fcrist
03-09-2005, 07:35 AM
Hi,
I am new to this forum and I have a question about a new house I am having built. I appologize for the long question, but it is a little complicated...
The house is built on a slope (from left to right of the house entry), so I ended up with at least 9 stairs for the entry. This was not in the plan. In the meantime, I realized this is how these companies work... they know how it is going to be, they don't tell you upfront so that you won't change your mind...
Anyway, the point is that the builder won't raise the foundation where the entrance in the house is going to be, so that they avoid the extra concrete costs. Instead, they will put a pony wall on top of the low foundation. I told them I want a retaining wall to be able to hold the concrete stairs that will go up to the entrance.
My question is:
Can they backfill with gravel and then soil against the pony wall in front and retaining wall on the side in order to sustain the concrete stairs? (There is going to be obly a 3ft path of concrete steps, so it will not cover the whole area, which means rain water will drain down against the trated plywood). Is this something that is usually done in house construction?
I am worried about that plywood getting rotten from the water what will drain through the gravel.
They told me they'll use some treated plywood, but I don't trust them anymore. Will this pass any inspection from the city?
Thanks a lot for your answers!
F.
I am new to this forum and I have a question about a new house I am having built. I appologize for the long question, but it is a little complicated...
The house is built on a slope (from left to right of the house entry), so I ended up with at least 9 stairs for the entry. This was not in the plan. In the meantime, I realized this is how these companies work... they know how it is going to be, they don't tell you upfront so that you won't change your mind...
Anyway, the point is that the builder won't raise the foundation where the entrance in the house is going to be, so that they avoid the extra concrete costs. Instead, they will put a pony wall on top of the low foundation. I told them I want a retaining wall to be able to hold the concrete stairs that will go up to the entrance.
My question is:
Can they backfill with gravel and then soil against the pony wall in front and retaining wall on the side in order to sustain the concrete stairs? (There is going to be obly a 3ft path of concrete steps, so it will not cover the whole area, which means rain water will drain down against the trated plywood). Is this something that is usually done in house construction?
I am worried about that plywood getting rotten from the water what will drain through the gravel.
They told me they'll use some treated plywood, but I don't trust them anymore. Will this pass any inspection from the city?
Thanks a lot for your answers!
F.