Okay to Pour Concrete Footers/Foundation in Winter?


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Old 11-04-16, 10:17 AM
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Okay to Pour Concrete Footers/Foundation in Winter?

I live in Northern Virginia and I'm in the process of designing a single car garage addition and would like to break ground sooner than later. However, at least one builder I met with said he will not pour concrete in the winter because of the low temperatures in my area. It is typically in the 20's and 30's for December and January, but can get down in the teens and single digits in late January and February. Is it okay to pour when it's in the 20's or 30's or should I hold off until the spring? I obviously want to get things started asap, but don't want to compromise the integrity of the construction just because I couldn't wait a couple months. Maybe I can have the excavation and other demolition done in the winter months, then pour once it starts to warm up again. Of course then I will have a 2 ft deep trench snaking through my side yard for a couple months.
 
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Old 11-04-16, 11:44 AM
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Around here they often cover the footer with straw when it's poured and the night time low is expected to get below freezing. I think there might be an additive for cold weather also. You may need to pick your days. Remember I'm a painter not a concrete guy so if one of them comes by and says different - listen to them!
 
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Old 11-04-16, 11:47 AM
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I'll likely have them get all the excavation and prep work done in the cold months and hold off until the Spring to pour the footers and foundation. I have 350 sq ft of Zoysia to transplant where the new driveway will go so it's best to wait until Spring anyhow to ensure its survival.
 
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Old 11-04-16, 01:42 PM
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Admittedly, it's a lot colder here in Vermont than it is in Virginia; but as a Real Estate Broker, I've seen an awful lot of botched concrete jobs due to their being poured and subjected to frost or freezing conditions BEFORE the concrete had the opportunity to fully cure.

I'd acknowledge the experience level of the Builder who said he'd refuse to pour your job this late in the season, and take his advice.

What's really terrible is when the concrete freezes partially, but still looks like it cured properly, and people continue on with their building activities expecting the underlying concrete to have the normal strength and weight bearing capacity, only to find out months and even years later that it's weak and crumbling while their completed building is sitting on it.
 
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Old 11-04-16, 03:45 PM
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I would not dig the footers now and then hold off until spring to pour the footers. You dig, pour the footers and get the foundation walls up... then pause. Or, you wait until spring. If you dig now and let it set rain and the weather will break down the walls of the trenches and the bottom will be filled with soft mud that must be excavated before your footers can go in. So, go far enough that if a trench wall collapses it will be no biggie or you just wait till spring. Personally I'd go for it now. It's the dry season and you've got a good 2-3 months.
 
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Old 11-12-16, 07:42 AM
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Personally I'd go for it now. It's the dry season and you've got a good 2-3 months.
Night time temps are already getting below freezing here in northern VA, and I wouldn't be able to break ground until mid-December. You still say go for it? It's a little hard to gauge if the builder is saying we should proceed because he needs a paycheck, or if he truly believes pouring in mid to late December is okay. My gut says it is not okay.
 

Last edited by mossman; 11-12-16 at 08:53 AM.
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Old 11-12-16, 10:07 AM
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It can be done. What is your contractors reputation for turning a job? Some are really good at keeping things moving and getting a job done quickly. If that's the case I'd go for it. If the contractor is the type that moves at a slower pace then I'd hold off. You don't want to be caught with them using weather excuses and dragging the work out and incurring expenses until spring when they really get to work.

My parents had a house built at the coast. Their contractor was of the belief that he made more money by building more houses and he really kept them moving. Start to finish was about 3 months. He would work through the winter and really pushed hard to get a house dryed in as soon as possible and really didn't let anything stand in his way.

My in-laws had a house built on top of a mountain in NC where winter hits quite hard. They started in late fall and the contractor pushed hard through the worst weather and did not let it slow them down. He wanted their house done and out of the way by spring so he could be ready for other houses. So, it can be done with the right contractor.

Then I've seen a lot of other houses and projects where every bloody step seems to take a week. Footers get dug... wait a week. Footers get poured... wait a week. Block for the basement walls arrives... and sits a week. Then the masons show and get half way before weather pushes them off for another week. On and on so a relatively small addition ends up being a six month project.
 
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Old 11-12-16, 01:13 PM
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This builder seems pretty reputable and has positive reviews. I found them Angie's List. He said they don't take breaks and work every day until it's finished. That's good and all, but that doesn't keep the temperatures above freezing in late December so the concrete can cure properly. I spoke with him today and he is fine with waiting until mid-March to April to get started. Things will be better that way. My Zoysia and shrubs will have a much better chance of surviving if they are transplanted in the Spring. We're going to get the drawings completed and pull the permits now, that way we're ready to go when winter breaks.
 
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Old 11-12-16, 01:59 PM
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If your concrete guy is not familiar with additives can you talk to some concrete folks who are familiar with them and their use. I had some cold weather concrete work done in winter (I'm in MA) and the contractor said he was going to use antifreeze additives. I did some internet searches and one downside is that the additives could be corrosive to any embedded metal.
 
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Old 11-12-16, 02:17 PM
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I'm not in a hurry. I'll wait until the spring. If it weren't for the grass and shrubs, I may have moved forward now.
 
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Old 11-13-16, 04:58 AM
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One thing is if you start in December you would have been stuck looking at dirt and mud until spring when you can get grass to grow.
 
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Old 11-13-16, 05:08 PM
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My Zoysia and shrubs will have a much better chance of surviving if they are transplanted in the Spring.
I'm not sure about Zoysia but shrubs and trees are much better off if they get transplanted in the fall. That way they have a chance for the roots to settle in before they start growing in the spring.
 
 

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