Introduction:
Homebuilding is an investment of considerable size. Not only does it take a great deal of money, but it also requires an equally large emotional investment. After all, once we construct our homes, we hope they can be privy to our memories, family life, and aspirations for the future. Home is more than just a structure to live in; it’s a place that embodies all that makes us who we are. When tackling a project of such magnitude, it’s easy to get lost in the myriad of details. Still, it’s important to remember that the foundation is the most basic, yet arguably most essential, detail of them all. It is the very first item on the list and the list that, in many ways, the rest falls under.
It is not open for discussion. Your home needs to have a solid foundation.
- This is non-negotiable. There are several ironclad reasons why this is the case, and a few of them will be outlined here.
- First off, the foundation makes sure that your house won’t slip downhill. Seriously, it holds everything…the earth must not pull apart.
- It also keeps disasters from happening. Well, at least it wards them off, for a while. A top-heavy or wobbly house is not what you want in an earthquake or any other natural bad day.
- Then, there’s the pay-now-and-pay-later factor, to consider. No skimping on a foundation now means you won’t have to pay double or triple to get the same result later.
- And did you ever think that your energy-efficient house might not be all that thanks, in part, to the basement walls? Seriously, that’s a secret blessing that not many homeowners appreciate.
Types of Foundations
When you have to select the best foundation for your home, you have to consider many important factors. You must think about the site’s soil, condition of surrounding soil, the climate, and, of course, the design of the house. Different places have different common foundation types that the builder employs. Most types, when well-designed and installed with care, will work fine, but some will serve better in certain circumstances. I will consider them in the simplest classification: A foundation is either a slab (which is just about setting the house right onto the ground), or it has some subsurface space, as with a crawl space or a basement, which usually fit over the whole floor plan.
The Role of Quality Home Construction
Experienced builders know that using high-quality materials, following building codes, and employing skilled labor are what yield a solid foundation. And that’s not to mention the importance of performing soil tests, which let builders “see” below the surface to determine what kind of foundation would be best for your house on your building site.
Signs of Foundation Problems
You need to be really watchful for any signs of problems with your home’s foundation. Here’s why. If you see any cracks in the walls—especially if some of them are serious, like the ones in this picture—you may very well have a problem with the foundation. The same goes for cracks in the floor or for either the dirt or the concrete on which your house is built. Another tip-off to a potential problem is when doors or windows in your house stop working properly. That might not be too big a deal if it happened just once, but if it recurs many times, be concerned. Even a really, really dumb person could realize that the thing that makes a door or a window work is that it is straight and plumb—in other words, not crooked in any way.
Conclusion
Choosing a strong, secure foundation for your residential construction project is an essential first step that will affect your home for many years to come. By comparison, the selection of the foundation may seem like a mundane decision when weighed against some of the other choices that must be made during the construction process. Nonetheless, the choice of the foundation should be treated with equal concern for the innumerable effects that the decision will have over the future life of your home. After all, choosing an average type of foundation may save a few dollars today, but it could cost a fortune tomorrow.
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