Residential Foundations Tips

Tips on Residential Foundations

Give serious consideration to installing vertical reinforcing rods in your foundations. Most building codes insist that you install horizontal steel bars near the top and bottom of your walls. However, virtually no code (except earthquake areas) requires the placement of vertical steel. In the event that your foundation cracks, I guarantee that it will cost you many times more money to repair the crack than to have installed the steel in the first place.

NEVER backfill a foundation until both the basement slab and the first floor subfloor assembly are in place. These two elements are critical. They are the top and bottom of the "box."

Wait as long as possible to backfill. Concrete or concrete blocks develop strength over time. In fact,under ideal conditions, they often achieve only 75% of their design strength after 28 days!

Negotiate with your builder or foundation contractor to leave forms in place for three to four days if possible. Removing forms the day after the pour subjects the fresh concrete to rapid moisture loss. The concrete needs water for it to gain its maximum strength. During hot or windy weather, consider applying a curing compound to the walls immediately as the forms are removed.

Column B46