Why houses need a solid foundation

Getting your basics down is crucial in just about anything, especially in building your house or any structure for that matter.

The foundation primarily supports the structure on top of it and to make sure it stays in place. If it isn’t laid properly, it will be difficult to build on top of it, leading to additional costs and severe safety risks.

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The foundation bears three critical roles in construction. One of the main roles is supporting the total load of the structure. It also helps the structure withstand severe weather or extreme forces of nature. Lastly, it helps prevents the erosion of the structure by preventing the moisture of the ground to enter the structure.

Construction experts claim that a structure’s foundation should be able to bear the weight of both dead load and live load. The weight of the structure itself is the dead load, this type of load stays fixed and doesn’t change over time. By contrast, live load does vary over time and these are things like people and furniture.

Here’s why the foundation matters

1. It (literally) supports your home

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Since a foundation’s primary purpose is to hold your house up, a properly built foundation will keep your house sturdy, especially during floods or earthquakes. The base also requires to be set properly so it can hold the weight of your home and support it.

2. It resists natural forces

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Your home needs to be anchored to a foundation to avoid the incident of cracks, breaking apart or being washed away by the natural forces such as soil moisture, fluctuation of temperature and movements of tectonic plates below.

3. It keeps moisture out

Photo Courtesy: The Concrete Network

Moisture is one of the main factors that really compromise the structure of your home. As the rains come pouring in, water collects around your house and saturates the soil. This causes it to expand, shift, and transfer pressure on your foundation that can quickly weaken it. Therefore, a sturdy foundation and good drainage is a must.

The more you know, the better

Knowing the importance of the foundations of structures help ensure that they are executed properly. This can prevent problems in the long haul and can help save time, money, and people. Having knowledge on the significance of foundations can come in handy with decision making for construction.

CITATIONS:

• The importance of Strong Foundations for Buildings. (n.d.). SA Homes. Retrieved July 14, 2021, from https://sahomes.in/blog/the-importance-of-strong-foundations-for-buildings/

• 5 REASONS WHY YOUR FOUNDATION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR HOME. (n.d.). GWS Masonry. Retrieved July 21, 2021, from https://gwsmasonry.com/5-reasons-why-your-foundation-is-the-most-important-part-of-your-home/