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Proper house foundations do more than hold houses off the ground. Building foundations insulate the home against the cold, help resist the earth’s movement around it, and keep out the moisture. Nonetheless, house foundations directly affect the durability of the building and the comfort of the person living in the house. For that reason, when making foundations, it is undoubtedly crucial to ensure that they are free of cracks, dry, and, most importantly, last for as long as they have a house to support.

The process through which house foundations are made and the common types of foundations used in modern residential construction are presented in the following article.

The process of building a good house foundation is more than digging the ground and pouring concrete into it; it is a process that requires substantial attention to detail. A house foundation should be tailored to the area where the house will be built and should take into account the condition and type of the soil, the backfill quality, the slope, and the depth of the water tables.

Regarding the types of house foundations, there are three commonly used ones: slab, crawl space, and basement. Each one of these types has its advantages and disadvantages concerning its affordability, home comfort, maintenance, among other factors.

The slab foundation is considered the simplest, the most inexpensive, and the most common type of foundation. This house foundation consists of a slab of concrete that is directly poured onto a soil surface mixed with gravel to smooth the way for drainage. This foundation’s pros include exceptional sturdiness, minimum digging required, and a decreased risk of pest infestation. However, the slab foundation is vulnerable to the pressure caused by thawing ground, and freezing is considered less than ideal for areas prone to floods.

The crawl space foundation includes an open space beneath the house, which elevates the latter off the ground. This foundation protects the home from shifting soil and floods in case of heavy rains and provides air circulation beneath the house, which helps keep rooms cooler during the summer season. If this foundation is not adequately insulated, moisture, pests, and mold might be issues.

The basement foundation involves digging around eight feet down and constructing walls and floors in that space after that. The advantage of this foundation is that it offers easier access to the pipes and appliances in case repairs need to be done and provides an extra space that could be used for a wide range of purposes. The basement foundation, however, needs to be correctly sealed to prevent mold and pest infestations.