Block basement walls or poured?

[MotorSeven]

My basement is dug, & I am waiting for the backhoe guy to come dig my footers. I am doing a 30x36' basement w/10' high walls, two will be against a grade.
My question is if I go with 12" block, rebar & grid and pour each one what would be the estimated cost difference to just forming and pouring solid walls on site?
My local concrete company is working on a cost estimate for the materials. Labor here to lay it will be around $1.50 a block or about $1,600.
From a structural stanpoint, is a poured block wall even close to a formed & poured solid concrete wall?

Sorry for all the questions as I am just lauching into more uncharted waters....

RD

 

[arrow]

Describing the way you are building and assuming the poured concrete wall is of the same thickness, structurally they are almost identical. As long as you are using pea size aggregate to fill the blocks that is. Neither type foundation is water proof so if that is a concern, proper waterproofing techniques should be used. I do not know the cost differentials.

 

[MotorSeven]

!2" Block is coming in around $4,200 materials & labor.

Concrete materials alone for a 10" poured wall is abour $4,100(41 yards). I am working on a labor estimate for the pour.

RD

 

[kidr]

Check out Superior Walls. Precast insulated concrete with interior walls ready for finishing. No studs to erect on outside walls. Did my house that way , best thing I could have done.

 

[jbos333]

Hey Motorseven, thanks for bringing this up.

I don't want to hijack your thread, but I was also wondering the same thing. But my situation is a little different; I'm planning an earth bermed 1 story home (basement with a roof on it basically) about 24 x 40. My only issue is access for a concrete truck for a pour or a crane for precast walls. I think unless I want to improve the access, I'm stuck w/block. Which might be OK because there are several Amish locally who are good masons, and work for a fair price. Of course, I will still have to pour some type of footer and floor......

As far as block versus poured, I currently live in a house with a 40 yr. old block basement. It does get a little damp but I don't have gutters on the house. My last house had poured walls; they seemed to be a little less porous on the interior but I still had some leaks with that. I think a lot of it has to do with the drainage/waterproofing that is done initially.

I was wondering if you could tell me approximately what you paid for excavation, if you don't mind?

 

[MotorSeven]

I had the dozer guy dig it when he put the driveway in last week. 3/10th's of a mile long driveway up a ridge, 5 - 22 ton loads of gravel, 5 culverts. He was here 5 sold days & his son used a big front end loader and his dump to move 15-20 loads of shale(lucky the shale was close to the driveway) on as fill.
My bill was just under $5K....and the driveway looks fantastic.

It seems like the number for my prject is "5"

RD

 

[MossRoad]

Hey Motorseven, thanks for bringing this up.

I don't want to hijack your thread, but I was also wondering the same thing. But my situation is a little different; I'm planning an earth bermed 1 story home (basement with a roof on it basically) about 24 x 40. My only issue is access for a concrete truck for a pour or a crane for precast walls. I think unless I want to improve the access, I'm stuck w/block. Which might be OK because there are several Amish locally who are good masons, and work for a fair price. Of course, I will still have to pour some type of footer and floor......

As far as block versus poured, I currently live in a house with a 40 yr. old block basement. It does get a little damp but I don't have gutters on the house. My last house had poured walls; they seemed to be a little less porous on the interior but I still had some leaks with that. I think a lot of it has to do with the drainage/waterproofing that is done initially.

I was wondering if you could tell me approximately what you paid for excavation, if you don't mind?

You could use a concrete pumper if access is a problem.

 

[jbos333]

MossRoad, thanks for mentioning the pumper, I don't know how far they can pump. I'm gonna be about 550-600 ft from the closest road shoulder.

MotorSeven, thanks for the $$ info, I appreciate it.

 

[captjack]

If moisture is an issue go for the poured walls. The block will stay wet

 

[moeh1]

Another thumbs up for the Superior Walls. Block poured and them were all within a few percent. I had uniform straight insulated walls with wiring channels and sill bolts holes, all in one day. The other option are the ICF styrofoam blocks you fill, but it sounds like you have an issue getting concrete into them. I looked all over for a contractor to quote these and came up empty in my area.