Shed Foundations, Do You Need One?

The shed foundation is the area where time and money is best spent, ensuring your shed lasts for a very long time. There are various kinds of shed foundations that you can use.  Most people don't even bother to think about a solid foundation when going to buy a shed. In reality it is the most crucial part and shouldn't be taken lightly - a solid shed requires a solid foundation.

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Fixing Old House Foundations

People love New England for many reasons. Favorite features include the incredible autumn colors, the rugged beauty of the Maine coastline and even the famously unpredictable weather. This part of the country is also known for the rich selection of historic houses that can be found in nearly every community. If you're an aficionado of old houses, you know how they depend on skilled maintenance and repair work to remain safe, sound and beautiful.

Older foundations have been built differently than new foundations, which can lead to some repair challenges. An inspection by a certified foundation repair expert can help keep your older home in tip-top-shape. Let's discuss some problems your older home repair contractor may discuss with you:

Inadequate Intermediate Support

In most houses, the first floor joists that rest on the foundation walls are also supported by a post-and-beam framework that extends down the center of the basement or crawl space. In older houses, posts may have rotted or they may not have adequate footings. Foundation repair contractors can either reinforce the original post-and-beam assembly or replace it with new lumber erected on new, correctly sized footings.

Excess Moisture

Moisture is sure to be a problem if the foundation has a dirt floor, but leakage through masonry walls and floors can also cause mold and rot in the basement or crawl space area. An experienced foundation repair contractor will know what waterproofing strategies will work best in different situations.

Rotted Sills

The sill lumber that rests directly on the top of the foundation wall is especially prone to moisture damage in the form of rot or insect attack. Old-time carpenters didn't have pressure-treated wood that resists rot and insects. Today we do, and that's the material a foundation repair specialist will use when repairing rotted sills.

Cracked Masonry

If a foundation wall has cracked without shifting or settling, these cracks can often be repaired by the homeowner. However, it's good to get repair advice from an experienced mason, since the original lime-based mortar used between stones or bricks is not the same formulation as the cement-based mortars used today.

Settling and Shifting

A foundation wall that has settled, shifted or collapsed definitely calls for a professional repair. The contractor will probably need to shore up the house framing above the repair area while the soil is stabilized and wall sections are reconstructed. In some cases, it may be necessary to replace a section of stone or brick foundation with poured concrete or concrete block. Your foundation repair contractor can discuss the pros and cons of undertaking an authentic restoration as opposed to a repair using more modern materials.

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Different Types of Home Foundations

1. T-shaped Foundation or Basement Foundation:

House foundation which is considered a traditional method. It does support a type of structure within an area where the ground will freeze. A concrete slab is actually poured onto the ground down at the very bottom of the hole. This type foundation is used where the climate is very cold, such as in the North.

2. Slab On Grade Foundation: This type of house foundation is very popular in the South. "It is a waffle-shaped steel that is reinforced with sheets of concrete. It is also be used with insulation in the North to prevent it from being affected by any frost.

3. Pier and Beam:

House foundation which is also called a crawlspace. The reason it is called a crawl space is because the space is easy to get to with limited headroom space. It is between the soil and the bottom of the first floor of a house. This type of foundation is used in areas where there is very heavy clay within the soil, such as in the state of Texas. This type of space allows installation for heating utilities as well as plumbing for easy access. This type of space definitely needs to be insulated. If it is not insulated well, then water vapor can cause dangerous mold problems which can cause other serious major problems down the road.

As time goes by, unfortunately your foundation may be in need of repair. You may see bulging cracks in your foundation or you may suspect foundation movement. Sometimes floor and wall cracks appear. Many times doors will bind and you may have trouble opening them. Always keep your eye open for any water in your home along with any mold. Don't forget to check for cracks in your exterior too. You may even see separations of wood on the interior or on the exterior of your home. Should you have any of the above problems, you will need an advice from an expert on what to do.

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Problems With Foundations Constructed on Sandy Loam Soil and How to Identify, Prevent, and Rectify

A soil composition primarily known as "sandy loam" is a mixture of sand, clay, silt, and organic matter. Sandy loam is a very stable soil that shows little change with the increase or decrease of moisture and can easily support a slab foundation. Problems occur if the builder added fill to the substrate that was of a different soil composition. If this added fill consists of a higher clay content then expansive conditions can occur if balanced moisture is not maintained around the foundation

Let us identify some readily apparent observations. If your interior doors are difficult to close and you are observing cracks in the sheetrock, or cracks in exterior siding or perhaps masonry; then you may be experiencing foundation problems. Whether your house was built on pier and beam or on a concrete slab foundation these problems can occur.

The most common cause of these problems is due to the perimeter of your foundation being unequally saturated with moisture. Whenever there is a period of several months with minimal rainfall, you will have a variation of moisture saturation in the soil around the perimeter of your foundation. The out of balance moisture will cause stress and movement and if one part of your house settles more quickly than another then you will have problems.

The older your foundation, say twenty or so years, the more you will need to apply the following simple preventive procedures. By doing so you will get many more years of trouble free enjoyment from your home.

The simplest method of prevention and control of this problem is a timed irrigation system around the perimeter of your home that activates three or four days a week for 15 or 20 minutes each day. A well maintained gutter and down spout system is crucial in order to keep balanced moisture around your foundation.

Observe the drainage around your home as improper grading often results in future foundation problems. Grading should always divert water away from your home so as to not allow water to puddle around the foundation. Surface grading needs to be sloped away from the foundation at 5% or greater pitch for the first ten feet from the foundation.

Another worry with sandy loam is erosion, also a good reason you want to make sure you have good drainage around your foundation. Puddling saturates the sand causing it to shift around creating movement which is known as a floating slab.

If your foundation is experiencing excessive settling you must correct this problem as soon as possible because in wet weather the ground will swell and in dry weather it will shrink causing constant stress on the foundation. Over a number of years this recurrent movement will cause extensive damage and will be very costly to repair.

If your house is on pier and beam, a house leveling company merely raises your house, levels it, then makes adjustments to the building blocks it is resting on. If you have a concrete slab you may have to turn to slabjacking to correct damage. The is accomplished by digging footings every 6 to 7 feet under bearing beams and compressing concrete cylinders down to a competent soil layer.

House leveling and stabilizing will need to be completed professionally and inspected by a registered engineer.

After the identification and repairing of the foundation settling problems, hasten to take preventive action as suggested in this article in order to avoid further damage.

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Types of Foundations For Your New House

When deciding on which type of foundation (basement, crawl space, or a slab) for your new home, there are many different factors to consider. In some parts of the country full basements will be the norm (most common in the north), while others will have slab foundations (most common in the south) and still others will have crawl spaces (most common in the central regions). Many people, because of local soil and groundwater conditions, often have only one or two options when it comes to house foundations. In certain places, constructing a full basement means blasting through solid rock. In other places, the ground water table may be lurking just a few feet below the surface limiting these folks to a simple slab on grade.

Keep in mind, that if you are planning a crawl space, and all of your neighbors have basements, your house may be more difficult to sell unless you are prepared to lower the price. This is simply a value/price perception issue since many people feel that having a full basement gives them more room even if it is used only for storage purposes. And of course, the potential is always there for someone to finish the basement and add extra living space at some time in the future.

The concrete slab choice is attractive to builders because of its relatively low cost. Excavation is kept to a minimum and the construction schedule can often be accelerated. The day after the slab is poured, wall framing can often begin. But slabs come with some negatives. Typically, plumbing drainage and water supply lines are buried beneath the slab. If something goes wrong or a leak develops, repairs can be costly. Heating or cooling ductwork buried underneath the slab (not recommended) can sometimes fill with water during wet seasons. Should this happen, fungus can form and spores might be blasted into the home each time the HVAC starts up. Thermal conduction issues are always present. Slabs poured in colder climates can conduct cold back into the house unless special precautions are taken when built. Homes built on slabs often offer little protection during tornadoes or hurricanes, unless a special masonry or concrete safe room is built within the house. These safe rooms can be designed as a large walk-in closet.

A crawl space foundation is a step or two above a slab foundation. Generally speaking, a footing needs to be poured and short foundation walls are built to support the home. Crawl space foundations allow you to install plumbing and HVAC systems so that they are accessible. The floor system over and the foundation walls inside of the crawl space almost always need to be insulated. A vapor barrier must be placed over the soil in the crawl space to control moisture, preferably one that is sealed at its seams & to the foundation walls. If this vapor barrier is missing, water vapor will readily travel up into the wood floor system and then into the house. This water vapor can cause severe mold problems. Homes built over crawl spaces offer minimal protection in severe weather unless you can install a floor access door in a closet that allows quick entry into the crawl space, assuming there is sufficient clearance.

As for basements, ask any homeowner who has a dry full height foundation and they will often tell you they would never be without one. The cost per square foot for this bonus space is often a fraction of what you pay for the living space stacked above it. If you do an actual cost analysis of a full height foundation versus a crawl space, you will find it costs very little to upgrade to the full foundation. Typically, full basements make a house more attractive to potential buyers.

A full foundation offers superb protection in the event of severe weather. It is not difficult to keep basements dry, even in extreme wet weather. The builder simply needs to install a proper drainage system around the perimeter and to apply a real waterproofing material such as synthetic rubber or liquid asphalt that has rubber additives. These materials can bridge small hairline cracks that might otherwise leak water. If you intend to finish off the basement space at a later date, be sure to install a true waterproofing material not the traditional hot asphalt damp-proofing spray.

If you can afford the extra cost, ask your builder to consider extra height foundation walls that allow you to have a clear ceiling height of eight feet or more beneath any and all beams that support floor joists, so that finishing the space at a later time will be easier and provide proper ceiling height.

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