![]() ![]() But it’s important to consider some significant advantages. Basements are not appropriate for areas where the water table is high, and they’re expensive to build where bedrock must be removed by blasting or excavation.īasement foundations are more expensive to build than concrete slab and crawlspace foundations, and they can be prone to water intrusion. ![]() Houses built in the Northeast are very likely to have basement foundations. ![]() Another disadvantage is the lack of additional storage space that a basement foundation affords. This can make remodeling and repair disruptive and expensive. Disadvantages include difficult access to plumbing and electrical components that are installed in or under the concrete. The primary advantage of concrete slab foundations is that they are usually the least expensive to build. These foundations are most appropriate for level ground, or ground with a minimal slope. Slab foundations can be found just about everywhere, and are the predominant foundation in some markets. In many cases, the type of foundation used in residential construction depends on regional preferences, which in turn depend on important factors like climate, geography, and even the construction methods passed down from one generation of builders to another. Each type has advantages and disadvantages. No type of foundation is better than another. Compacting fill should be supervised by a geotechnical engineer. If fill soil is required, the fill should be properly compacted so that it acts like undisturbed soil. Sometimes, soil must be brought in to create a level area for the foundation, or to replace bad soil. Ideally, the soil under a foundation is undisturbed, and permeable to encourage good drainage, with the stability and strength to provide proper support. Bad unstable soil can occur just about anywhere, but this soil is more common in the Midwest and Western parts of the United States. And clay-rich soil can expand and contract with changes in moisture levels, causing a foundation to settle or walls to crack from inward pressure. Loose fill can’t support heavy loads, for example. Some types of soil, such as sand and gravel, can be good for supporting a house. The material under the foundation (usually soil) is the actual load-bearing system that supports the house. Foundations must perform these tasks without moving, cracking, deteriorating, and admitting water over the entire life of the house. Foundations must also resist environmental loads, such as snow, wind and earthquakes. Foundations with walls, such as basements and crawlspaces, must resist the lateral (horizontal) loads imposed by soil that is placed against the walls. The purpose of all foundations is to transmit the load (weight) of the house, the occupants, and their belongings, to the soil under the foundation. Foundation problems can be some of the most difficult and costly problems to repair. A house built on an unstable foundation can have a number of serious problems, including cracks in drywall, sticking and poorly operating doors and windows, sloping floors, water intrusion, and moisture damage such as wood rot and mold. Without a stable foundation, the Big Bad Wolf would have blown all of them down. ![]() It does not matter which type of house each of the Three Little Pigs had. ![]()
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