It's a whole lot better to overbuild than the alternative. As long as you're not wasting a ton of money for ridiculous stuff I don't see how that could be wrong.

The exception? Using too many fasteners in framing members, which will actually weaken your structure instead of what you were intending to achieve.

I get at least one call a week from someone looking for us to complete or repair a bad job. The only way we'll do it is to start over. It rarely happens because....

A) That adds quite a bit to the cost, and...

B) The person who is calling isn't inclined to spend much money in the first place, thus creating the problem.


I don't know jack about decks but if you really want it done right you should just accept the loss and get a fresh start. Hopefully with a lesson learned.

is this contractor your buddy that you were price-checking the other day?

thats a shit job.

The reason you should put in 36 inch deep footings is to get below the frost line. If you only go a few inches deep, as frost sets in, it makes the soil swell and then subside upon thawing. This will make your deck move up and down, and eventually it will have worked the structure back and forth and loosen everything.

In northern climates (like NY, MI, WI, etc. the frost line can be 6' or even more.

Oh he went 36 inches deep...and 8 inches on top of that.

What. The. ****. :doh!:

The 8 inches above grade doesn't count.

I'll buy that for a $1. I don't understand it really and it seems no one else really does either.

Just like Mikey said - you have to take footings down 36" in this area of the country. That measurement is the depth to which the earth will freeze during a particularly cold winter. If the earth is freezing and thawing, freezing and thawing you're going to experience expansion and contraction which will cause any structure attached to the piers to pitch and heave. For the pier to be solid, it must reach a depth of 36".

My point was that any concrete above grade doesn't really count for anything at all.

I agree. If I have 36" already that he poured..why pour another 8? It's really an eye sore or seems it would be to have these big 8" concrete blocks that serve some unknown purpose.

Well, you do want them sticking up a little over grade just so water won't get trapped between your post and the concrete. He probably chose 8" because he was sitting them on top of previously poured piers. In any case, I think it's obvious to anybody who looks that dude had no idea what he's doing. I'll be in touch soon.

Well sure. Code says they have to be and they were previously 1" above ground level with a slope for drainage.

He overshot that by 7" and didn't slope it. Eitherway he is gone and the bids are being accepted.

so was this your buddy? you never answered that...

Yes

don't envy your position in that regard.

good luck...

Yeah I have been pretty stressed about it all weekend. To the point of sore chest and stomach. I didn't tell him I was canning him from the job for sloppy work. Told him I wanted to go the more legit route plus he isn't insured and stuff. And that part is very true. Just feel he knows what kind of work he did and didn't need me to point it out.

That being said I know the guy can build decks. I think maybe he got big in the head and such. Either way it sucks really.