My New Foundation, Part 3

"Know what type of design demands the lot and the floor plan make on your
new foundation."

First,the floor plan. Of course, we at Ace Foundation think every new foundation should be poured on our helical steel piers. But, since that may sound a bit "self serving" to many folks,
let's consider a few realistic points. Most floor plans call for a home which will weigh more in some areas than other spots and the foundation will need to be constructed to account for that. If an area is going to be two stories while the rest is a single story, the foundation will need to be
designed to carry a greater load in the two story section of the home. The same goes for any spot where there will be a fireplace, since these are very prone to future settlement. In fact, I believe every fireplace pad should always have deep piers under it, all the more so if the fireplace will be in the center of the home. You don't want a sinking fire place in the middle of the living room!

Now the impact of the lot on the foundation plans. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to stop and study the piece of ground your new home is going to occupy, do this before the foundation is put down: study the lay of the land within two hundred (200) yards in every direction and make note of the high point and the low point. Where will your new foundation fit in this picture? If it will be the low point, or somewhere between the high and low points, your
foundation will be in the path of all water runoff and the side which receives the runoff will be prone to exaggerated foundation movement, not to mention problems with ponding water.

Observe which side of the foundation will be on the lower side of the lot and what degree of slope there is. This will give you an idea of how deep the layer of fill dirt under that side of the foundation will have to be to make a level building platform. T his fill dirt pad will never be as firm as the original dirt and will almost certainly be the area where you will have foundation problems. This is where I would demand that the foundation be poured on support piers that pass through the fill material and penetrate a minimum of twelve feet (12') into the original soil or to rock, whichever comes first. A quick clue for you, if the building platform is already in place and ready for a foundation, just look for a side with a retaining wall; the height of that wall equals the depth of the fill material.

Your foundation is worthy of all this "fuss and bother" because it will be required to carry the entire load for the life of your new home. If you make sure it is constructed strong enough at the start, it will reward you with "sweet silence." Your guests will compliment you on the creative design features you came up with and will make a huge fuss over the flow from living room to kitchen to the deck to the pool. But they will never gush over the foundation or thrill over the beauty of the blueprints. But, what if you "short change" the foundation? It will be the topic of discussion with every guest you have in your home for as long as you live there. Next, I will address: Know which experts to talk to and how to interpret what they say." In the meantime, you can send me your questions by going to www.AceFoundation.com and clicking on "Ask Us Anything."

Get more information by visiting www.AceFoundation.com.