Building a Foundation -- in Florida

Building on sand is a little tricky. Not only do we have 50 pilings made of concrete and steel rebar, but are also constructing a stem-wall foundation. This type of foundation is common in flood-prone areas of Florida. A wall of concrete blocks is assembled around the perimeter of the home as well as strategic load-bearing points. Then, this box, if you will, is filled with sand and dirt, underground plumbing is installed, and a concrete slab is poured on top.

As of yesterday, our stem wall was completed, and we are awaiting inspection before going further. But a dire question lies in wait. The soil analyst predicted three inches of settling, and he originally suggested a 120-day waiting period to allow all the dirt to settle before the underground plumbing installation. However, to avoid this waiting period, a solution was devised to tie the plumbing to the rebar.

But nobody asked the plumber, who is adamant that this idea will not work and could cause plumbing problems for us down the road. We don’t want that, so we’re asking questions to determine the best possible procedure, and we may come to a standstill waiting for the new dirt to settle.

In the meantime, the plumber and other subcontractors as well as inspectors and others have been impressed with the steps we are taking to fortify our foundation and have said that we are doing everything right where others might have cut corners.

As for me, I've been assigned me a few fun jobs, like choosing a front door and faucets. When framing starts, the crew will need specifications for any items that they need to “rough in.”

The photo in the top left shows the rebar before they filled it with concrete and started topping it with concrete blocks.  The other two photos show the stem wall just before completion. The bottom photo is a view facing the front of the house, while in the other, Randy is standing where the back porch will be.