More stories about Foundation

• Heavy Lifting: A Housemover's Journal

  A Massachusetts building mover details the process of lifting a 1772 post-and-beam house completely intact, transporting it over land and water, and setting it to rest at its new home.

• Piling it On

  Storm surge can exert pressures against pilings in the hundreds or even thousands of pounds per square foot. Post-storm analysis may result in new design standards for oceanfront homes.

• Q&A: Various Forming a Brick Shelf in a Concrete Foundation

  Q. I'm planning to form a simple 4-foot stem wall foundation for a single-story garage using plywood, snap ties, and walers. It needs to have a brick ledge for the top 10 to 12 inches, which will show above grade. What's a simple, effective way to do this

• Q&A : Waterproofing ICFs

  Q. Is there a spray-on waterproofing that's compatible with ICF foundations ? that won't "melt" the polystyrene?

• Q&A: Shower Pan on a Slab

  Q. While I was removing the old tile from a concrete shower pan in a slab foundation, a portion of the 1x5-inch raised concrete lip separated from the slab below. It appears that the lip was formed and placed on top of the slab, and there is nothing tying

• Helical Pier Foundations for Problem Sites

  Where space is tight or soils are unstable, building on helical piers can save time and money. A Colorado remodeler who specializes in room additions explains.

• Repairing a Bulging Foundation

  A veteran contractor shares his method of repairing damaged foundations with tension rods and concrete deadmen.

• Q&A: Reinforcing a Slab Over Disturbed Soil

  Q. I need to pour a thickened-edge slab foundation for a two-story garage apartment across a recently dug 2-foot-wide utility trench. The backfill over the trench has subsided, and I'm concerned that the foundation may sag and crack at that point. Can I add rebar to the slab to span this area, or...

• Q&A: Various Stucco Over Concrete

  Q. I'd like to finish the above-grade portion of a poured-concrete foundation with a color coat of stucco. The broken-off snap-ties are visible and are slightly rusty. Do I need to treat these with anything before I apply the stucco to prevent a rust stai

• Q&A: Various Shallow Foundation for Flat Site

  Q. I have a client who wants me to build a 30x40-foot unheated barn-garage with a slab floor. The area where the building will sit is very flat, with no lower terrain nearby, so it's not feasible to build a typical 4-foot stem wall with a daylight drain. Frost depth is 48 inches around here...