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Old 07-06-10, 12:21 PM   #1
nibs
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Default Rock and mortar wall, needs help.

I recently bought a place, it has a 6.5' high 40' long fully bermed block wall which is failing. There does not appear to be any drainage problems, we have had some torrential rains to test it. The wall is bowed and has stepped cracks at one end.
My plan, for our house, is to build a rock and mortar wall, with waterproofing and 2" foam insulation against this wall. I plan a 16" thick (not counting insulation) rock wall with rebar and concrete behind the rock on a 12" by 24" wide foundation. The foundation beneath the block wall is old and shows no cracks, soil drainage is very good.
My wife is afraid that the wall will be cold and never warm up. The new wall will seldom get direct sunlight, so cannot be regarded as a solar heat store. She is concerned that the house will always be cold. My concern is that the rock wall be solid enough to hold back the block wall and earth behind it. I have lots of construction experience with wood concrete and steel buildings both as a laborer carpenter and project manager. Your thoughts would be very much appreciated.
TIA, Tony

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Old 07-07-10, 02:07 PM   #2
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I'm having a hard time envisioning exactly what you're talking about. Perhaps you could make a quick sketch?
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Old 07-07-10, 07:34 PM   #3
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Just did a sketch in PM7 & have not got a clue how to paste here, sorry.
Signed Geezer with a computer.
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Old 07-08-10, 05:56 AM   #4
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You wouldn't be the only one. That is why I created this page:

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/forum-...-pictures.html

You really only have to upload the images to show up. You only have to use the IMG tags if you want it to show in with your text. Otherwise, it'll just show up at the bottom of your post.
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Old 07-11-10, 05:23 PM   #5
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http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...1&d=1278886087

Will have a vapor barrier between failed wall and new rock wall as well as the 2" foam insulation.

Excavating the berm is out of the question due to adjacent construction. The intent is to create a new wall capable of holding the block wall in place, will put a reinforced bond beam on top of the block as well as rock wall.

Wife fears that this mass of rock and concrete will take too long to warm up and will remain damp from interior condensation.
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Old 07-11-10, 05:26 PM   #6
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Not certain how the thumbnail will show up so above is the flickr.com image, sorry for not being a bit more computer literate.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/technic...46028/sizes/m/

Last edited by nibs; 07-11-10 at 05:27 PM.. Reason: picture
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Old 08-03-10, 11:12 PM   #7
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Well, I decided to go ahead, and have spent the last while digging a foundation for the new interior rock wall. The foundation consists of black plastic then 2" foam under a 12" thick slab 3' wide for 9' and 4'wide for the remainder, on top of that will be (we pour tomorrow) an 8" thick by 2' wide slab, lots of rebar in the concrete. I filled some of the core holes in the failing block wall with concrete and rebar some weeks back. Yesterday I painted the block wall with asphaltic emulsion and this morning slid a 10' X 20' tarp over the vertical rebar so that the tarp will be under the top slab and against the block wall, I was going to use plastic sheeting, but the tarp was just $20 and is way more durable than plastic sheet.
Stood 2" foam against the tarp, so will have R10 between the house and the block wall. While the conc is still a bit soft, will place some of the first course of rock onto the top slab & will then begin the rock wall building. This part of the wall will be 6' high and 16'long. I will put in 6" stove pipe for a future rocket heater and will put in conduit for electric runs. Getting the foundation dug and filled has been a chore, but now we are going upwards. Have been remiss with pics, but took some today & will take more as we go.
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Old 10-18-10, 10:48 PM   #8
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Well, we finished the first 16' of the wall & poured a cap bonding the block wall to the rock wall, great to know that the wall is now safe and secure. The rest of the wall, 24' will be poured concrete with foam insulation on the inside, the block wall there has sand & gravel piled up against it so that it is straight & has not begun to fail. That is for next years wall building, tomorrow we leave for the winter to get somewhere warm.

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