Foundations

An old proverb states that a solid home is built on a strong foundation. Your foundation is the structure that your walls sit on and the weight of those walls is transferred into the earth around your foundation. There are a few basic types of foundations including basement, concrete slab and pier and beam. Besides the condition of the soil on your property, the depth of the frost line is the biggest determinate in that choice.

The foundation is underneath or at the base of your home. Stand in your home and look down. Underneath everything you see lies your foundation.

The sill of your wall framing is attached to the foundation of your home. This means that as the foundation moves so will your walls and in turn, your roof. Since frost causes movement every time winter hits, you’ll need to be sure that your foundation goes well below the frost line.

A slab foundation (sometimes called a slab-on-grade foundation) is just that – a reinforced concrete slab poured onto the ground with your home built on top. Homes in warm climates can be constructed quickly and cheaply using this method. Reinforcement is provided by a grid of either "post-tension" cables or reenforced steel bars. In some regions, the main utility services are found under the slab foundation, which means tons of work and hassle should a water main break.

Most cold weather climates include homes with basement foundations or pier and beam style. Basement foundations are essentially a concrete block formed in the shape of a frame around your home. The walls then sit on that frame which, if it’s dug deep enough, won’t generally move. A pier and beam foundation allows your home to sit above the ground (an 18” crawl space is normal) with the wood platform (complete with beams) sitting on concrete piers dug deep in the ground. You can’t have a basement with this type of foundation, but you will have an advantage over a slab foundation when it comes to frost movement.

Steel reinforcement within the foundation should never be visible. If you can see the ends of the post-tension cables or if an area of concrete falls away to reveal the steel rebar, it must be sealed. Clean all rust, apply a rust inhibitor and repatch the concrete. When exposed to extreme weather concrete can crack, split and crumble. This may lead to moisture getting into air pockets in the concrete, causing extensive damage and deteriorating the foundation.

Repair any and all cracks and splits as soon as possible to ensure a strong foundation. If there isn’t a lot of excavation needed (if the cracks are above grade for example) then you can handle this repair task yourself. Buy special foundation repair sealer that will hold for a few years.

There are parts of the foundation that can be replaced, such as the beams in a pier and beam system, or the moisture barriers on a basement foundation. A slab is usually repaired by adding piers under the areas of concern to stabalize the foundation. If your home is sinking, heaving or you’re having any problems with water leaking in it’s time to source out the problem and fix it. Foundation repairs costs vary widely based on region and the severity of the issue.

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