House has never had any tie down j bolts on
the mud sill.
However concrete blocks are hollow and usually
they fill down two blocks with mortar and place the
j bolt in the wet mortar poking up through holes
you bore in the mud sill.

Can I cut out the face of the block on one web,
put the j bolt in, fill with mortar and trowel flat
with the face to the block? I would only need to
cut one web in one block.
If this acceptable?
Comments? :-)

labman

I don't see any reason why it shouldn't work. Nothing is easier than doing things the right way originally. My house had the bolts, but no nuts on them. Noah's Ark was built by an amateur. The Titanic was built by professionals.

Simpleton

I've read that the main job of the bolts is to prevent sideways motion. Lack
of nuts wouldnt matter I guess.
I read a amusing post that said j bolts insure that the top two row of
block will be attached to the sill when the house collapses.
Unless the sill is attached all the way to the footing I cannot see
that it makes much of a difference.
Code requires 7" bolt penetration w/i 12" from end of each sill
piece and 2" thread protrusion. I think the mud needs to go
down 18" but I could be wrong.
So far both houses still standing!

labman

I too have wondered just how much good the bolts do. By the way, you can just bash a hole in the block with a hand sledge instead of cutting. the rough edge will make for that much better bonding.

Simpleton

Well then I have a second part of the question:
I need to level the house as the foundation has
dropped long ago but seems to have finished settling.
If I jack the house level, Ive read that I can drypack
the difference atop the blockwall and under the
mudsill. Drypack being 2/1 sand portland just damp
enough to stay in a ball if you hand squeeze it.
I want to know how much difference you can
make up ? 2 1/" ok?
Any other ideas to makeup this difference, which
is tapered?