Home foundation repair can be a long and expensive process. It involves hiring home foundation repair contractors to assess damage, make a plan for fixing the damage and then executing the plan. The process usually ends with the home owner getting a hefty bill. Needless to say, it is good to avoid house foundation repair if you can. One way to do this is by keeping an eye out for signs of damage, like water damage, door jams and cracks above doorways or walls. If you plan on building a house from scratch, you should research different home foundations and figure out which is the best for the area you are building in and the type of house you plan on building on top of it. Things like weather and soil conditions can affect a foundation, so it is important to think about all of the factors in your area. Below you can find a list of the different types of foundations and a brief description of each.
- Slab – A slab foundation consists of a concrete slab embedded with steel rods that is built directly on the ground. The house is then built right on top of the slab with no space in between. Slab foundations are a popular choice because they are cheap and easy to build; however, they are also very expensive to fix. Concrete foundation repair is both hard to detect and repair, and if there are issues with the water pipes underneath, the entire foundation must be dug up.
- Crawl Space – For this type of foundation, a concrete perimeter is built with concrete pillars to support the house. This creates a small space between the ground and your home. The crawl space refers to the area between the ground and house, and pipes can be stored and easily accessed here. Crawl space foundations are great for areas that experience frequent flooding, because flood vents can be installed to prevent structural damage to the foundation. On the other hand, crawl spaces allow cold air in during the winter and can allow water to build up underneath the home.
- Basement – A basement foundation consists of an entire room underneath the house. Basements offer many advantages, including optimal storage room, a whole other potential living area and easy access to plumbing equipment. However, they also are more prone to leaks, which can in turn can cause harmful molds to grown in your home.
