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Basics of Home Construction |
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Plainly put, the foundations of your home is as old as the house itself. Foundations of a building, carries the weight of the building, transferring the load safely to the soil beneath so the structure stands steadily. |
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| Author: Netplumb |
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A three bedroom detached house typically weighs around 120 tonnes, so adequate foundation s are clearly essential. Yet until the late 19th century, all that was required of them was that they should ‘rest on solid ground’. Only in 1879 were statutory requirements introduced for houses to have a concrete strip foundation that we would recognise today. Previously it only had to be 230mm thick.
Many older properties may have little more than rammed earth or stone foundation with stepped brick work built up to ground level to help to spread the lad of the walls. By contrast, modern homes often have deep concrete trench foundations, especially o clay or gravel subsoils that do not carry loads well. The area within modern concrete foundations is usually covered with a reinforced concrete ground slab; older properties usually had suspended timber ground floors.
What to do when cracks appear?
If your house starts to develop cracks in external or internal walls, or around the edges of solid floor slabs, seek professional help without delay. The best place to start is the building control department of your local authority. Not only will the inspectors have a thorough knowledge of local soil conditions; they will also be able to put you in contact with approved contractors if remedial work is essential.
About Author
Founder of NetPlumb.
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