Continue building during the Winter in Maine with only foundation walls in place?
I am having a house built in Maine and, due to numerous delays, some weather-related and some due to subcontractor scheduling issues, foundation walls/footings were only poured two weeks ago. We are now expecting more snow on Christmas (6-8″) and then a freeze (teens during the day, below zero at night) that will bring us up to the New Year. I’ve read various posts on GBA from people who found themselves in a similar predicament, asking whether it would be better to stop work until the Spring or have work continue through the winter. My situation is somewhat different in that getting framing in place to support the walls prior to backfilling will take probably more than a month due to the complexity of the project in terms of both the site and the design/materials. I think it is important to note that part of the slab is cantilevered over ledge, to be supported by yet-to-be-poured posts. There is no possible way that the heat within the tent will be able to reach the bottom of the cantilevered portion or the posts for reasons that will take too long to explain here. Thoughts/input on whether I should stop the work now and resume in the Spring or forge on?
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User-6947417,
First of all, can you tell us your name?
It sounds to me as if you have answered your own question. You haven't finished placing the required concrete, right? And "There is no possible way that the heat within the tent will be able to reach the bottom of the cantilevered portion or the posts." So unless I'm misunderstanding, you have to wait until spring until this concrete can be placed.
User: So far, our Maine winter has been awful. As you note, more snow and bitter cold are on the way. Even if your entire foundation was done, you'd still be paying a significant premium for labor, because productivity plummets when it's cold. Moreover, you'll be paying for temp heat and shoveling snow and ice off lumber piles and the deck. You don't want to backfill with frozen material, either.
I'd wait until Spring.