Expert: Dan Griffin - 11/17/2009

Question
Hi Dan,

My husband and I have hired a company to build the shell of our new house (basement, garage, stick frame, shingle roof, doors & windows, vinyl siding).  So far, they've built the basement and garage floor (both poured concrete).  This was finished about 6 weeks ago by the company they subcontracted to do the work, and nothing has been done since then.  They say it's because they are still working on other projects that they have to finish before they start ours (we had a lot of rain this fall).

Now it is getting towards winter here in Illinois, and the construction company tells us they will start any day (they just need one more dry day to finish up the last project before starting ours on the next dry day).

We have several worries at this point, all concerning the weather affecting the final outcome of our house.

First of all, it may rain and snow off and on (which it tends to do this time of year), as they build the frame (it's a two story house).  If they have to take many days off in between dry days of construction, will this cause warping of the wood and permanent structural damage to the home?  How long is too long to take to put up a wood frame house in wet weather before there is irreversible damage?

Second, even if getting the wood damp for weeks is not really a problem, how much of a problem (if any) is it to be constructing during freezing weather?  Will the materials be damaged if they're frozen as they're being hammered into place?  Will they even be willing to get up on the roof and shingle it in winter weather (I'd be too scared to!)?

Lastly, if we ask them to postpone building the house until it warms up and dries out (next summer some time), which I'm not even sure they will let us do, is it a problem to leave the basement and garage exposed to the elements over the winter?  Will there be damage as water freezes on the basement and garage floors?  I don't see any cracks now, but I'm guessing there are probably tiny ones that would get bigger with the freeze/thaw cycle (but then again I know next to nothing about concrete).

We're just trying to minimize potential damage at this point (and trying to get over the frustration of watching all those dry days go by and leaves fill up our basement).

Thank you so much for any advice you can give!!

Regards,
Annalisa

Answer
Annalisa, I'm glad you're thinking the entire process through.  Buildings are built during the winter months every where in the world.  One of the prime concerns from my point of view is the toll taken on the workmen more than the materials.  I guess we just have a different perspective.  Very few houses are ever built without being rained in/on wet from top to bottom.  The trades and materials that need heat and dry don't happen until the roof is on and the windows are in.  Those trades also use some form of temporary heat or get the permanent heater running as soon as possible.  You would prefer that they use their heaters - NOT yours.

Concrete parking lots and exposed concrete buildings make it through the winter every year.  If you decide you don't want work done during the winter it won't hurt the building and will actually allow the footings to settle in.  Your concrete is already cracked and continues to have the same potential for more cracking whether you build or not.  The exception to that is if the basement walls are not backfilled and you get large quantities of water or mud freezing, it has the potential to swell and damage the concerete by pressure on the walls.  Builders usually won't backfill walls untill the floor is installed to help hold the top of the walls.

If it were my decision, I would build.  Ask your builder to take extra care waterproofing and backfilling the walls as soon as possible to get rain water away from the building (believe me, he wants this too.  Ask that he not cover up walls or floors until they have had plenty of time to dry out if they have gotten wet in rain or snow to prevent the possibility of causing mold problems.  Remember, these guys make their living.doing this and they want things as clean and dry for themselves as possible.  You don't tell me exactly where you are, but most winters have many good building days unless you're in the northern tier of the US.  If they get off to a good start, you should be in the dry before winter really hits.  Good luck.