Mistakes To Avoid When Building a Foundation
As a construction business owner, you know the importance of a home’s foundation. When you begin a project, it’s vital that you know the mistakes to avoid when building a foundation so that your client receives a structurally sound home. Most of these mistakes are preventable if the company and workers take their time in properly pouring the foundation.
Uneven Concrete Slabs
When building a brand-new structure on a piece of land, the slab needs to be level or match the grade of the landscape. Failing to level out the foundation can cause structural damage in the future due to the foundation settling. While a foundation settling over time is inevitable, no matter where you build it, you can prevent it if you take the right course of action as soon as possible to fix it.
Building on Loose Soil
When you pour a foundation, you must make sure that the soil below the home is adequate enough to hold up the structure. A poorly compacted soil won’t support the weight of the foundation and will slowly ruin it over time due to weather, erosion, settlement, etc. Once the ground gets wet, it can become unpredictable and shift, ultimately shifting the foundation too.
You should test the soil before you build a foundation and have the proper construction equipment for special applications, like if the land has bedrock beneath the surface. You want to prepare for just about anything when building a foundation because it’s crucial to keeping the home standing.
Curing Concrete Too Fast
The concrete you pour for the foundation can become brittle and weak if you don’t keep the concrete moist. Water triggers a chemical reaction in the cement that bonds and strengthens it. If you don’t water the concrete as it hardens, it may become too weak to hold up the home when you begin the building process.
Never Use Inferior Materials
You may have the thought of skimping on your materials to either save time or money, but that could be detrimental to the foundation. Never use inferior materials to cut corners because they can hurt you more than help you. Understand that you need to use high-quality materials if you want the structure to last many years.
Keep in mind the mistakes to avoid when building a foundation so that you can ensure the job goes smoothly. Not paying attention to what the crew is doing could mean more work for your business down the road to fix those problems. Take your time and pay attention to the surrounding landscape to guarantee that the foundation will remain on solid ground without any future complications.
