B-Deck and Basement Slab Complete

 The basement slab has been poured.  But there was a lot of prep work involved in getting to this point:

Plumbing is being done by Mountain Side Plumbing, 801-281-3076, who requested that the backfill was done prior to sub-plumbing.  Mike Little, excavator and co-owner of O.L.E., did a great job on the backfill.  It was compacted so nicely, the plumbers had a hard time digging their lines and Mike came back to help them out.

In preparation to have a tankless water heater installed in this home, Mountain Side Plumbing will run soft-water lines to all faucets except the fridge, drinkable taps, and exterior hose bibs.

 The next day, crews installed the steel posts and I-beams which would support the B-decking on the suspended garage floor.

 If you are considering a suspended garage floor, Span Deck (concrete forms made off site and lifted by crane into place on the foundation) is one way of supporting your floor.  We initially explored Span Deck, but because of it's 18" thickness, it would require digging that portion of the basement an additional 2 feet, thus requiring 12' foundation walls.  B-deck eliminated that expense, and went in quickly.  We also would not have had enough slope for the sewer lines if we had dug down an additional 2 feet.

In considering damp proofing the garage floor, we talked to a company that recommended we pour half the thickness of the garage slab over the B-deck, spray it with a waterproof substance called Temproof 250, and then complete the rest of the pour 3 days later.  However, talking with our engineer, he said absolutely NO to that idea.  Doing that would negate the strength of the floor and the bond between the layers.  In talking with a builder friend who has done these B-deck floors for 15 years with no problems, he said you have to pour the entire slab with the slope from 7" down to 4" and essentially create your own Span Deck on site.  The framed walls and drywall will sit directly on the slab, and then a big radius of caulk will be run along the inside edge where drywall meets the slab, followed by an industrial strength epoxy treatment on the slab which runs 4" up the walls.  That is the strongest and best way to damp proof a suspended garage.  Keep the moisture from penetrating in the first place.

 The B-Deck makes for a nice industrial ceiling if this room remains unfinished, too.

Sub-Plumb in, backfill completed, and everything is ready for the basement slabs to be poured, which Darren Storstad of Storstad Conrete completed without the use of a concrete pump truck.  Very impressive, and the floor is beautifully level and scored to prevent cracking.

If You Are Thinking About A Tankless Water Heater...

So you are building a new home, or maybe you are just tired of running out of hot water in your current home.  Thinking about getting a tankless water heater?  Planning for that comes in the very beginning stages of your home.  How many showers will you have?  How many people live and use water in the home?  This will determine the size of your tankless water unit.  Will you have an electric or a gas tankless water unit?

While buying a tankless water unit may be a bit of an investment up front, it will save you a lot of energy consumption (and money) since it only heats water when it is needed, not like a traditional water heater which keeps a huge tank of water hot at all times by burning gas continuously. Much like a car idling in the garage, you wouldn't want to leave it running all night, only when you needed it, right?

Tankless water heaters are also built to last 15-20 years.  These units take up a lot less space and are mounted on the wall, something to take into consideration when drawing up your plans.

Here's another consideration if you are in an area with hard water:  lime scale tends to build up over time.  If you have a traditional water heater and you sliced it open, you would see a large chunk of lime scale at the bottom of your tank.  It just happens over time.  The same thing will happen inside the pipes of your home if you are using a tankless water heater and do not have soft water.  If you are building a new home, you should have your sub-plumbing done to accommodate a water softener to all areas of your home except the refrigerator lines, other drinkable faucets, and the outside hose bibs.  If you are retrofitting your home with a tankless water heater, you can buy "Un-Clog-It-Kits" to descale your pipes periodically.  Also make sure you have a minimum of a 3/4" gas line to the unit if you are choosing a gas tankless water heater.

Give Greenify a call at 801-948-4464 and let us help you determine which tankless water heater would be the best for your family's needs.
http://www.greenifyenergysavers.com/tankless-water-heater