring concrete around rebar to make the piers that support the whole thing. This is supposed to be better for our expansive clay soil than just putting down a slab that would shift and crack. Piers were poured around May 12 based on my photo timestamps.

img_1623.jpgOnce the piers were set, Stearns did framing for the beams. There’s an extra pier in the middle so the floor won’t bounce.

They had to wait until we had some dry days to pour the beams. There’s some kind of biodegradable cardboard boxes that go in the bottom of the forms. Eventually these decay away to leave a gap between the ground and the beams so soil expansion and contraction doesn’t lift and drop the structure. But you can’t pour the beams if the ground is too wet.img_1630.jpg

Eventually the weather cooperated.

May 24

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May 29. You can see the holes for ventilation of the space below where the floor will go. One is close to the viewer, the other is on the far corner.