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Installing a Pre-Cast
Concrete Stairway Bulkhead
How to
Coordinate the Installation of a Pre-Cast Concrete Stairway
By
Mark J. Donovan
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If you have a basement that has a bulkhead door to access
it from the outside, then chances are you have a set of pre-cast concrete
stairs attached to the concrete foundation wall. Installing a pre-cast
concrete stairway is relatively an easy project to do IF you’re organized
and can coordinate a couple of contractors.
A pre-cast concrete stairway is much lighter and typically more durable
than a poured-in place concrete stairway. A pre-cast concrete stairway is
manufactured at a factory where concrete is poured into a form and then
vibrated in a carefully controlled environment to yield a relatively light
weight and strong set of pre-fab’d basement bulkhead stairs. |
The pre-cast concrete stairway is then shipped via truck to
the jobsite where it is then positioned into place and attached to the
exterior of the foundation walls.
To install a pre-cast concrete stairway bulkhead a hole first needs to be
cut into your foundation wall where the bulkhead is desired. Normally an
excavator is used for digging the hole around the foundation. This step is
not necessary, however, if you’re attaching a pre-cast concrete stairway to
a new foundation wall where an opening in the foundation wall was designed
in. |
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After digging the hole where the pre-cast concrete stairway is desired, the
foundation wall then needs to be cut. Cutting concrete walls should be left to
the professional, so I would highly recommend searching on line or pulling out
the yellow pages for finding a concrete cutting professional.
When purchasing a pre-cast concrete stairway bulkhead make sure you get from
the manufacturer the specific installation instructions for the type and size
stairway you’re installing. This information will tell you and the concrete
cutter contractor the exact dimensions required for the hole in the foundation
wall.
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When digging the hole for the pre-cast concrete stairway it
is a wise idea to first call “DIG SAFE” prior to digging your hole. Dig Safe
will be able to tell you if there are any utility lines or pipes under the
ground surface where you intend to dig. Also, you will need to either truck
much of the soil away from your dug out hole or dump it somewhere else on
your property.
After digging the hole for the pre-cast concrete stairway bulkhead, next
mark the foundation wall for the desired foundation opening and bring the
concrete cutter contractor in to cut out the hole for the bulkhead entrance. |
Once the hole in the foundation wall has been completed you can then call
the pre-cast concrete stairway manufacturer’s seller to deliver and install
the bulkhead stairs. Yes, you don’t have to do the heavy work. They will
deliver, position, and attach the pre-cast concrete stairway bulkhead to the
foundation wall for you, and often the cost of installation is built into the
stairway anyways. They will make sure the seam between the foundation wall and
the pre-cast concrete stairway is water tight and securely fastened to the
foundation wall.
The metal bulkhead cover can then be attached to the top of the concrete
stairway to complete the installation phase of the project. Finally, the
excavator can backfill in around the pre-cast concrete stairway to wrap up the
project.
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