Dallas Foundation Repair

There are three basic kinds of foundations in use today in the construction of a home.

Slab Foundations

A slab foundation is a foundation built without delay on the soil with no basement or crawl space. Slab foundations are common in areas where soil conditions are not acceptable for a basement, and are the most typical foundation found in warmer areas like Florida, Arizona, California and Texas, or anywhere where the depth between the soil and stable underlying rock is awfully shallow. They consist of a concrete slab that is typically 6 to 8 inches thick. Inserted in the slab is a grid of supporting ribbed metal rods known as "rebar." Even in locations where basements are prevalent, slab foundations are generally laid to serve as the base for structures like garages, pole barns, and sheds. Slabs are the least dear of the three main foundation types but provide no storage or application space, as the home actually sits without delay on a large platform of solid concrete. In areas where the underlying soil is thick or prone to over the top enlargement and contraction, wires are inserted which can be tightened to provide better horizontal support and minimize the width of cracks.

A pier and beam foundation consists of either vertical wood or concrete columns ( piers ) that support beams or floor rafters above the ground. The areas between the soil and the base of the house floor is known as the crawl space. These foundations are built either at floor zero or over a shallow excavation that varies in depth, but is usually about 36 to 40 inches deep. Less costly versions have no load-bearing perimeter walls, piers with shallow footings, and no moisture barrier at all over the soil. Crawl space foundations are most often used in areas where there is heavy clay content in the soil that can severely damage (crack) slab foundations, or in waterfront or flood prone building sites where the necessary floor height to prevent water penetration of the living space must be higher than a slab can normally provide. The first advantages of crawl space foundations are that plumbing lines are readily accessible for repairs, and foundation settlement problems are easier and more cost effective to correct than with slab foundations. A primary disadvantage happens when these foundations are not properly maintained or are created without adequate ventilation, permitting water or pests to cause damage. Crawl space foundations without sufficient insulation applied to the base of the house floor can be terribly energy ineffective in a cold climate.

This foundation provides living space below the home, below the ground elevation. It is basically a slab foundation with walls and a floor. Basements are most frequently built in cold weather climates like the Northeast, Midwest and Rocky Mountains, and in places where the price of excavation is not prohibitive. The floor and walls are built, then the house itself is built over that. Basement foundations have the advantage of providing useful space for utilities, mechanicals systems, and storage not available in the prior 2 kinds of foundations. The primary disadvantage of basements is that because they are mostly below ground level, they are exposed to leakage, mold formation, and flooding. Basements in wet climates must always have a working drain and pump in the floor to combat flooding.

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