Exposed Wood Beams Embedded in Foundation?

[nicholcs]

I am looking at a home and noticed that there is exposed wood beams embedded in the concrete foundation running along a side of the home. (See attached image). No one I have contacted has seen this before. Has anyone here seen this before? If so, what is its intended function? Are these leftover stakes that were not removed when the foundation was poured?

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[Marc]

Tell me: Do you see the end grain of the wood...like looking at the cut end of a 2X4? Or do you see the wood grain from the side?

Does it look normal from the inside of the house?

Marc

[nicholcs]

The wood grain appears to be from the side.

[Marc]

Is there any evidence that the room on the inside of that wall was previously an open carport that has since been closed-up to make more living area?

Many people here do that by first pouring concrete onto the carport floor to elevate it up even to the rest of the house but they do it wrong.

In any case, wood shouldn't be embedded in concrete that way. It's what termites love. Even if it's treated wood, I've seen termites feasting on it after a decade or two of exposure.

Marc

[nicholcs]

This home is about 6-7 years old. The room on the inside of the wall is a bathroom.

[Garet]

Likely installed intentionally so there was something to nail to when installing the bottom of the sheathing. They should have stopped well above grade.

In your region I suspect they'd be a "termite highway".

[Marc]

I doubt it's leftover stakes. The stakes are driven on the outside of the form board when the slab is first formed up. The ditch witch excavates on the inside for the concrete pour that comes later, so there's no room for anything there.

If this is inside Baton Rouge parish, it must be something done without permits after the house was built. No code authority would pass something like that.

If you're looking to purchase this home, I'd be careful. Who knows what else was done by the bozo that embedded these wood members.

Marc

[hausdok]

Regulary done around here. They cast pressure-treaeted battens on 16-inch centers into the outside face of the wall so that they can cover a high foundation wall with horizontal siding.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[nicholcs]

My best guess is that they are nailer strips for the metal lathe behind the stucco to nail to. There is over a foot of solid concrete there.