Help/Advise needed..Post-Tension slab concern

[Mike Mcbride]

Thanks for all your responses!

Curtis- Sorry my picture doesn't show it, but there's actually a bedroom adjacent to the walkway in the photo. We were told by our builder that they can't touch the walkway because it's also part of the post-tension slab. Funny that you mention it is flat because on all the other exact models in runs even with the garage open, but obviously ours is off by about 3". We still can't get an answer as to why that is.

As far as raising the garage floor. I wonder how that would work considering we don't have an actual step into our house from the garage. Unless I'm mistaken I think the garage is required to be sloped to prevent fumes from leaking into the house and to make sure any water that gets in would properly drain out of the garage. So, I'm not sure how they would pull that one off. And even if they were able to do so, wouldn't the new layer of concrete just hide the real problem and we would still have to disclose it?

As far as removing the entire garage slab. Man, that's when I would run to find an attorney. That would have to be disclosed I'm sure upon re-sale, and again, we run into the problem of us being penalized for their initial error.

I guess the most frustrating thing is that they **should** have told us about this ahead of time and you can bet we would have walked away...which is why I'm guessing they never told us!

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Originally Posted by Mike Mcbride

We were told by our builder that they can't touch the walkway because it's also part of the post-tension slab.

I have placed and/or inspected cables in thousands of PT slabs. I have never seen exterior walkways or driveways sharing cables with the slab of a residential structure.

I think the builder is stroking you here. Ask to see a plan detail showing the shared cable. My money says they can't deliver. . .

[Robert J. OConnor]

Subsurface drainage systems are a last resort in my book due to the maintenance/cleaning periodically needed (usually never done until there is a problem) and generally more expensive life cycle costs. I avoid them if at all possible within reason. But sometimes there really is no choice. Highly site specific decision.

JMO

[Mike Mcbride]

Jeff,
I'll take a few pics this week and it will hopefully show a little better as to what I'm talking about, but if you look at my pictures you can see the wall to the right of the front door, which is a bedroom ..That extends down the walkway about 12ft and then the walkwak wraps around it towards the front yard. Based on all I can tell it really is part of the post-tension slab.

Curtis - I also forgot to ask you...If they poured concrete on the garage floor as it is now and raised it up approx 3" as it should be, that would create all types of the problem with the original framing, such as with the garage door, etc.

I'm starting to get a scary thought that there really is no solution.

"IF" the walkway is part of the post-tension slab I'm guessing that can't be touched.

Removing the garage floor and and raising it 3" upon a new pour would again cause problems with the original framing considering the framing was done based on the current level of the garage floor.

- So, my only guess would be that they at this point can only offer to put some kind of drainage pipe system in, and I've been advised by a few people that this could cause more problems and to not let them do this. So, am I pretty safe to say this could be considered some kind of defect?

Again, please understand I'm not saying a drainage system ,etc couldn't work, but by no means should we be the ONLY home in our subdivision that is required to have this done. There are 100's of homes in our area built by our builder, and ours is the only one that is like this. It's beyond frustrating to say the least.

[ccoombs]

I agree with Jeff on the front porch. I would suggest get a set of plans.

As to raising the garage floor, it shouldn’t be an issue. The code calls for ¼” per foot of slope in the garage. You actually do not need to have a step from the garage to the house. It typically works out this way, but it is not required.

The typical framing at the garage sits on a curb that is the same height as the house slab, in most cases. So raising the garage floor shouldn’t be an issue. The casing around the doors would need to be trimmed, but this isn’t a big issue. Even is the walls were framed on the garage slab you could still do an over pour or remove and replace the slab.

I deal with finding solutions to these types of problems on a daily basis. There have been 5 solid solutions presented in this thread. And all of them seem reasonable and would do the job. Each has its pro’s and con’s. The question is: what is the best solution for you?

For $2,000 I can fly out and perform a structural observation and write up a recommendation for the repair. I will provide several options that you can present to the developer. I am available Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

[Mike Mcbride]

Curtis - Thanks for the offer, but as of yet we are still waiting to hear back from our builder before we decide what to do next. Funny thing is we have been waiting 3+ weeks for a schedule/work report for our last walk-through. In previous walk-throughs we always had it within 3-4 days, so I think they may be trying to decide what to do about this considering this report had the trip hazard and water ponding noted.

I think things are going to get pretty messy with them in the next few weeks after we hear back from them.