# Squaring a housekeeping pad



## Pauly-o (Nov 6, 2013)

Firstly, Happy New Year everyone!!!!
This may be an ignorant question but here it goes.....I need to lay out a housekeeping concrete pad in the middle of A large electrical room. The pad is going to be 8' wide x 14' long. I know the 3 4 5 rule, but my question is, where do I start? Basically, if I mark a point in the middle of the room with an "x" and measure 3' up and than 4' to one side both sides shall equal 5'.....now, how do I know if the 3' mark is out or the 4'????
Thanks for any help in advance.


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## slowsol (Aug 27, 2005)

You need to pull a parallel off an existing wall or something else used as a control.


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## svronthmve (Aug 3, 2008)

Sorry for my ignorance, but what is a housekeeping pad?


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

svronthmve said:


> Sorry for my ignorance, but what is a housekeeping pad?


a 4" high concrete pad for electrical equipment to sit on, and keeps water on floor away from equipment.


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## svronthmve (Aug 3, 2008)

m1911 said:


> a 4" high concrete pad for electrical equipment to sit on, and keeps water on floor away from equipment.


Ahh. I've always just heard them called "raised concrete pads". Not sure why it's called housekeeping....

But thanks for clarifying.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

svronthmve said:


> Ahh. I've always just heard them called "raised concrete pads". Not sure why it's called housekeeping....
> 
> But thanks for clarifying.


I believe it's called "housekeeping" because it refers to when washing the floors or sweeping around the equipment... :whistling


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## Kiwidan (Jan 10, 2014)

another way to check a slabs square (instead of the 3,4,5 method) is by measuring the diagonals of the slab and if their the same the slabs square


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## chewy (May 23, 2010)

We call them plinths.


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## Pauly-o (Nov 6, 2013)

Thank you to everyone for there input....sorry if you misunderstood the question. Basically, I know how to square a pad....I just need to know how to start at a starting point if there are no walls or anything else around me to start, therefore how would I start this whole thing off??????


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## Bearded Wonder (Jan 21, 2011)

Pauly-o said:


> Thank you to everyone for there input....sorry if you misunderstood the question. Basically, I know how to square a pad....I just need to know how to start at a starting point if there are no walls or anything else around me to start, therefore how would I start this whole thing off??????


Seems like you would square it with the nearest wall. Or the nearest equipment, if no wall is handy, or the nearest walkway, or square it with the direction it needs to face if nothing else makes sense.


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## slowsol (Aug 27, 2005)

Pauly-o said:


> Thank you to everyone for there input....sorry if you misunderstood the question. Basically, I know how to square a pad....I just need to know how to start at a starting point if there are no walls or anything else around me to start, therefore how would I start this whole thing off??????


I don't understand? You're no where near a wall to pull a parallel? Are in the middle of a desert?


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## FrankSmith (Feb 21, 2013)

You need to snap a line on the floor to represent one side to get started. You then need to determine where the center is so you can find the two corners of the first wall. Now you have a place to use your 3 4 5 to get started on your next side.


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

He also forgot to mention its a round room.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 3, 2010)

Make an executive decision?????????????????????????????????????


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## B.D.R. (May 22, 2007)

Sounds like you are the first guy there.
Put a call into the GC.
Sorry I've got nothing else.


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## B.Scott (Feb 1, 2013)

I'm going to out on a limb here and say

Check the PLAN!!!


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## joee134 (Dec 2, 2011)

I would just let the guy that's going to form and pour the concrete worry about it.


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

Get a 250' tape. If that won't hit a wall then phuck it


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## Pauly-o (Nov 6, 2013)

Inappropriate comment


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## Pauly-o (Nov 6, 2013)

Inappropriate comment


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