foundationmoisture
A corner of my houses foundation sits on ledge rock. There's some corrosion that lets moisture in where the foundation meets the rock. The foundation is field stone and was built 100 years ago.
Why would someone build on ledge? And how can I repair the foundation? What materials do I use? Cement? I'm a new home owner and have lots of questions, sorry.
Thank you in advance.
Never use chicken wire or fiber glass meshing, they don't do anything.
When it comes to non rebar reinforcement you have some options. In your case I would add fibers. This type of reinforcement is called FRC or Fiber Reinforced Concrete.
Steel fibers add tensile strength and have no weak points like rebar does because they are spread throughout the slab. They also improve impact resistance and freeze-thaw damage.
On the other hand you can also add polypropylene and Nylon fibers, as they do a similar function. I'll add more on this if you need.
The first step is to look at the foundation that supports that the walls of the garage. If the walls have foundations separate from the garage floor slab and those foundations are similar in construction and depth to those of the main house then this is a good indicator that you are in a good position to proceed with the remodel plans.
On the other hand if the slab was poured with integral footings around its periphery that are similar in size and depth to those of the house then you are also probably good to go forward.
If the garage is simply a thin floating slab then a whole lot will depend upon the climate in your area, the type of soil, the lay of the land and local code requirements. You may be in a good position if the "attached" structure of the garage to the house is sound, the slab shows no signs of cracking and shifting and the construction technique is up to code.
In any case it may be well to check with the local permitting authorities and/or bring in a consulting local contractor to give you ideas and make suggestions.
One last thing that comes to my mind regarding this potential project is the evaluation of whether the garage slab is below the floor level of the original house or not. If it is below you may very well want to consider the possibility to build up the floor to the level of the house. This will help to make the added living space feel like proper part of the house and make movement into and out of the space a whole lot more natural.
Best Answer
Someone built on rock because the rock was where they wanted to put the house. This mighf reduce foundation cost, too.
You repair the foundation the same way you repair any brick or fieldstone foundation -- mortar in new pieces if necessary, tuckpoint to fill in eroded-away mortar, etc. Think of the ledge rock as a natural foundation slab and work from there.