For most landscaping and construction projects with existing structures on the property, one of the first steps is demolition of existing features like pools, garages or in-law units. Each job is unique, especially where there is limited access, but demolition can be pretty straightforward and doesn’t have to take a lot of time. However, the most important thing is to understand what the plan is, and the tools and manpower we need to bring to bear.
Why Use Foam in Pool Construction?
We have been contracted by a number of pool installers this year to assist them in installing pools using “geofoam” as part of the design. There are some very good reasons why you would want to use this foam material in pool construction, as well as in other construction applications. With regard to pool construction, Geofoam is a great choice because it simplifies the construction process itself. It provides a medium onto which the concrete can be directly formed, rather than going through a more expensive process of forming and filling structures entirely of concrete.
The Creative Use of Geofoam in Pool Construction
How to Choose an Excavation Contractor
When you choose a builder, landscaper or pool company, you also are choosing numerous other sub-contractors that will work in conjunction with the primary contractor you have chosen. This is especially true when heavy excavation or drilling is part of the project. Few contractors do this type of work themselves (in-house) because the equipment investment is very high, and the training needed get it done efficiently and safely make it prohibitive for contractor to do it themselves.
Landscapers Often Use Excavation and Drilling Specialists
Installing Pools in Tight Residential Lots
In Northern California many houses sit packed together on small plots. With homes of 2,500 square feet or more sitting on a lot of 5,000 sq. ft. This can present some serious challenges if you’re thinking of installing a nice swimming pool, but it’s certainly not impossible. If you’ve been told a pool can’t be built in your yard there is a good chance the company you are talking with doesn’t want to bother. Or they don’t have people with the expertise to do it.
Tight Home Lots Make for Complex Excavation Work
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How Rebar Reinforces Concrete in Construction
The inclusion of reinforcement bars (‘rebar’) in concrete construction is a method that adds long-term strength to the concrete used to build foundations, walls, pools, pads and other structures. Concrete handles compression well, but without rebar would perform less well under tension or torsion (stretching and twisting). Load-bearing structures like foundations or walls need to handle multiple pressures from lateral and horizontal tension, compression and torsion. Rebar works well with concrete because these materials expand and contract at the same rate when temperatures change. Continue reading “How Rebar Reinforces Concrete in Construction”
Importance of locating Utilities Before Excavating or Drilling
Many public utilities have underground piping which is used to deliver services to all the residents and businesses of a given community. To avoid any injuries, damage to utilities, and or interruption of service, it is necessary to locate where these Utilities before beginning any excavation work. There are some hefty fines which can be levied against individuals or companies who damage utility lines.
How to Locate and Identify Underground Utilities
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Using Piers and Piles to Shore Up Sagging Foundations
Pier drilling and pile driving are techniques used for driving pier or piles into the ground underneath a structure to shore up sinking or sagging building foundations, bringing them back to their proper level and preventing further foundation settlement.
Also called “piering,” this method involves the use of strategically placed mechanical jacks to slowly and carefully lift the settled foundation beam to grade. Once raised, the beam is held to elevation by attaching it firmly to the piers.
There are two common types of foundation piers: Continue reading “Using Piers and Piles to Shore Up Sagging Foundations”
When to Use Helical Pier Drilling
Helical Pier drilling in the Northern California can be thought of as a system which uses anchors to secure structures to the ground when soil conditions are rather challenging, and where the usage of a more conventional foundation system is not indicated. These piers consist of a steel shaft with helicals that make it look like a very large screw, and help to secure any structure tied to it. It is especially useful for drilling where there is unfavorable ground conditions. Continue reading “When to Use Helical Pier Drilling”
Using 4Rs to Manage Our Construction Waste
In the past, it was a common practice during the demolition of buildings or other structures to simply cart the waste materials away to a landfill. Today however, the growing cost of disposal and new materials, has put a greater emphasis on recycling old materials. De-constructing is an approach that involves a more careful disassembly of a structure so that parts of it can be reused or recycled. This has given a whole new face to waste management, one which reduces the amount of materials put into landfills, reduces the demand for precious natural resources and, best of all reduces the cost to the consumer.
The 4R’s of Construction Waste Management
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What Influences the Cost to Remove a Pool?
No swimming pool lasts forever. At some point, every in-ground swimming pool built will meet the same fate: Demolition. Oh sure, there will be a few hangers-on like old classic cars, but the majority of pools will be removed at some point. The reasons homeowners remove their pools are too numerous to cover in this article, but once this decision is made the cost discussion begins.
What is Involved with Pool Replacement?
When deciding to convert back yard space from pool to another use, multiple factors influence the cost. Continue reading “What Influences the Cost to Remove a Pool?”