Michigan City Indiana Concrete Foundations on Sand

A shallow footing on lakeshore sand settles at one corner. Then the wall above it cracks. We have opened jobs where sand had washed out from under the footing and the slab dropped with it. Doors stick. After a wet spring, water shows up along the wall joint. Concrete Foundations in Michigan City fail that way when the footing is too light for sand and sits above the winter frost line.

Lakeshore lots in Michigan City, Indiana sit on dune sand. And the water table can run high close to the lake. The sides of a deep cut fall in. So we shape the trench and pour before it caves. If we pour into a loose hole, the footing comes out thin. When a footing stops above the frost line, we have seen the wall crack after winter.

Footings Below the Frost Line for Concrete Foundations in Michigan City

We dig the footing below the frost line before we set forms. Because the sand caves in a deep cut, we keep the trench neat. We don’t leave the trench open longer than the pour needs. Then we set the footing wide enough for the house load and for loose sand. After the concrete is in, we check that the top of the footing is level. The wall goes up on that line.

Michigan City winters bring lake-effect cold and a long freeze. So we don’t copy a footing depth off a plan drawn for a warmer place. We set the bottom where this ground stays stable through a hard winter. When the sand is wet from a high water table, we pump that water before we pour. Standing water weakens the bottom of a fresh footing. The concrete goes in once that bottom is firm.

Concrete Foundations in Michigan City When the Soil Is Sand

Sandy ground needs a clean bottom under the concrete. We scrape loose sand out of the trench so the pour sits on firm material. Then we place the concrete and work it so voids don’t form along the sand face. After the footing cures, the wall goes up on that line. We tie the wall into the footing the way the load requires. But a soft pocket left in the bottom will settle after the house is on it.

When an older wall has bowed on a lakeshore lot, people call us. When a new house needs a basement in that same sand, builders call. We pour footings for room additions and for new construction on these lots. A tear out and replace comes first when the old wall has to come out. Concrete removal of the failed section is part of that work, and then we pour the new wall. We have formed walls against existing block on older Michigan City houses. The new concrete lands on its own footing beside the old wall.

Day-to-Day Work on Concrete Foundations in Michigan City

We set rebar in the footing and in the wall to match the plan. Anchor bolts go in while the concrete is still workable. We space them for the sill plate. After that, we check the bolt line with a tape before we leave the wall. A bolt that leans causes trouble for the framer the next day. So we fix the line while the concrete will still take a nudge.

When a basement is on the plan for Concrete Foundations in Michigan City, we set a footing drain. Because groundwater near the lake sits against a blind joint, the pipe needs an outlet. Then we backfill only after the wall has strength. We don’t dump loose sand against a wall that has not cured. That shove can push a wall out of plumb before it has cured.

Cabe’s Concrete is a family owned and operated company, and we have worked this ground since 2006. Because we source the mix ourselves, we know what is going in the truck. We write quotes out line by line so the hours and the material sit apart. Our goal is to get in and out as quickly as possible and still leave a professional job. We also take pride in the time it takes to complete the job.

After a job, photos of walls and flatwork go on our photo gallery. The page for our concrete foundations work lists the pours we do. The crew is covered on our About Us page.

On an addition, we pin the new footing to the old foundation so the addition stays with the house. When an addition meets an older wall, pinning is part of the job on Concrete Foundations in Michigan City. The dig and the forms take the most hours on these lots.