More stories about Basement

• Q&A: Ceramic Tile on Basement Slab

  Q. What's the best way to vapor-seal a basement slab before tiling over it?

• Stabilizing Basement Walls with Steel I-Beams

  A foundation repair contractor shows how steel I-beams, placed vertically against the basement wall, can prevent soil pressure from pushing in a cracked wall.

• Letters

• Waterproofing Basement Walls

  We survey the major types of foundation waterproofing, from spray-on to peel-and-stick membranes.

• Retrofitting Basements

  Building restrictions in California are prompting homeowners who want more space to add on underneath the house. A concrete contractor tells how it's done.

• Toolbox: Cordless Rotary Hammers

  Cordless rotary hammers

• Notebook

  NAHB pulls out of NFPA code process, new device for drying basements, California claimed unfair to nonunion apprenticeship programs, suburb’s no-step entry requirement dropped, Business Tune-Up, more

• Installing Precast Garage Slabs

  Precast concrete slabs can add clear-span basement space for an unbeatable price, and are especially cost effective on steep slopes, as this case study shows.

• Designing Concrete Basement Walls

  An engineer explains how wall thickness, rebar, and proper drainage all affect the ability of poured concrete foundation walls to resist lateral soil pressure.

• Q&A: Excavating in Frozen Ground

  Q. What’s the most cost-effective way to thaw a site for excavation? We are building a 16x24-foot addition with a crawlspace underneath, and the frost is already 12 inches deep.