Spaces for Life: Secrets to a good foundation – Retouch Design-Build

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Spaces for Life: Secrets to a good foundation

By Lance McCarthy

I get more questions about foundations than almost any other part of a house. They cause a lot of people to worry. There are horror stories about people spending thousands of dollars on a foundation repair, or not and ended up with a house falling apart.

People regard foundations a little like colonoscopies. They know it is important, but aren’t clear on why, assuming it is going to be painful and don’t want to spend a lot of time down there

Let’s pull the chain at the bottom of the stairs and shed some light on the basement. I’ll give you three questions I get a lot, and try to give you some answers with those questions.

How do I stop my basement from leaking?

Water is the worst enemy of a house, so a dry basement is a really good thing. The bad news is that old concrete and stone foundations are horrible at keeping water from coming through. They are both very porous materials, so it is a little like putting a cardboard box in a bathtub and hoping the inside stays dry.

Many big companies in town charge a lot of money to install drain systems and additional sump pumps on the inside of the foundation. This does a great job of keeping the basement floor dry, but it is NOT keeping water from coming through the foundation. That is bad. Water will destroy a foundation over time just like it does with a deck or a car or a laptop.

The best solution is to keep water away from the outside of the foundation altogether.

Now for the good news–this solution is usually very affordable!

It requires two things:

1. The gutters should be sized properly, kept clean, and sloped toward the downspouts.

2. The ground around the house should slope away 8 inches in the first 8 feet.

These two things work together to move water away from the foundation quickly. We want to treat water like the Plaza treats teenagers. Get them away and keep them away. If that is happening, it is unlikely that you will have water problems in your basement.

Do I need to worry about those cracks?

Concrete and stone are very brittle and porous materials, so cracks can start pretty easily. They aren’t necessarily problems. If they are leaking, you could get them epoxied, but refer to my answer on the first question. If they are moving or getting bigger, then it is time to check with a structural engineer.

Do I need piers?

It seems like half the houses in this area have piers. We love our foundations, we love our trees, and we have expansive soil (it expands and contracts a lot over time). Those three things don’t mix well.

If you are worried about needing piers, beware of calling a foundation repair company. There are some very good exceptions, but they have an incentive to find something wrong, especially something that can be solved by their particular solution. The best solution is to call a structural engineer first. They can come in and give you an unbiased opinion about the foundation. An inspection and written report will cost around $300.

The general rule of thumb is if the foundation is moving in or out it may need help.

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