The building process of any structure, including houses, requires many steps and materials. The foundation is one of the most important parts of a house as it provides support for everything else that’s built on top of it. In fact, without a strong foundation, your home could be in danger.
Building a house requires many things including the preparation of the land, the construction of the walls, the framing of the roof, and the installation of doors and windows. But what about the foundation?
In this article, we will discuss how the foundation of a house serves as its base or the “supporting column” while also explaining the importance of having a properly constructed foundation.
There are various types of lintvundament available in the market and people can opt for anyone of them to make their foundation look more better and unique than others. So with the help of this it would also become easier for you to install it in very less time. Here in this article you will get to know about what is foundation and what are the common types of it.
What is a foundation?
A foundation is essentially an area that has been prepared by digging it out so that the house can be built on top of it. The foundation is usually created with earth excavated from the site where the house is going to be built. This foundation helps the house to stand firmly on ground and keep it safe from earthquakes and other natural disasters.
The foundation consists of two major components – the footings and the piers or pilings. These are made up of blocks or concrete which provide the building material for the foundation. They anchor the foundation to the existing soil on the site.
There are different types of foundations depending upon their intended purpose. For example, a basement foundation is used when the property does not have enough space to accommodate the construction of a full-sized house. While the crawlspace foundation is designed to make sure that there is adequate space for the building below the surface. Similarly, a garage foundation is used if you need additional space for parking cars.
Other kinds of foundations include slab-on-grade, poured-in-place, post-tensioned, and reinforced concrete structures. If you want to know more about these foundations, then read our articles on them here.
Types of Foundation Structures
Now that you understand the different types of foundation structures, let us see what happens during the construction of a house.
When you decide to build a house, you first get the land ready. After the land is cleared, you would prepare the floor of the foundation using some sort of gravel. You may choose to lay down a layer of cement at this stage too.
Once all those preparations are done, the actual construction of the foundation begins. This includes laying the footings, pouring the concrete for the footings, and installing the piers. Once you have completed all these tasks, you can start building your house.
While the foundation serves as the primary structural element of a house, it is often overlooked due to its size. However, a poorly constructed foundation can cause problems like cracks in the walls, shifting of the structure, and other issues. So, it is essential to do proper testing before starting the foundation work.
Testing the foundation
Before you can start working on the foundation, you must perform several tests to ensure that the foundation is stable. It is essential to test the foundation using a series of specialized tools that identify hidden defects in the foundation.
These tools help to check the integrity of the foundation, including the wall thickness, the bearing capacity of the walls, the soil conditions, and the stability of the foundation itself. The tests performed depend upon the kind of foundation that you intend to construct. Here are some examples of the tests that you can try:
- Tests for underground structures
- Pressure tests for above-ground structures
- Borehole pressure tests
- Shrinkage tests
- Pile tests
- Coefficient of friction tests
- Hydraulic tests
If you want to learn how to perform these kinds of tests in detail, then read our articles on the following topics. Click on each of them to find out more about them:
- Pressure tests
- Borehole pressure tests
- Shrinkage tests
- Pile tests
- Coefficient of friction tests
- Hydraulic tests
With these tests, you can detect any weakness in the foundation or the surrounding soil. Thus, you can avoid any potential problems later on.
Determining the type of foundation
After performing the various tests mentioned earlier, you should now determine whether you require a basement, crawlspace, or garage foundation. This is because each of these foundation types serve a specific function. Read our detailed guide on the best foundation types for better understanding.
Basement foundations are designed to prevent water from seeping into the basement through the foundation or the walls. Crawlspace foundations are meant to protect against rainwater damage to the crawlspace. Garage foundations are used when you need extra space for storing cars.
Garage foundations are also known as carports. Carport foundations usually consist of a flat area that is large enough to park multiple vehicles. They are usually built with a frame over which a tarpaulin is stretched to cover the entire area. These foundations usually come with wheels attached to the bottom side for easy movement.
You can use a lot of materials to construct these foundations. Some of them include asphalt tiles, cinder block pavers, wooden planks, bricks, and steel rods.
Benefits of a well-built foundation
Having a well-built foundation can save you a lot of money in the long run. It gives your house much better protection against all sorts of external forces. When compared to regular foundations, they are much safer and easier to install.
For instance, when you are constructing a house, you can easily lay the foundation and pour the concrete for it. Also, because of the increased bearing strength of the foundations, the house is less likely to tilt or sway in windy weather.
Another advantage of a well-constructed foundation is that it lasts longer than ordinary ones. Because of their greater stability, these foundations can remain intact even after years of heavy usage. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about the cost of repairing them every time something goes wrong.
Lessen the risk of damages
As stated earlier, well-constructed foundations provide much better protection against external factors than ordinary ones. It is important to note that the foundation plays a vital role in reducing the risk of damages caused by earthquakes or other natural disasters. By doing this, you reduce the chances of flooding or landslides.
Reduce maintenance costs
Because well-constructed foundations last a very long time, they can save you a lot of money in the long run. When compared to ordinary ones, they cost much less to maintain. Therefore, you won’t have to spend money on repairs that keep coming up from time to time.
