Thoughts and ideas from one of the best area home inspectors in the Bloomington Normal area.
Posts tagged Soil
Exterior Components of a Property Inspection: Grading
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Grading: Exterior grading is the most basic element of any given property. Soil conditions are rarely addressed in a basic inspection as laboratory analysis is typically required to provide any substantial information regarding its makeup.
Grading also plays a key role in proper drainage of a property. Water can be correctly diverted away from flashings and foundations via mechanical means such as gutters and counter flashings but if soil, concrete and other immobile elements are not properly aimed these measures do little to substantially maintain a property. A geotechnical engineer is the specialist who needs to be consulted regarding these issues in depth when needed.
A need for their services may arise at the planning stage of new construction or when soil and grading is significantly affecting the property in a negative way. Use of both of these services is highly advisable regardless of what type of property one may be investing in for a platitude of reasons. Soil testing can be a major factor in properties located near industrial areas, pollution can be a serious health hazard and should be fairly researched.
Geotechnical engineering is part of basic planning in areas like California where steep grades are common and minor settlement can dramatically affect a property. These practices are much more common with more expensive properties, but should be considered on down to even the residential level.
To add some perspective; a home inspector may simply superficially comment on drainage conditions, a commercial inspector may mention in passing surrounding properties that may be contaminating hazards such as chemical producing or using subjects, while an industrial developer may need to do massive planning and analysis of a sites soil and grading in the case of a factory where extreme weights will be routinely moved around a property or a farm where soil purity and conditions are of the utmost import.
Foundation Repair – Foundation Frustration Chapter 1
Foundation Repair – Foundation Frustration Chapter 1
By Ed Eckley
Foundation Frustration….A term that matches the situation quite well I believe.
I would like to start this article with a little description of myself. I know that many of you are wondering who I am, and what makes me an authority on building foundations?… Well, first of all, I will never claim to be the authority on anything, even though I have devoted most of my life to the industry. I am just another guy, like you, that is going through life with similar questions, and similar frustrations. The reason I try so hard to protect foundations is simple: I wish for good things, and I will try to make them last forever. My lovely wife accepted my proposal 27 years ago. We are devoted to each other and will likely stay together forever. She is my foundation. Without her, I was just another human structure waiting to be stabilized.
When you read my articles, you will begin to realize that I am just as frustrated as you..
You have good reasons for your frustrations: You have purchased a new home and it has begun settling or twisting, Or, You have an old building that has been around for decades, never had any particular problems, and just recently you are noticing cracks in the walls and the floors are starting to slope. You are upset, Naturally, and you want some answers… You have been reading lots and lots of opinion based articles. You have asked friends, neighbors, even your mother, about their thoughts. You have probably done more research than a college student cramming for a test.
The frustration increases. The more you learn, the more you are confused. Many things sound logical. Many different Ideas make sense, but why are there so many different possibilities?, and why do they all seem like lab experiments?
You are now quite frustrated and angry with your realtor, Your builder, Even your neighbor that went out of town on vacation and forgot to turn off the sprinklers. Somebody must be to blame!…You are so upset that you threw the paper back at the paper boy……You have screamed out at your neighbors that always watch you get the paper: Hey! what are you looking at?…. You have rushed back inside and slammed the door….The door won’t shut correctly and it pops back open…..Now you notice that the crack in the wall has traveled even further…..By now you are smoking hot…..You want to slap somebody, anybody, God help any vacuum cleaner salesman that might come to the door right about now…..You have decided to take a nice hot shower. Now you sit down and pour yourself a cup of your favorite coffee……Your heart beat has slowed back down to normal….You take a couple of deep breaths and now you are feeling much better……You go over to your computer and begin more research. This time you stumble upon this particular article and it makes you laugh because you notice the truth right a way. You may not have done all of those crazy things but most people would.
You are not alone in your quest for answers. Your problems are not as difficult to solve as you might think. Hundreds of thousands of buildings are settling and cracking all over the country and I can guarantee you that no matter how bad yours may seem, there are much worse.
I am going to state some useful facts that may or may not apply to the situation that you are experiencing. This particular chapter deals with old homes and structures. Old buildings do weaken in time much like people, But they can still stand strong. They may just need a little help.
One question that I hear alot is this: Why did this building settle recently?…After all the building has withstood some of the most severe storms of the century. The building has stood strong through generations of family……Why did this building start settling and cracking now?
There are several possibilities, and we are going to examine them based on facts. The fact that the building is old, demonstrates the fact that the plumbing is old. You may have experienced a water leak, and had it fixed, and assumed that the problem was over. That may have been months ago, and you are thinking that couldn’t be related to this problem, Could it?…….Absolutely!…..Ground saturation will sometimes settle a foundation rapidly, (within days), and sometimes it takes weeks or even months because different soils react differently. Most clay based soils will contract and literally suck the foundation downward when it is drying out.
Another likely cause to foundation settlement is the sewer drain. The drain pipes under the older homes were either clay tile with cemented hub connectors, or ductile cast iron with lead poured joints.
There is a very high probability that the drain leaks. The reason I say this is because most of the buildings in older communities have mature trees or deep rooted plants of some sort. When you have called plumbers in the past to clean your drains, what are the things that they usually discover?….Tree roots and hair… Ok, so, How did the tree roots get in there?…. Through the pipe joints or cracks in the pipe. The fact that tree roots got in, indicates the fact that water has been getting out.
Another likely cause to the foundation settlement may be the water supply line. The older buildings used galvanized steel pipe to connect from the city main, to the building. The thing about steel is that no matter what, it will eventually corrode and begin leaking. The pipe can have thousands of pinholes and small cracks, and still function just fine. The problem is that lots of water can be escaping beneath the front yard and it can go un-detected until it eventually bursts and creates a big mess.
You should examine your front yard. Look for signs of sinking low spots in the yard. look for sinking sidewalks, sinking or tilting front porch.
There is a chance that some foundation repair costs will be covered by your homeowners insurance company if you can positively determine that it is from a plumbing problem.
You may have to be persistent, and you may have to obtain professional proof, but it may save you lots of money, and put an end to your frustration.
Some of you are thinking that perhaps the old building has out lived its intended life span, and that maybe it should be taken down. I say to you: Please don’t think that way. Think of your house or building as a living thing, after all, It is important to preserve history and keep it alive!
Remember this: Newer, is not better, it is just newer. Believe it or not there are usually more serious problems with the newer structures than there there ever could be with the older tried and true buildings.
I am only going to state my personal opinion on this very thing: I believe that older buildings should be preserved at any cost. Thank God for the craftsmen of yesterday. Many of them were buried years and years before their grandchildren raised their children in these buildings that are still standing proud!
Do any of you actually believe that the newer homes and buildings being constructed today, will still be standing in the next 100 years?, and if they are, How much money will it take to keep them standing?
Well I know that we have barely scratched the surface with these little tid bits, but we have examined a few facts, and we have looked at possibilities and probabilities, so, I would like each of you to take a couple of deep breaths and say to yourselves: I am going to beat this thing and it’s not going to beat me.
Now take two aspirin and call me in the morning…..
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Ed Eckley Gen Manager Custom Building Support Systems (LLC) http://www.custombuildingsupport.com (303) 279-5777 Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ed_Eckley |
Plumbing Problems And Solutions
Plumbing Problems And Solutions
By Dhana Sekar
Plumbing system is to a building, what circulatory system is to the human body. Any fault in the system is sure to throw your life helter-skelter and make your life awful. While putting in place a good well-conceived and well-done plumbing system is important, maintenance and preventive measures taken to keep the system in good shape is even more important.
Clogged Drains
Case one
Your sinks tubs connected to particular branch line drains slowly than normal.
Reasons
Dumping food solid materials into your kitchen Bathroom drains.
Pouring greasy Sticky materials into your kitchen sink.
Pouring chemicals paints into the drains.
Improper Inadequate venting.
Solution
Use a plunger to de clog your drain. This will work for clogs of smaller size. If it still persists, call an expert. Home made solutions do not work for bigger clogs.
Clogs can be removed using various techniques. While a cable can be used to remove solid clogs and break through roots, High pressure water jetting is more effective for clogs due to sticky greasy materials.
Before using water jetting as option, It is important to determine the quality of the plumbing materials used, for, the high pressure used in the process will rip your pipes apart if they are of a inferior quality.
Check the vents provided for any visible blocks. Find out whether the venting is adequate for the fixture it serves. An expert could help you out in this area. If the venting is absent or inadequate, provide upgrade to surmount the problem.
Preventive Measures
Respect your toilet and kitchen sinks. Use them only for the purpose intended. Avoid unmindful dumping of solid wastes, Food materials, Greasy substances and paints chemicals into the sinks.
Use filters over the drains in your toilet and kitchen to trap hair and solid objects.
Ensure that air vents are provided in adequate numbers and sizes for all fixtures.
Case two
All the drainage lines of the building drain slowly and there is a backing of the drain water from the main drainage line.
Reasons
A block in the main drainage line. or
A block in the inlet outlet of the septic tank. or
A block in the distribution box. or
A block in the percolation pipes. or
The septic tank has frozen due to an abnormal low weather.
Solution
Use a snake or water jetting to de clog the main drain line. This is the work of an expert. He could, through his expertise, say whether the clog is due to solid waste or greasy substances or roots and use a suitable technique to de clog the same.
Check the inlet and the outlet of the septic tank for any blockage due to solid wastes, scum and so on. Remove the block and check for easy flow.
Check the distribution box located between the septic tank and the percolators. Remove blocks, if any.
Check the area around the percolators. See whether it is moist, swampy and stinky. It means that the percolation is not proper. In other works the soil is not absorbing the drain water at the rate of discharge. It could be either because you usage of water has increased of late due to more guests or the soil has become saturated due to moisture from other sources such as rainfall more than normal etc. Immediately enlist an expert, the problem requires instant care.
If the septic tank has frozen due to bad weather seek the help of an expert immediately. If an expert and the equipment needed are hard to find, use the septic tank as a storage tank till such time the tank haws by itself. Judicious use of water will help you hold on for some time. To avoid freezing of the septic tank in the future, winterize before the next winter.
Preventive Measures
Respect your Septic tank. It is designed for the disposal of organic wastes only. Avoid dumping inorganic and non bio degradable wastes. They are sure to block the normal functioning of the septic tank and spoil it beyond redemption.
Use filters over the drains in your toilet and kitchen to trap hair and solid objects.
Winterize the septic tank to prevent it from freezing in winter. Do the following
Insulate the Septic tank, distribution tank, percolators and all out door lines by spreading a layer f hay, grass, dry leaves etc.
During winter, resort to more than normal usage of water. Warmer the water, the better.
Empty the tank, if you are planning for a long outing.
Get expert help. Winterization is location, weather specific. A small investment here will save you from all hardships during the winter.
Leaks
Symptoms
Leaks in your plumbing system are not just unsanitary but is a tremendous loss of a scarce resource. More often than not leaks are detected much later than they had started and after much damage had already been done.
Try this test out to determine whether there is a leak in your plumbing system. Before you go to bed in the night, close the Main valve at the primary inlet of your plumbing system. Note the water meter reading. In the dawn, before you start using water, note the reading. If the reading has changed then, there is a leak in the system.
To locate the leak, repeat the procedure by keeping the main valve open and all but one of your ancillary line valves closed. If the reading shows a change, then the leak is in that particular branch line. Inspect the faucets for visible leaks and path of the lines for subtle hints of invisible leaks behind the plastered walls. If you still can not detect the leak. Contact us for expert care.
Reasons
While visible are due to faulty faucets fixtures, Invisible leaks can be due to cracks in your plumbing lines. The cracks happen due to a. Ageing lines giving off or b. Faulty winterization of you plumbing system.
Solution
Replace the faulty fixtures faucets.
If the leak is due to faulty line, replace the line. If your plumbing system is considerably old, you can think of replacing the lines in stages without waiting for the system to call for your attention and doing much damage to your cherished home.
Preventive Measures
Make proper use and take proper care of your faucets and other movable water outlets. Install only good quality faucets that will stand the wear and tear. Do not compromise on quality for price. Remember, a compromise on quality is a compromise on peace of mind.
Properly winterize your plumbing system.
Winterization.
What
Acclimatizing your plumbing system to withstand the test of hard winter is winterization.
Why
Plumbing systems are primarily intended to transport water to the locations of need from a centralized water storage facility. In the winter, as the temperature dips to appreciable lows, water freezes. The density of ice is more than that of water. Hence to accommodate water turned into ice, your plumbing system expands. When this expansion is beyond its elastic limit, it cracks wreaking havoc on your entire plumbing system.
Solution
Prepare for the winter ahead by properly acclimatizing your plumbing system. Do the following.
Insulate the drains outside your home.
Open the cabinets under sinks to facilitate circulation of warm air to avoid freezing.
In the temperature is harsh, allow water to flow through the lines in a trickle, when not in use, to avoid freezing.
If you are going out and if the plumbing system will not be in use for a long time close the main valve and drain all water form the system, to ensure that there is no water to be frozen.
Remember, winter is a testing time for your plumbing system. Take preventive measures or you may have to spend a fortune to restore the system back to normalcy. If you need more information, feel free to avail our expert care.
Plumbing is a science, but proper use and maintenance of it is an art. A good plumbing system will give you peace of mind. A bad one is sure to derail your day and make a hell out of it. The problems and the solutions suggested here are generic and not case specific or location specific. It is intended to equip you with the knowledge of the intricacies in plumbing so that you could understand and appreciate the workmanship better. Remember a few procedures are health hazardous and needs to be handled by an expert. Do not try them your self. IF you need experts, think of eServicePlace ESP, where hand picked professionals are ever ready to address your problems in the shortest possible time and in the best possible manner. Think expert care, think ESP.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dhana_Sekar
Tips For Plumbing A Basement In Clay Soil
Tips For Plumbing A Basement In Clay Soil
By Christopher W Smith?
Basement construction in clay soil poses several problems. Expansive soil can cause cracking in the foundation, basement walls and floor if proper precautions aren’t taken. Natural movement caused by expansive clay soils also require special precautions to be taken when installing basement plumbing. Pipes can burst if plumbing is too rigid.
Floating walls keep the walls and floors from being damaged as the home moves with the expansion of clay soil. This allows the walls to move independently from the floor of the basement. The pipes need to be able to move upward with the floor but not push against the first floor of your home. The drainage pipes under the basement floor need to be able to breathe as well.
When you install bathrooms, laundry room, or a mudroom in the basement you need to allow for natural movement of clay soil. Installing flexible expansion couplings and expansion joints on basement plumbing will allow for this movement and keep the pipes from leaking at the joints or cracking.
Your pipes should ideally be new during installation. If you are working with pre-existing pipes make sure not to go from one type of metal to another. If you are using copper stay with copper pipes and the same goes for other metals. Take care to not to change the size of pipes accidentally. It is possible to go from one size to another but it is not always usually wise idea. You should also start with new pipes whenever possible. Older pipes can have lead solder break up while you are working with them and you do not want this to get into your water supply, even if it is for a shower and not drinking water.
Anywhere that you are attaching one length of pipe to another you need to add an expansion coupling. Expansion couplings are made of a synthetic polymer sleeve that slips over the ends of both pipes. Steel clamps are used to hold the coupling and pipes together. Once applied, the coupling will allow for a small amount of movement in the pipes. It is important to make sure you have the expansion couplings and not regular couplings as the expansion couplings are made to breathe with the home and the regular couplings aren’t made to move.
When installing a shower you can use reverse floating walls to stabilize pipes in the basement and allow movement in the top of the pipes. You should put as much of the plumbing in the same area as possible and use the same wet wall. A chase should be included and access can be either along a wall or in the ceiling.
Flex lines are needed for water supply lines. The main water supply line should go into the chase and have flex lines attached in that area to the pipes used in the basement. The most logical place for the chase access panel is in the utility room along with the hot water heater.
As well as having expansion joints and flexible couplings installed the pipes there should be enough space between the pipes and the ceiling/floor to keep from having the pipes push into the ceiling as the ground expands with the changes in the moisture in clay soil.
Expansion joints will be needed for installation of ground water drainage pipes also. This can be done below the basement floor, above the foundation. Drains can be placed in the basement floor allowing moisture that does enter the basement to run into the drainage system and away from the home.
Visit us for more information on how to design a home theatre in a basement, creative basement ceiling ideas and basement makeovers
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_W_Smith
Ground Stabilization For Basement Construction In Clay Soil
Ground Stabilization For Basement Construction In Clay Soil
By Christopher W Smith
When building in clay soil, you have a few things to worry about. Most important, you will need to adjust for the actions of the soil. You don?t want to have your foundation and basement walls cracked during the first year due to moisture changes. As moisture in the soil changes expansive soil will move. During wetter seasons clay grows, during dry seasons clay shrinks. This can be seen in the soil itself if you watch the ground you will notice the cracks and shrunken appearance the ground has, especially in areas that may have had a pond or a creek.
When you build a basement, you want to build on solid ground, or as solid of ground as possible. If you are working in an area that is made up of clay or other expansive soils, you may want to consider stabilizing the ground with lime. Treating the ground with lime gives a much more stable surface to work with.
First, you will need to remove not only the earth in the area that you wish to use as your basement but you need to dig below this area and put in trenches for the lime to be poured into. Trenches should be dug around the perimeter of the foundation and in columns spaced throughout the foundation approximately 3 feet apart. These trenches will turn into a solid base for your home. Removal of several inches of soil is important. This gives you the space you need to build your foundation that you are going to place your home on.
After removing the earth in the trenches, you need to fill those trenches with a lime slurry made of crushed lime and water. This mixture will be thick. Naturally, we aren?t talking about the fruit lime. Instead we are talking about limestone. The slurry is a mixture of crushed lime and twenty to sixty percent water (measured by weight) that can be mixed inside the trenches.
Once the lime slurry dries, you will have a solid rock base to place your foundation on. This will keep moisture from causing ground expansion that will crack your foundation. This can save billions of dollars annually in structural damage that occurs to buildings due to natural fluctuations in ground moisture.
Visit us for more information on how to design a home theatre in a basement, creative basement ceiling ideas and basement makeovers.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_W_Smith
Soil Brick Making Machines Can Save The Forests
Soil Brick Making Machines Can Save The Forests
By Rudolph Draaisma
In rural areas, usually of tropical developing countries, houses and shelters are mainly build of wood, bamboo and leaves and not very durable. When there is some money to spend, bricks are preferred as building material. Bricks are made in kilns, which requires wood for operation. Wood is becoming limited as these countries hardly have replanting projects, or ?wood-growing industries?, that keeps this circle going.
Firewood is mostly taken from natural forest. In the past, these tropical countries had abundant natural forests. Unfortunately, their forest resources have significantly declined, due to civil wars, illegal logging or over cutting, population growth, etc.
Deforestation has economic and environmental consequences. It leads to firewood shortages, and adversely effects living conditions, especially of those in the rural area. Every day more forest and bushes are disappearing. The wood prices have increased significant over the past years and is becoming alarmingly expensive for the poor.
If rural people want to go for bricks, the road conditions are poor and transport doesn?t guarantee the fragile bricks to be delivered in one piece.A key feature of most of the UNDP conservation projects is encouragement of community engagement in forest protection and wildlife conservation. In this way, those that live in natural resource areas become part of the solution for their sustainability. UNDP projects also link these countries to actions under the Kyoto protocol to reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases, CO2 from combustion processes (wood), being one of the major ones.
THE SOLUTION
Bricks can be made without burning and the use of sun-dried bricks of soil is practiced since thousands of years, called adobe. In modern times, also rammed bricks are made, by compressing soil and then sun-dry them. These bricks however are not very strong, nor durable and tend to crack on drying, especially if so called “black cotton soil” is used.
It is therefore proposed to mix soil with sand and cement, while adding some water and then compress this material in a form giving mould, which results in strong and durable bricks, that do not crack. This can be done with simple and yet innovative manually operated brick presses, to produce interlocking soil bricks without burning from the freely available soil around (any kind of), allowing the rural population to build their own durable houses.
This fits well in environmental programs, that aim to reduce rural poverty and sustain economic growth, ensuring that future generations will be able to benefit from the rich environmental resources of the country, while reversing the loss of them.
Feasible, affordable and environmentally friendly, including significant cost savings and on-going environmental benefits, building with soil bricks is one of the most environmentally-sound building technologies in the world today, utilizing on-site available soils, as the main ingredient of the soil bricks.
The environment is protected in several ways:
- It lessens the environmental impact of building construction. The need for lumber is substantially reduced, thereby curtailing deforestation, drought, soil erosion, flooding, species displacement as well as the greenhouse effect
- It saves money. On-site manufacturing of brick eliminates a large portion of transportation, middlemen and breakage cost. This is because the soil bricks that might get broken for one reason or another, can be recycled through the manufacturing process.The structures made with soil bricks are as beautiful and durable as housing made from conventional bricks. The higher acoustical qualities of these houses shut out exterior noise for less stressful living. The interlocking blocks are more thermally radiant than conventional bricks and reduce the need to heat or cool the interior.
When the bricks leave the machine, they are already strong enough to be handled for storage and they reach there final strength about a day later, when the cement has cured.There is hence no need to burn the bricks, which makes this process a very low-energy requiring one. The soil is thought to originate for free from the building site itself and constitutes between 70 and 80% of the total mass of the bricks.
The press delivers bricks that are interlocking and thus don?t require jointing cement. This process uses 75% less cement than the conventional method. The bricks have cavities, that are filled by pouring thin cement, as to seal the bricks over their whole length and between the vertical joints, keeping small insects (ants) and rain water (drought) out. If required, steel or bamboo rods can be placed in the cavities as well, which would provide for earthquake resistant structures.
One of the main features of this brick type is, that it has more resilient strength than its fired counterparts. The secret of its success, is the composition of materials and the forming under moderate pressures. The soil brick is suitable especially for use in multi-storey buildings, due to its durability and robustness. It allows to abandon the inflexible and costly steel supported concrete column construction.
The bricks’ cell interlocking system, eliminates the need for a horizontal mortar bed and anchoring reinforcements in wall corners and joints, thus reducing the demand for highly skilled brick layers, all together cutting the costs of construction considerably. Apart from the environmental benefits, the expected price of a pressed brick versus a conventional, burned brick, is at least 1:4 lower.
Brick presses allow rural people to create independently their own affordable bricks to build houses themselves and not have to rely on salesmen and production in towns, bad roads, transport problems and fluctuating prices. A brick press can be operated by the house builder himself or somebody can make a business of it, by serving other members of his community.
This simple, yet innovative technology can generate income when used as service to other villagers, which alleviates poverty and saves the forest at the same time. Most rural inhabitants are farmers who are often only busy for 6 months of the year and look for other employment during the remaining 6 months.
Though the idea of pressing bricks from soil is far from new and many have made an effort, for some unknown reasons this technology doesn’t seem to have made its brake through. In my view it must have to do with wrong management, because the demand, or at least the need is there and the technology is simple (once you know how to do it).
Rudolph N. J. Draaisma is an all-round engineer, who has extensive experience in developing and building soil brick making machines. His latest design puts all that experience and know-how together. He also is an expert on energy conversion & recovery systems.
Read how this brick making machine works
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rudolph_Draaisma
New Home Foundation 101
New Home Foundation 101
By Ronnie Godfrey
Proverbs 3:19
By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations
The Foundation, after all, is the foundation. Before we start to build a new home we need to exercise wisdom and build it correctly. In this article we will talk about building the foundation and its maintenance.
First thing you need to know about concrete, the major substance used in foundations today, is that it will crack. Building the foundation correctly does not eliminate, it just minimizes the cracking. They all crack. You may not see it. It may be covered with some flooring material, but they all crack.
Here are the elements of good foundation construction:
Soil testing- An engineering company will send out a crew with a small drilling rig to gather soil samples, usually to a depth of 20 feet. These samples are then taken to a laboratory where they are dried and run through a battery of tests to determine the soil?s suitability for erecting a foundation on it. The results are given in writing to the engineer.
Engineer?s design- At this point the engineer will read the results of the soil test and specify the grade, size and way the different parts of the foundation are incorporated. The strength of the concrete is generally specified as a pounds-per-square-inch (psi) or in the number of sacks of cement to be placed in a yard of mix. Most builders use 3000psi or 4 sack concrete. He will specify the size and quality of the steel to be placed, moisture barrier, the drainage around the foundation and any recesses needed for steps, garage floor slopes, porch slopes, etc.. He may call for piers to be used under the foundation. Piers should only be used if they are part of the design and specifically should not be used if not called for by the engineer. This design will be given to the builder in writing.
Inspection- Before the concrete is placed, an inspector should visit the jobsite to verify that all of the engineer?s requirements have been met. Note, I said concrete is placed. If the concrete is poured then it is too wet and the addition of too much water will compromise its strength. The builder should get an inspection report in writing before proceeding.
Concrete placement- When the concrete trucks arrive, the builder should collect the documents from the truck drivers to verify that they have delivered what was ordered. The best way to place the concrete on a large foundation is with a pump. With a pump you can place the concrete with the correct moisture content, place it relatively fast and not have concrete trucks driving all over the property. It is best that the builder be on the job the whole time that this process is taking place to be sure it is done right.
Curing- If it is possible to do so, the builder should make every attempt to slow the hydration or curing of the concrete. This will lessen the amount of surface checking (small cosmetic cracks) in the surface of the foundation and increase the concrete?s psi. He can do this by spraying water over the foundation upon initial hardening to keep it moist and cool. Alternatively, he could cover with wet blankets. This is usually done with bridges and some commercial structures. A light rain after placing the concrete can be heaven sent for this purpose.
Maintenance- The single most important thing that a home owner can do relative to maintenance is to maintain a constant level of ground moisture around their new home. If rain water dams up against one side of the home and drains readily away from the other then you?re asking for foundation problems. Keep the drainage away from the house on all sides and keep the ground evenly moist year round. Also, avoid planting trees too close to the foundation as the roots will make a path for moisture to get under the foundation or draw too much moisture out of the soil.
This is the abbreviated class on foundations. To learn more go to The Texas Residential Construction Commission to find out how your foundation should perform:
http://www.trcc.state.tx.us/Consumers/state_min_warranties.asp
Copyright ?2007
Ronnie Godfrey, Certified Graduate Builder,
President R Godfrey Homes.
For more information about this article and other energy saving tips , visit out website http://www.RGodfreyHomes.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ronnie_Godfrey
Structural Components
1556 days
FOOTINGS
Transmit the weight of the house to the ground, while disallowing the house from sinking into the soil. All homes exhibit some settlement, typically shortly after being built.
The footings are placed below the foundation walls and posts. The bottom surface area of the footing is larger than the foundation, allowing the load of the home to be distributed out over a wider area. These components are usually 16-24 inches wide and 6-13 inches thick. Footings carry the house loads to beneath the frost line in areas where the soil is suseptible to freezing. The more weight the building has and the weaker the soil, the larger the footing.
Common Material Types: Concrete, Brick, Stone. Recently, almost all footings have been poured concrete.
Exterior Site Grading Slope and Water Control
One of the most frequent complaints home inspectors hear is regarding wet basements and deteriorated foundation walls due to excessive moisture. Wet basement walls put the foundation at risk to damage from hydrostatic and frost pressure. Soil sloping toward the building funnels water toward the structure and can cause extensive damage. Different standards are applicable to each specific situation but a good rule of thumb is that the soil around a structure slopes away from the home at a rate of 1 inch per foot for a minimum of 6 feet. Generally home inspectors will not take the exact measurements to confirm this but rather look for a visible slope. Drives and walkways do not need to slope this significantly away from the home, but can be exponentially more damaging if sloped towards the home.
Settling is common especially in new construction and grading typically needs adjusted after a few years. Also remember the soil should not come in contact with your exterior siding, especially wood. Provided there is adequate clearance between the ground and the siding this is a relatively cheap adjustment that can dramatically affect the longevity of your foundation.
What Others Have Been Saying…