All About Pier and Beam, Part 2

This is the second of three posts concerning pier and beam foundations.

In North Texas, pier and beam foundations gave way (for the most part) to slab foundations starting in the 1950s. You'll still find large areas of pier and beam foundations in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, though. The Lower Greenville/"M" Streets area of Dallas is predominately pier and beam construction, for example.

Ideally, the piers would be sunk to rock, thereby providing the most stability. However, this is usually not the case because rock isn't always shallow and it costs more the deeper you go with the piers. So, many pier and beam homes aren't resting on rock and, thus, subject the expansion and contraction of the soil -- just like their slab foundation counterparts.

Another common problem with pier and beam construction is that the piers aren't tall enough. That is, the building isn't supported far enough off the ground to provide sufficient air circulation. Without proper air circulation, your home will have moisture problems. These problems can manifest themselves as mold, a musty smell, and numerous other symptoms. In a perfect world, the crawlspace would extend about 30" to 40" above the ground. A home built to this specification, however, would look out of place in a neighborhood full of homes built to more common heights.

Finally, we often see water problems when we look at a pier and beam homes. A home built on a pier and beam foundation requires just as much attention to surface drainage as a home built on a slab foundation. Again, foundations move because of the expansion and contraction of the soil. The number one reason soil expands and contracts is moisture content. So, just as with a slab foundation, you should look for pooling water under and around your pier and beam home, check the grade of the property, and during droughts keep the soil from drying out.

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.