What Kind of Foundation Does Your Home Have?

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When you call My Foundation Repair to get in touch with one of our professional contractors, we will ask you what kind of foundation you have. You may wonder why we would ask that; after all, isn’t a foundation a foundation? Actually, it does matter, because there are different foundation repair methods used depending on the type of foundation issues we’ll be working on.

Basic Foundation Types

There are three common foundation types that determine the contractor’s job:

Basement

Basement foundations are usually around 8 feet deep with a concrete slab for the floor. The walls are commonly constructed from cinder block for strength and stability. The typical construction process of beams, walls, then slab helps prevent water from leaking into the basement. Basements allow for additional living or storage space, a place to go in bad weather, and other benefits.

Crawl Space

A cousin of the basement foundation is the crawl space. Crawl spaces are usually between two to five feet in height. Like a basement, they are usually built with cinder block walls. but can have a concrete slab or dirt floor. These types of foundations are usually built in places with high water tables or in places prone to flooding. They can allow for some storage, but can be overrun by mold or vermin.

Slab

A slab foundation is a concrete pad. This is the easiest foundation to construct and takes little preparation, as compared to other foundation types. The concrete is usually around 2 feet thick at the perimeter and around 6 inches thick for the rest of the slab. Rebar and wire meshing should be enclosed in the concrete to strengthen it.

Choosing A Foundation

As you can see, there are a lot of differences between the three foundations listed above. How do you know which foundation repair method is best for your home? You need to figure in cost, soil and weather conditions. Ultimately, what foundation repairs are needed for this particular structure? If the home is being built on a high water table, you may not be able to have a basement, but if the weather is cold, a slab may not be a good idea. In some locations around the country, it is difficult to dig into the bedrock or boulders under the ground, making a crawl space or basement difficult or expensive to build.

When building a home, it is important that you talk with a reputable contractor so that you know all of the options that are available to you and what the pros and cons are of each choice.

Foundation Repair Method

Depending on the type of foundation repair needed, there are different options on how to fix the damage. For instance, a slab may need to be lifted or just have cracks sealed. The slab can be lifted with polyurethane foam or a mud slurry. Cracks can be filled with an epoxy or patched with a carbon fiber. Crawl spaces and basements may need wall anchors or carbon fiber supports. A foundation may have settled and needs to be lifted with piers. Our contractors will inspect your property and determine the best method to not only repair the damage, but to prevent it from recurring.

You can contact My Foundation Repairs and know that you will have a reliable contractor who will be using top of the line tools and products from Earth Contact Products to keep your home strong, safe, and stable.