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Are cinder, not CMU, blocks bad for a foundation?

Are cinder, not CMU, blocks bad for a foundation?

Are cinder, not CMU, blocks bad for a foundation?

(OP)
My home built in the late 60's has a foundation made from actual cinder, not CMU blocks. A couple of them have broken down to where a quarter inch of the actual block itself, not the parging, is missing.

Didn't they stop using actual cinder blocks in homes before the 60s? If so, why was my house built with them!

Are cinder, again not CMU blocks, ok to have as my foundation or are they a failure waiting to happen?

RE: Are cinder, not CMU, blocks bad for a foundation?

(OP)
But how do actual cinder blocks compare to CMU block? It seems everyone I know has a home built with CMU block and NOT actual cinder blocks. (Even though everyone calls CMU blocks "cinder blocks" they certainly are not the same thing.) My concern is that cinder block is going to break down much faster than CMU block..

RE: Are cinder, not CMU, blocks bad for a foundation?

In my old neighborhood in Queens many of the houses were built in the 20's, they all have cinder block basement walls. They're still standing but that doesn't mean cinder blocks are perfect. In the 60's my father had to waterproof one of the basement walls due to leakage; the blocks are somewhat porous. Over the years I repaired some of the blocks due to spalling on the interior surfaces. When my mother sold the house 3 years ago the blocks were holding up.

My first house was in the same neighborhood and I never had any problems with the foundation. This topic has been discussed here before.

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