Foundation Pouring

Foundation pouring is a critical step when building your home, so it is essential that you know what to look for when hiring a concrete contractor or if you are considering doing a portion of the work yourself. The structural security of your home is determined by the foundation. A foundation is usually built using a combination of concrete footings (which are responsible for bearing the bulk weight of your homes structure) and concrete walls, which are seen in an unfinished basement. It is extremely important that a foundation be poured correctly, because it is responsible for holding your home steady and secure over time. When building a home, whether you have chosen to some of this work yourself or you plan on hiring a professional concrete company, it will be beneficial to know how a foundation should be poured and what can go wrong during the process.

There are several steps involved in foundation pouring, each of which plays a critical role in on durable you foundation will be. Before digging a foundation, you will have a blank slate, a piece of land that will allow you to vision what your home will look like. But, before you start digging up the earth, you will need to determine how deep the foundation will need to be. On ground that is level and has good soil conditions, the foundation is typically about three feet, but for areas where the home will be built on a hillside or the soil has a high moisture level, the foundation will need to be deeper. The best way to determine the safest depth is by consulting with an engineer or professional contractor. Once you have a plan in place, you or your concrete contractor will need to obtain the proper local building permits. Unfortunately, if you do not have a permit, you could be told at any time, even after the foundation pouring that changes need to be made. Once you have the permits in hand, you will need to clear the ground area where the foundation will be poured. The ground should be clear of any debris, tree roots and large rocks.

Once the ground site has been prepared, an excavator is used to dig the hole, which needs to be larger than the actual foundation will be; at least two feet on each side in order to allow room for the workers. Before the actual foundation pouring, the concrete workers will create forms for the footings, which are wooden that are used to hold and shape the concrete when poured. The footings for a typically sized home are usually between 16 to 20 inches wide, but if the ground is unstable or your home will be larger, you will probably need larger forms and footings. After the footings have completely dried and cured, they are removed and forms will be built to pour the walls. The wall forms are then removed after the concrete has dried and cured completely.

During a foundation pouring, there are several problems can occur, including:

It is essential that the foundation pouring be done right the first time. Make sure to do your homework and be for the potential problems that may occur. Knowing what to look for will ensure that the foundation for your home will be durable enough to withstand the weight of your home as well as the water and other problems presented by the soil.

Don’t risk the possibility of cracks in the foundation of your home; contact Kelly Concrete Co to do the foundation pouring for you.