Top Four Types of Concrete Foundations for Your Home

A house’s strength lies from its foundation. This is the reason why you need to be careful when choosing a foundation for your home. There are more than 15 types of home foundations out there. Your concrete San Antonio TX contractor can help you choose the best concrete foundation if needed.

Let us take a look at some of the top options when it comes to the type of concrete foundation.

Basement Type

The basement type will require your contractor of concrete in San Antonio TX to dig at least 8 feet down the ground. This will serve as the basement space that can be turned into a living space. A concrete wall on the concrete ground will be used for this basement. This is now your concrete foundation. The soil underground must be undisturbed. The walls should have beams and erected foundation with a mix of concrete in between the wall foundation.

The advantage of a basement type of foundation is the added living space. The downside is it’s too expensive. It is also not recommended if you are living in a flood-prone area.

Slab Type

For most modern homes, a slab-type foundation is mostly used. It is made of 4-8 inches thick concrete with steel rods to reinforce it. It also comes with drainage pipes. Once the slabs are complete, your concrete contractor can start building your home on top of it.

 Concrete contractors use slab type foundation because it is the cheapest type. It is also easy to build and dries faster than other types of concrete foundations. Since the home is built on top of the slab foundation, there is no chance for termite or mold infestation.

The downside of this type of foundation is the lack of air between the foundation and the home itself. It tends to get warmer during summer. In case something happens to the slab, repairing it can be difficult too as it is directly attached to the home.

Crawl Type

This type of concrete foundation uses small walls that look like footings. This is also called a partial basement by some concrete contractors. It elevates the home for a few inches. It is recommended if you are living in a flood-prone area.

Because the home is built on top of concrete footings, there is enough space to crawl if you need to repair something (such as plumbing). Having an elevated house can also improve the façade of the house itself. This is also cheaper as compared to having a full basement foundation.

Pier Type

The pier type of foundation is like a slab foundation but with a different shape. It can be circular or square and is placed in strategic locations around the house. This is to ensure that the pier type will hold the house well. These circular or square concrete pads are securely held by wood or steel rods on the ground. The steel rods are then attached to the home for added support.

Pier foundation is not a common concrete foundation for homes. A concrete San Antonio TX contractor will only use it if the easier type of foundation such as slab or crawl type is not possible. Say the ground is too hard to dig or the terrain is uneven, pier type can be the only option.

 Pier foundation is not cheap though. You have to spend on concrete pads and steel rods just to secure your home off the ground. Poor construction of this foundation can also lead to saggy floors and creaked walls.

Can You Use Wood as A Home’s Foundation?

Some homeowners are into unique designs and can request to have wood as their home’s foundation. This is possible but there might be more cons than pros of using a wood-type for a home foundation. Though wood is easy to install, it doesn’t last long. It is also less expensive.

Some contractors use preservative-treated wood as a home foundation. This doesn’t mean longer shelf life though. Woods are also not advisable in areas where it always rains as it water can shorten its shelf life considerably.  Oh, have I mentioned molds and insects?

Final Thoughts

Your home’s foundation can dictate the life span of your house. Make sure to hire professional and trustworthy contractors of concrete in San Antonio, TX if you are planning to start building your dream house today. They can help you decide on the best concrete foundation to have based on your future home’s location. They can also check factors that can affect your home’s foundation in the future such as the type of soil, weather, and home design that you want.