Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 5/1/2009

Question
i want to build a second story on my house,i would like to know if a 20 inch pad is thick enough to hold the weight.the walls of the existing building are cinder blocks.thanks

Answer
Hi bill, this really isn't enough information to go on.  Is the pad 20 inches thick or 20 inches wide?  What do you mean by pad and how many pads are there?  Is the existing house cinder block walls or are the pads made of cinder block?..Are you talking about a 20 inch wide concrete footing underneath the block wall?  If so how thick is it?  Most 2 story block buildings have at least a 24" wide by 16" deep footing and depending on the actual height of the wall a 36" wide footing.  A project like this will require an engineer to design the structural part of it in order for you to get a building permit.  So your first step should be consulting with an engineer to see what your options are and if the existing footings will suffice.  I hope this information helps, feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com