AboutBruce E. Johnson Expertise I can answer any construction related question in regards to carpentry, concrete, drywall, masonry, structural elements of any type of building, residential or commercial. Interior or exterior.
Experience Custom Commercial and residential buildings. Churches, theaters, schools and auditoriums. Most recently I am working with the Catholic Church on several design build committees. I have a website related to scheduling and project supervision. Although my expertise is more related to multimillion dollar commercial, educational and theatrical projects my generous credentials in residential and remodelling construction make me a viable source of information regarding all forms of building questions.
Question Hi and thanks for the reply. There are two reasons why we thought of putting a 6" x 6" concrete footing across the garage door opening. First, during heavy rainstorms, water has leaked under the garage door into the garage. The thought was that a concrete barrier would provide better protection against such leakage. Second, since we are going to use wood siding installed vertically, if such siding is installed too low, then there is the possibility that ten boards of wood siding would stay wet. The thinking is that installing such siding 5 or six inches off the ground would keep such siding dryer.
Do you have any thoughts about the issue of the new framing, whether on a concrete footing or on a pressure treated board, putting upward pressure on the rest of the building?
Thanks.
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Followup To
Question -
Hi,
We have a garage which is part of the lower level of our house. We plan to eliminate the garage and convert the space to living quarters. This involves removing the garage door and permanently sealing the opening.
The house lower level is constructed of poured concrete, with an opening left for the garage door. We plan to pour a 6" x 6" concrete footing across the opening and frame out the rest of the wall on top of such footing with 2x6 lumber. We will then cover such framing with wood siding to match the rest of the building, even though this newly-constructed area will not match the stone facade of the poured concrete foundation.
There are three issues that we are concerned about. One is to ensure that there is a permanent bond between the new footing and the old poured foundation. The second is that there is a permanent bond between the new footing and the poured concrete floor. The third is that the new wood framing, standing on the new footing, does not exert upward pressure on the area above the poured foundation and either buckling the new wall or raising the building above it. We live in an area were winter temperatures have been known to drop to -30 degrees for short periods of time, so that there appears to be the possibility of uneven movement of concrete.
Any suggestions about this project would be greatly appreciated.
Answer -
Hi A, I am not sure why you are doing the 6x6 concrete footing across the front. In most cases you would frame directly to the existing floor. Using a pressure treated bottom plate for your frame wall you put down a good solid bead of a good urethane caulk and then set your bottom plate on that. Then after the wall is framed put another bead of caulking on the inside and the outside where the bottom plate touches the concrete. I hope this information is helpful. Feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely, bruce e johnson
Answer Hi A, Well good luck with that footing idea. You will need to seal it somehow or it will leak regardless of whether you use concrete. If you do pour the footing, take a small piece of wood "chamfer strip" and put it continuously along the bottom inside edge of your form before you pour. When the concrete is set up and you pull the form and the chamfer strip you are left with a nice joint that can then be caulked as I mentioned in my previous letter. I don't know where you came up with the idea that by framing in the opening with cause upward pressure on the existing structure but it is highly unlikely. I hope this information is helpful. Feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely, bruce e johnson
