I recently hired a company to build a walk out from my basement. The company I hired is advertised as a structural engineering company-so I assumed they would be experts and I left it in their hands.
The walk out is not a direct walk out. A door was created from the side of my garage, then it was dug down from my garage to create concrete stairs, and then a door was created in the basement wall. So from the basement it leads to the garage then a door to get outside.
Recently another contractor pointed out that the lack of metal framing around the two doors. (The basement door and the new door at the side of the garage) I looked around and saw my basement windows and my front door were surrounded by a metal frames.
I just wanted to know - I have two new doors and hence two holes in the walls and I want to make sure everything is safe and secure.
(Sorry I do not have a photo of the cut out door but these stairs lead down to the basement and cut out door)
Any thoughts?
Thanks
Here are the the stairs.
You can't cut concrete foundation and just slip the door in. Metal frame from the door is not considered to be structural support. If you hired structural engineer, you where supposed to be furnished with drawings and load bearing calculation and your contractor was to follow the instructions, and that is quite simple operation.
Thanks for your reply Steve.
The company hired advertised themselves as structural engineers.
I am not sure if they knew by simply eyeing the wall, or if they have experience in this sort of thing, but they did not bother to do the drawings nor did they present me with any calculations.
I guess people do basement walk out all the time and I guess this sort of thing is done.
I stressed to them, that if we are going to do this, I need to ensure that everything is safe, they assured me they would not proceed with the project otherwise.
It is to late now as the door has been created. To me everything seems structurally sounds, looking back though, for this type of project I might have been more diligent in choosing my engineer-cause obviously I have some doubts.
As you wrote You can't cut concrete foundation and just slip the door in. My exact same thoughts.
The current contractor was speculating if the cut out was safe, he was not an engineer.
Do you think I should get a contractor to come out and take a look to be safe.
Hi Ravindra,
I would get a Structural Engineer only.
Have an inspection and assessment done before any further work is completed.
A qualified and licensed engineer would do the drawings as mentioned and he would completed and approve the work after it was completed.
Dave
I don't think it is wise to call same contractor back. If he wanted to do a good job you wouldn't be in this situation. You should call a structural engineer or honest contractor who can examine the job the way it was done and give you idea what needs to be done.
Hi,
Get an engineer out to have a look. Everything should be checked.
Regards,
James Fram
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