You’ve decided to jump all in and build your home. Congratulations! One of the most important decisions you must make before getting started is the type of residential foundation you will have.
If you thought all homes had the same type of foundation – think again. Knowing the most common types will point you in the right direction.
Here is advice on four types from professional home builders:
- Drilled shaft concrete piers and grade beam
This is used in commercial projects but is cost-effective if the home is large enough. Also, if the home is build in high plasticity clay soil, this is the preferred system.
- Permanent wood
This is primarily used in the north. Basements have framed, pressure treated wood and sit on a poured concrete floor. They also have crawl spaces built onto a footing made of timber and a stem wall built with pressure treated wood.
- Basement foundation
This is a hollow, sub-grade structure designed for additional living space or storage. They are usually built with cinder block or cast-in-place concrete walls and waterproofed.
- Footing and stem wall construction
This system is used in low to moderate frost line surroundings. There are different dimensions of footings dug to meet the requirements of the stem walls. Stem walls have different heights depending on the terrain and flooring system. Crawl spaces can be built on top of the footing and stem wall.
Having the right foundation helps make the right decision on the type of foundation needed for the home you would like to build. Using the advice of professional home builders can save time, money and mistakes that could occur from lack of expertise and knowledge. Getting them involved from the beginning is always the best course of action.
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