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The Structure of a House Foundation

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    Footers

    • The foundation of the foundation is called the footer. This is the lowest part of the house and has direct contact with deep soil. In general, it is built about 1 foot below the frost line, which is the part of the soil that never freezes. Thus, the colder the region, the deeper the footers must be placed. Normally, the footer is poured concrete or concrete block, reinforced with steel rods for extra support.

    External Wall

    • The external wall, which is often just a few inches thick, is the wall that faces the soil and is not the same as the foundation or basement wall, which is the interior wall inside the external wall. The external wall is usually reinforced concrete but can also be concrete block. It serves as resistance against external soil weight and pressure. Occasionally, it is constructed of pressure-treated wood like oak, known for hardness and strength. Whether a builder uses wood instead of concrete is based on the soil or climate. Wood can warp or rot under wet conditions in places where soil remains moist.

    Interior Foundation Wall

    • This wall is the main structural component of the foundation. It holds the weight of the house on the footer. In most cases, this wall is constructed with vertical, wooden beams with layers of insulation between them. In some cases, it is made of concrete block or poured concrete.

    Anchor Bolt

    • The anchor bolt holds the interior wall to the bottom of the first floor. It is designed to keep the structure together and resist any wind lift that, under extreme conditions, can split the first floor from the foundation. It is usually a thick rod of steel drilled from the bottom of the first floor -- the beginning of the superstructure -- into the interior foundation wall. The thickness of the rod and its penetration into the interior foundation wall varies, depending on the builder's preference and the region's climate. The milder the climate, the thinner the bolt can be.

    Slab-on-Grade

    • The slab-on-grade is much less expensive than a basement foundation. It is a poured concrete square or rectangle upon which the house is built. It is used in places where the water table is very high, which leads to basement flooding. So long as the soil is not shifting due to volatile weather and temperature shifts, the slab will perform well. In volatile climates with loose soil, this foundation style is not good idea. A dense soil is often required for the slab-on-grade, since looser soil is too inconsistent and will shift under the slab.

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