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Conditions for a Strong Foundation

It makes sense to pay attention to the small things that guarantee a house foundation will remain dry and crack-free for as long as it has a house to support.

What Is a Foundation’s Primary Goal?
More than just keeping a house above ground, a good foundation also supports it. Additionally, a building’s foundation prevents moisture from entering, provides insulation against the cold, and halts ground movement. Oh, and it should continue indefinitely. It is understandable why foundations are important to builders like general contractor Tom Silva of This Old House. You’re doomed without a decent one, he claims.

Why is a Good Building Foundation Important?
For Tom, “good” entails concrete footings and steel-reinforced foundation walls. All the painstakingly constructed foundations of stone, brick, and mortar that have sustained structures for centuries—even the concrete block walls that the majority of builders were employing when This Old House was first published 25 years ago—are compared to fragile dinosaurs.

How Are Foundations For Buildings Made?

Digging a hole and pouring concrete into molds is only the beginning of building a solid foundation. Like a custom suit, it must be made to fit the location, taking into account the soil type, water tables, and even the backfill’s quality.

The base must be carefully compacted, the formwork must be correctly positioned, and the concrete must be flawless—just like with a tailored suit. Even the most skillfully laid foundation can crumble if even one of these is overlooked.

The following conditions should be met when building foundations.

The building’s foundations must be built to withstand dead and applied loads and transport them to the subsoil in a way that prevents settlement that could jeopardize the stability of the building or other buildings.

-The foundation base should be rigid to reduce differential settlements, especially when superimposed loads are not distributed evenly.

-Foundations should be drilled deep enough to protect the structure from harm or suffering brought on by subsoil expansion or contraction.

-Foundations should be situated so that they won’t be impacted by any unforeseen future influences.

-Foundations should be built in a way that they can transmit the weight of the structure’s dead load and imposed load to the soil with ease.

-The foundation base needs to be sturdy enough to prevent uneven soil settlement in the event that the weight applied is not dispersed evenly throughout the soil.

-It should have a set depth to prevent structural damage from soil volume expansion or compression beneath the foundation.

-Foundation should be sturdy and built with safety in mind to prevent structural damage from unanticipated forces.

The experts at RLM Retrofit Foundation can accurately assess the problem and suggest the best solution if you’re suffering foundation problems. Dial (800) 824-6699 to reach us for Foundation Inspection Tarzana and repair services.

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