DWhen building a home, one of the most important steps is designing and creating a strong foundation. A foundation must support the home. If the foundation becomes compromised, the entire home will be at risk. For a homeowner, it is important to know as much as you can about your foundation. A homeowner needs to be able to monitor and detect signs of foundation stress or failure. With quick enough action, you can repair your foundation. The first step in maintaining a foundation is knowing what type of foundation you have. Today, Duratech Texas would like to share the different types of foundations.

Crawlspace Foundations

There are two major types of crawl space foundations. There is the pier and beam and then a block and base foundation. Both of these types of foundations are up and off the ground and will have a crawlspace which is why they are referred to as a crawlspace foundation. Both of these foundations use concrete blocks or pillars that hold the home up in the air from a few inches to a few feet. Some crawlspace foundations will have a skirt or siding that runs along the outside of the foundation. Crawlspace foundations have their benefits and disadvantages. Crawlspace foundations are ideal for building homes along slopes or hills. Thy are also less expensive and make accessing the electrical and plumbing system much easier. However, a crawlspace foundation can have a lot of trapped moisture and become ideal environments for termites, rodents and cockroaches. If the floor wasn’t insulated properly, often the floor will be very cold as cold air easily moves underneath the foundation. The pillars that hold up the foundation can also become compromised, often requiring professional repairs. Luckily repairing a crawlspace foundation is often much easier and even cheaper than other types of foundations.

Concrete Slab Foundations

Most modern homes will have a concrete slab foundation. In fact, over 65% of single family homes will have a concrete foundation. A concrete foundation is built on a constructed soil pad or grading. A concrete slab foundation is at least six inches thick or more and uses metal rebar or post-tension cables to enforce and hold the form of the foundation. Concrete slab foundations will take around twenty-eight days to construct and have a much lower risk of flooding, leaking and gas exposure, such as radon. Concrete slab foundations also have less problems with pests and they tend to have better energy efficiency. However, when a concrete slab foundation does develop a problem, often the problem is pretty extreme. When plumbing problems develop in the foundation, it needs to be repaired. Often it takes a lot of invasive and time consuming work. Concrete slab foundations can develop major crack settling, heaving and more. To prevent excessive amount of repairs, it is important to stay on top of concrete foundation repairs and monitoring.

Foundation Repair Services & More in Crosby, Cypress, Friendswood & Greater Houston, Texas

Whichever type of foundation you may have, it is important to monitor and seek repair as soon as problems develop. When you need foundation inspections and or repairs, contact Duratech Texas today.