Planning Ahead

Every great home-improvement project should start with a design. A design is your game plan (or blueprint). It tells a builder all the necessary information needed to make your dream project a reality. But don't forget that your home improvement project is part of your home and your home also has blueprint or structural drawings.

Before starting any project, first try and get a copy of the original plan. It will include lots of information necessary for you to create a new plan. If your home is newer, check with your homebuilder for a copy. (Many home plans are copyrighted material that the homebuilder will not release.) You can also ask for a copy at the County Assessor's office.

Concrete Foundation Basics

While concrete is often one of the very base foundations of any structure, its stability relies on proper site preparation.

A house needs a foundation to shoulder its considerable weight; to provide a flat and level base for construction; and to separate wood-based materials from contact with the ground, which would otherwise cause rot and allow termite infestation. Depending on when and where a house was built, the foundation may be made of stone, brick, preservative-treated lumber, concrete block, or poured concrete.

Concrete is by far the most common foundation material. There are three types of conventional concrete foundations: poured concrete, concrete block, and post-and-pier. Building codes regulate the sizes and acceptable types. Everything in the foundation, from mesh to bolts, works together as a single unit to provide a singular, solid base that bears the house's load.

Features

Steel rebar within the concrete makes the concrete structure stronger. Removing concrete or paving material is very difficult work. Often it's best to leave this to your service professional, who will have proper equipment and training to handle the removal.

Slope of Your Yard

Your service professional needs to know the existing slope of your yard so he can prepare the site for the foundation. Your service professional will design your foundation so water drains away from your house keeping the foundation dry. She may need to regrade the site or add special drainage systems depending on the existing slope. For example, a flat grade tends to cause water to sit, and a sloped grade tends to drain water better.

Soil Types

Just as in landscaping, it's important to know your soil type when planning your foundation. Drainage the movement of water downward through the soil is typically rapid in sandy soils and slow in clay. A given amount of water can penetrate about three times deeper in sand than in clay, so it's apparent that soil type will affect the drainage system you place around your concrete foundation.

Mostly clay soil is made of very fine, flattened particles that pack very closely together, leaving little space for air and water. This dense soil absorbs water slowly and retains it well. To test for clay, pick up a handful of wet soil and shape it into a ball. Clay will feel slippery. When you let it go, it won't crumble. And when you squeeze it, it will ooze through your fingers in ribbons. Some types of clay soil actually expand in volume when wet. This can cause dramatic shifting that can damage your foundation or basement.

Mostly sandy soil is almost the exact opposite of clay. It's composed of large, rounded particles that don't hold shape when you try to pack it together into a ball. Water enters sand quickly and percolates through it rapidly.

Soil made of loose rock is an exaggerated form of sandy soil. The larger the aggregate of rock, the more water will filter through it.

Mostly solid rock is virtually impervious to water and just about anything else. If your soil is mostly solid rock, please make special note of this when you are requesting a consultation with your contractor.

To locate a contractor, visit Home Advisor, become a member (it's free!) and be matched with the service professional in your area.

-- Tips courtesy of HomeAdvisor.com