All About Foundations

In many parts of North America, steel reinforcement in concrete foundations is not required by code, but it is a cost-effective means of avoiding cracks caused by lateral pressure upon the foundation walls. The steel reinforcement is commonly referred to as rebar.

Basically, rebar carries the load and distributes it within the foundation by transferring it from high pressure to low pressure areas. To increase the strength of any foundation anchor bolts are also used and these attach the overlying structure to the foundation. As well as steel dowels, there are also a number of metal connectors that are commonly used in foundations.

As most people commonly expect, concrete quality is especially important to the foundation. The composition details are especially vital in that the water, sand and aggregate must be clean and well mixed in with the cement. Before you buy any concrete for a foundation, discuss your needs with a concrete supplier who is familiar with the area you are going to work in.

Although the drainage system is not technically part of the foundation, any water flowing near it is critical to its success or failure. In some areas more so than others, it's essential to regulate the water flow so it doesn't constantly erode away at a foundation. The worst-case scenario has water undermine footings, cracking framing and even causing a reinforced concrete foundation to crack.

Often these kinds of water problems can be mitigated by simply keeping downspouts and gutters clear and sloping the grading away from the foundation. Beyond the other things that you can do like putting in window wells for basement windows, the other fixes like excavating can be costly.

Almost all the foundations that fail are poorly designed. One of the clear indications that your foundation is not doing its job is low spots in flooring. This is caused by an absent or deteriorated post beneath a girder. As well, joists that sag are generally caused by the size being used. Gaps between the chimney and house are usually caused by the wrong sized chimney pad. Once you’ve been able to identify the fact that you’ve got a problem with the foundation, there are a few things that you can do to fix the problem.

The term jacking refers to raising or lowering a building so that you can repair a defective frame foundation. Shoring refers to a temporary system of posts and beams that support the building loads. Remember that shoring is a temporary procedure. Once the repairs are complete, you need to remove the shoring and let the house rest back down on the repaired foundation as soon as possible. Jacking a house is a complicated procedure that requires an in-depth knowledge of house framing and how the loads will transfer. For that reason, foundation contractors will often subcontract the job out to those they are sure know exactly what they are doing to ensure the job will be done properly.

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