Need advice. We are renovating (from afar) a 1908 vacation house/cottage. Previous foundation was a combination poured foundation plus stud kneewall and had hinged and failed. Needed a house lift. We specified a poured concrete foundation and archi. recommended icf system because it would allow a winter pour. Corner lot with walkout basement. What we got was 3 walls of icf foundation and one icf wall that is six inches high on the walkout side. On top of that is a wood stud wall. That wall contains 3 windows and the door. That exposed wall is to be covered with a stacked stone 4inches thick.
Worry 1: First, the brick ledge form is about a foot below grade. On top of the brick ledge form (Arxx) is a concrete block. There is a cold/mortared joint between the two. The empty spaces inside the concrete block look like mortar or slurry was poured in them. On top of this block is the wood sill plate. It is bolted to this block. So vertically, there is the brick ledge form, the concrete (filled) block and then the wood sill. The part showing a little above grade is about 5-6 inches of the concrete block. Water is seeping between the brick ledge and the concrete block sitting on top of it.
Worry 2: Only three sides of the foundation are made of the icf pour. The fourth side, the walkout side, is a wood stud wall. Around the corner from that wall is the driveway, smack against the icf wall. Should I worry about the pressure of the driveway against that wood corner? The icf wall just ends at the corner and the wood stud wall starts.
Just sign me the stupid absentee owner.
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