Footers & Poured Foundations

To correctly build a foundation that will last and keep your basement dry, there are a number of factors your contractor should be mindful of:

• Poured don’t stack – Poured walls are better than blocks. They are simply stronger and are far superior in their capabilities of withstanding the pressures of water and soil.
  Use the appropriate amount of compressed gravel below the footer and slab. Not only does this stone stabilize the concrete that will go on top of it, it will provide spaces between the stone that will aid in drainage.
• Drainage is paramount – This starts with the stone beneath the footer and slab, but extends to the drainage outside of the foundation. The water table changes at different points in the year, and we all know that our region is prone to some heavy rainfall, sometimes multiple times within a week. The water needs a place to go, or else it will end up in your basement. Having drainage to take the water well away from your home, both from your gutters and around the house, minimizes the risk of that water coming into your basement.
• Sumps are invaluable – A sump pump does more than remove water that enters the basement. It actually prevents it. Water rises up from below the ground, from the water table, underneath the slab of your basement. With proper drainage in place, this water can be pulled away from under the footer, but worse case scenario, the sump can pump it away from the house before it makes it into the basement.
• Waterproofing – Cover the foundation with a waterproof membrane. Concrete shrinks, and when it shrinks, it cracks. This is inevitable regardless of who pours your foundation and what process they use. A waterproof membrane that gets glued onto the foundation can cover these cracks, and when combined with the other steps above, is by far the best way to get the assurance that your basement will stay dry.

Obviously, we practice what we preach. Give us a call and we’ll make sure that the first and last time your foundation is worked on is when we build it!