What do you think?

[Mark Sylvester]

What do you think happened here?

[Richard A. Hetzel]

It's called an "accent strip"...architects do them all the time. =)

[Mark Sylvester]

That's good Rich.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by msylvester

What do you think happened here?

Was it similar at all basement walls or slab edges?

Is it a slab poured on a frost wall? If so, could it be be a bad batch of concrete for the slab that is deteriorating by freeze/thaw?

[Mark Sylvester]

This was on the garage footing. It look as if someone actually cut the concrete but why? Why did it spaul? Were the footings originally too short?
I wish I knew...

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by msylvester

I wish I knew...

WAG. Could it at one time been a garage entrance apron and the location of the garage door was changed?

[Mark Sylvester]

No, it extended the whole width of the footing.

[Mark Nahrgang]

Another WAG... Could the original foundation pour been a couple of inches too low? Then when the error was discovered, they came back and "poured" an additional layer as a "shim".

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by mnahrgang

Another WAG... Could the original foundation pour been a couple of inches too low? Then when the error was discovered, they came back and "poured" an additional layer as a "shim".

But why would there be broken or chiseled off concrete then?

[Thomas G. Valosin]

WAG - was there remodeling done where a section was added, with its' own slab at a different elevation than the main structure, then was later removed - perhaps by a different owner? Saw that type of thing once on a small "Ma and Pa" eatery combined with living quarters and a filling station.

[jbettencourt]

Up here during the foundation pour we nail 2x4 or larger veneer ledge to the forms depending on the reveal for grade. This creates a ledge on the outside of the wall to install the brick. It appears they may have forgot this ledge and attempted to cut and chip it out afterwards( notice the straight clean cut of the bottom) and it was cut because you can see the stones in the concrete that were cut through cleanly on the top of wall. When they realized how much work this would be they decided to go with siding. Just an opinion because I have seen people attempt this before.It may have been done for a different reason but that was definately cut and chipped. Did any other part of the house have brick on it?

[Mark Nahrgang]

Originally Posted by mlarson

But why would there be broken or chiseled off concrete then?

I don't know. Maybe the forms blew out, and the top layer "dripped" over the lower one, so they chiseled off the overlap????

I really don't know. I am so making stuff up right now.

This is definitely a "What the Heck were they doing here" type of situation.

[Mark Nahrgang]

Originally Posted by jbettencourt

Up here during the foundation pour we nail 2x4 or larger veneer ledge to the forms depending on the reveal for grade. This creates a ledge on the outside of the wall to install the brick. It appears they may have forgot this ledge and attempted to cut and chip it out afterwards( notice the straight clean cut of the bottom) and it was cut because you can see the stones in the concrete that were cut through cleanly on the top of wall. When they realized how much work this would be they decided to go with siding. Just an opinion because I have seen people attempt this before.It may have been done for a different reason but that was definately cut and chipped. Did any other part of the house have brick on it?

I think Jerry makes up more plausible explanations than I do.

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

Jerry has nailed it! Good for you Jerry!

[Mark Sylvester]

Jerry's the big weeener.