Home > Video Channel > Building a Reinforced, Solid-Pour Concrete Wall

Building a Reinforced, Solid-Pour Concrete Wall

Bob meets Mark Newton of Solid Wall Systems to learn about the solid-pour walls that will frame this storm-resistant home. Bob watches the crew attach number 5 steel reinforcing bars to the existing rebar that was set in the stem walls and slab as they were poured. These up-rods or vertical rods will run the entire height of the walls. They are tied to the foundation bars with a battery-powered wire gun. Once the vertical rods are set, the crew will measure for and mark the openings before setting the wire mesh that will further reinforce the walls. Newton shows Bob how headers are constructed using stirrups that tie in the rebar and make it ready for the pour within a specialized header form. Newton then shows Bob the locking forms that will be used for the pour and the clips that hold them together. Spacer wheels are attached to the mesh to keep it centered in the wall between the two forms. Break-free wall clips are also attached to hold the two forms together. These clips are designed to break away once the forms are removed.
Get Adobe Flash Player to see this content.

Clip Transcript For:

Building a Reinforced, Solid-Pour Concrete Wall

  computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Are you mark that severe charges -- us all in losses. As the name implies means that we're gonna have solid concrete fort Walsh. Kind of like going to walk and what does -- is doing right now. Consumer -- flowing abroad would go abroad so these are vertically placed steel reinforcing rods. Number five buys that refers to size of the diameter that's correct and they're being tied up -- to the ones that you -- is -- correct. OK now what kind of a gadget is that he's using -- that they look at what. I heard her work. So well that makes the job easy does it. All right then once you've got the what else it is involved in reinforcing the wall before you would do for. That extra quantity of the -- are gonna come around and mark out all the openings as in doors windows. Heating and after that it wire mesh will come up. So tell us a little bit about what the mesh is I -- looks to me like what we put in slabs and sidewalks and sometimes in the basement to hurt or heavier days. -- reporter -- the lead -- to attach itself to it's galvanized you know stress life okay. And so this basically gets tied as he's doing over here to well he's kind trimming it gets tied to the vertical rods. And just using the same wire machine correct. Now let's talk a minute about openings does your building. I reinforced concrete shell here and in Florida we are we see a lot of sliding patio doors and big picture windows. If this were a regular concrete block. Wall how would you head off the top."

" There at what we do there and we that we call bonding but he -- block which was. You've -- and from the top and at number five steel run and it exports OK how do you create a bond beam in this situation. Would involve hanging blue. A star of but never five rebar are wired and then the next that would be with -- from the panels come in the header would go in the -- going to solve. Concrete poured all right so he basically have to insider he's already got. His horizontal pieces which -- doubled up right right. And then he -- there ups and want to get -- on the defensive over here which is run number five rebar and two more. All -- and that's how great I got."

" So the form work that's used in this process is all aluminum for each one of these panels weighs about a 115 pound. Packet which just arrived on the site and got arrayed around the around the footprint of the house is worth about a 150000 dollars this talk about how it all comes together. So Jesse have we we finished all the steel work out or -- out yes there we have I'm -- in the building department and nutrients okay. So -- looked at how. We put the headers together and stuff let's let's talk a little bit about the forms and how they're held in place there there's mechanical fasteners."

" Right what you've got is the pin and a wedge that goes here we'll hold the actual. Form together. And I can't think it's -- They karate now -- you've got a lot of them here in the title home around all right. And then what are these things for his -- glue -- the -- Benefit from the inside -- outside world. The panels are also tied together with a wall side which goes there. It's made right what the panel together. Formed forever. Of the time artworks and Panama now okay."

" So all we're waiting for here is -- more -- and eventually it was sworn."

 [-]


More Videos »Related Videos

Photovoltaic Shingles
Photovoltaic Shingles

A new concept in solar power, photovoltaic shingles, can help protect your home from the elements while generating pollution-free electricity.Wires from the photovoltaic cells on each shingle connect to a junction box. The current is sent to a battery for storage, and an inverter converts it to AC power. You can operate everything from a home computer to a security system with the electricity generated by these shingles.

Dog Fence Options
Dog Fence Options

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. While we all know they don t like to be fenced in, after thousands of years of domestication, dogs need boundaries to be safe. Fortunately, dog owners have lots of options to choose from when it comes to fences. If your yard isn t fenced or you d simply like to keep Rover out of the lily bed, you can build him a dog run with 4- to 7-foot wire or polyethylene rolled fencing. Staked into the ground without the use of heavy equipment, this dark mesh fencing is designed to be easily movable, strong and unobtrusive. You can also find chain link or powder-coated metal kennel kits to keep your dog safe outside and limit his range. Look for fencing that s 12-gauge or heavier and doesn t include aluminum fittings, which can weaken over time outside. If a kennel or dog run isn t something you want in your yard, an underground electronic fence may be the answer. Some brands are even wireless now so no ditch digging is necessary. As the dog approaches the fence boundary, his collar emits first a warning sound and then an electronic stimulus, or correction, to keep him away. To avoid confusing your dog, training has to accompany this system. Electronic fences are available with incremental strength levels for training and for different sized dog breeds. You don t want your dog escaping and getting injured because of a dead transmitter battery so look for a system with the longest battery life possible. And remember to check the battery regularly. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Power Your Home with the Sun
Power Your Home with the Sun

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. When photovoltaics or the conversion of solar energy to electric power came on the scene 30 years ago, it was so inefficient that few thought it could ever power American homes. But the technology has come a long way, and demand for PV systems in the U.S. is now growing at almost 25 percent per year. In sunny California, brownouts and energy crises have pushed the state to set an ambitious goal of putting photovoltaic systems on a million roofs by 2016. The cost of installation can be daunting for homeowners, but government incentives make them much more enticing. The federal government rebates $2,000 per system. In California, the state not only gives a property tax reduction for the cost of the system, it also rebates $2.50 for every system watt. So, a 4-kilowatt system that costs $36,000 only winds up costing the homeowner $24,000. In Florida, homeowners can get $4 per system watt, so the same system costs only $18,000. Add to that the value of the electricity generated by the system which, depending on your area, can be between $250 and $750 per year and photovoltaics start to make a lot more sense. As roof-mounted panels or even integrated into asphalt roof shingles, photovoltaic cells contain silicon wafers which react to sunlight by releasing free electrons. These electrons create direct electric current, or D/C power. The system s inverter switches the D/C to the alternating current, or A/C, that powers our homes. Household photovoltaic systems have become simpler and better adapted to mainstream use now that grid-tied net metering is easier and no battery backup is needed. Any electricity the system generates that s not used in the home gets sold directly back to the power company. In sunny areas, the larger 4-kilowatt systems available today can generate half or more of what the average household consumes. Even where it s not so sunny, photovoltaic systems have become so viable that many forward-thinking developers are pairing them with geothermal heat systems to market the new non-polluting, low-energy home. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Installing Basement Drainage Solutions and Sump Pumps
Installing Basement Drainage Solutions and Sump Pumps

Bob reviews two types of water barriers installed in the basement to prevent water intrusion. The water barriers block moisture that comes through the walls and channel it into a perimeter drainage system in the floor. Larry Janesky of Basement Systems reviews the WaterGuard system and explains how the pipes are set to a proper elevation by backfilling with crushed stone. Pitching the pipes makes the water drain into a sump hole where it can be pumped out of the home. Janesky shows Bob the WaterGuard ports that open into the embedded channels for inspection or cleaning, and provide a drainage outlet for the dehumidifier. Janesky then reviews the TripleSafe Sump Pump and how it works to pump collected water out of the home. The system uses three pumps to minimize the risk of flooding by pump failure. The primary pump has a secondary backup pump in case the it fails or becomes overloaded. Both pumps are hardwired into the home's electrical system. Each pump has its own discharge pipes so that the system will not be overloaded by increased demand. A third pump is battery-operated in case of power failure. An alarm sounds when the battery-driven pump kicks in to alert the homeowner so that power can be restored before the battery runs down. IceGuard fittings have been put on the discharge pipes outside so that water will clear the home even if the underground discharge pipes are frozen.

Related Products & Services Showrooms

Cool Your Home with a Whole House Fan
Cool Your Home with a Whole House Fan

…flush with the ceiling of the house. When outside temperatures are cooler than inside temperatures…
…house fan operates by bringing cooler outside air into your home. Traditional whole…
…the unit is turned on, then the 20" diameter fan blade begins drawing the air out of…

Do It Yourself Spray Foam Insulation
Do It Yourself Spray Foam Insulation

…rim joists, basements, pipe insulation and much more with Foam it Green. The spray foam creates a barrier that blocks outside air, moisture, pests and rodents from coming in. Foam It Green 602 The Foam it Green 602 kit pictured here provides 602…

More Content »More Content

Concrete, Block and Slab Foundations
Concrete, Block and Slab Foundations

Concrete, Block, and Slab Foundations A slab…
…concrete layer has already set. Concrete, Block, and Slab Foundations A block…
…the holes or cells and filled with concrete. Block walls can also be used to form stem…

The Benefits of Concrete Houses
The Benefits of Concrete Houses

…systems are of five main types: Concrete block, ICF or Insulating Concrete…
…and Caroline Sundberg stand outside their ICF home that survived…
…and Caroline Sundberg stand outside their ICF home that survived…
…insulation with inside and outside layers in the fewest steps…

Garage Workshop Foundation and Slab
Garage Workshop Foundation and Slab

…Basics A garage foundation is typically constructed of concrete block or a poured concrete wall. First the site is cleared or scraped…
… Foundation Sealers Air and water infiltration from outside can be a headache for the garage owner. Two types of sealers…

At Home with...Angelo Surmelis
At Home with...Angelo Surmelis

…consisted of ivy and the lower front landing was simply a concrete block of cement." To improve the front yard, Surmelis had…
…California weather is usually temperate, so he wanted the outside of his home to be inviting and to have as many outdoor seating…

Browse Topics

Click on a letter to browse content by topic alphabetically.



About  | FAQ  | Contact  | Sitemap  | Privacy Policy  | Terms of Use  | Help

© BobVila.com 2009