According to the region you are planning to build a new house, the house foundation type needs to be selected. In this job, you can do your own research to choose the appropriate foundation or consult a structural engineer to find the best possible foundation.
Wondering which foundation type suits your new house best? The type of house foundation laid down mostly depends upon the type of soil the house is going to be constructed on. Choosing the right foundation is important. An improper house foundation can eventually weaken the house structure, which can pose serious dangers to those who are living in the house.
Basically, there are three types of house foundations. Given ahead are the types along with, why and when these foundation are used.
Full Basement Foundation
This kind of foundation is used predominantly in colder regions.
Basements foundations are popular and mostly used in colder region. One of the biggest advantage of basement foundation is that it provides a living space in an inexpensive way. It can be also very beneficial in areas where land is limited.
Basement foundation offers more head space than crawl space foundation type. This is necessary in colder areas of the world, because a house foundation should be situated below the frost level for a stronger house structure.
Crawl Space Foundation
This foundation is used when there is heavy clay content in the soil.
Crawl space foundation type offers more benefits than the other two foundation types. This is because it lets you build a house which is off the ground. This can prove to be very effective in areas which have high clay content soil, and regions which are prone to termite damage. Crawl space foundation is also less expensive than basement and slab foundation.
Another big advantage is that plumbing pipes and fixtures, and duct work can simply be allowed to run in the crawl space. Also, fixing or replacing pipes or duct work is easy as there is just enough space to crawl underneath this foundation.
Crawlspace foundation is constructed using cinder block with a brick facing structure. This is a smart structure as the layers of brick adjust the height due to the mortar put in between them. This creates a leveled structure. One problem associated with this type of foundation is that is becomes damp soon.
To keep the water out of foundation, many times gravel and perforated pipe in a trench are built around the crawl space, so that the water is carried away.
Slab Foundation
This type of foundation is laid when there is high water table.
Concrete slab foundation is easy to build as a flat concrete pad is directly poured on the cleaned up site. There isn't much planning or preparation required to build this type of foundation. This foundation is good for warmer areas.
It is not a good idea to lay this foundation in colder regions, because if the ground freezes in the winter the slab can shift or make the floors of the house extremely cold. To build this type of foundation the area is cleared and perimeter footing are dug and then the slab is poured in these footings.
This is a very efficient house foundation and quite inexpensive too. However, with this kind of foundation you don't have any basement space underneath the house.
So, hire a professional crew to clear up the site on which you are going to build your new house. The crew will remove any debris, rocks even trees if any. The surface will be cleared, so that the foundation for the new house can be laid down.
To be always sure that you have chosen the right house foundation, it is wise to seek a second opinion of an experienced structural engineer.