Basement Foundation

New Home Basement Foundation

The strength of any single building or premises lies in its foundation. It is therefore of utmost importance to ensure that the foundation of a building is very strong to guarantee long life for that particular building.

There are several typical home foundation types that are typically used on new home construction in the United States. These types include Slab, Crawlspace, and/or a standard Basement, and each type has its own specific advantages and disadvantages.

Slab Foundations - The slab foundation is a very common type, and can be one of the more cost-effective options, depending on the local conditions and requirements of where the home will be built. The slab foundation is relatively simple to construct and is typically least expensive to construct, however certain parts of the country are not as conducive as others to build this type of foundation, due to differences in frost line locations and the individual geographic characteristics of the underlying land.

Free Basement Design Software

If you're planning to remodel a basement, then you will want to look into free 3D basement design software, helping you plan a basement, kitchen or bathroom remodeling project while formulating interior design ideas on the computer. Basement design software allows you to see how the completed remodeling and design project will look before you start.

Download Free Basement Design Software

Basement Crawlspace Foundations

The crawlspace foundation is another very common type in the United States, and involves building a home on a series of pilings whereby an open space of 2-3 feet of space is created for locating air conditioning systems, plumbing, and other miscellaneous items such as lawnmowers, etc. This type is typically more expensive to build than a Slab but less expensive than a Basement. Advantages of this type include providing additional space for locating the above type items, providing easy access to the underside of the home (for repairs, etc), and providing an elevated living area to help with flooding situations, etc.

The basement foundation is more commonly built in colder regions where the frost line is greater than a few feet deep. Basements can be finished or unfinished, and can add anything from extra storage space to a recreational area. It is a common concern that people have in relation to basements that they are likely to leak. This problem however can be solved through proper drainage and tanking as experts indicate. One major benefit to this type of foundation when building your new floor plans is the creation of additional, and relatively inexpensive living space in the home.

Arthor and Source: Marc Mathis

Basement Remodeling Ideas

Basement Remodeling is a great way to increase the living area in your home. And unlike adding an addition onto your home, ground/site work and installing a new foundation are not required. Consequently a basement renovation project can be a much more affordable project to do and provide a much higher return on investment.

How to Remodel a Basement with Design Ideas

Basement Design Plans

Basement plans are important to draw up before starting any type of construction or remodeling of your basement. They can serve as a great guide while you are working on your basement. Some people may have room to put only a few items in the basement, but there are some who have been blessed with a spacious basement.

Free Basement Design Plans for Remodeling

DIY Basement Finishing

Some might think that the work involved with basement finishing is not worth the payoff. But for many, the monetary payout is well overshadowed by the change of limited storage square footage to comfortable, usable, livable square footage. DIY (do it yourself) basement finishing may be just the right project for you.

How to Finish a Basement Do-It-Yourself Style

Basement Windows

For one, basements are often stuffy and feel close or crowded. Ventilation is important to basements in order to make them a livable area. Basement windows play a big part in ventilation; just because they may not let much usable light in, they provide another valuable service.

Basement Window Regulations & Laws

How to Frame a Basement

Whether you're finishing an unfinished basement or just framing one individual wall, here are a few things that I would like you to keep in the back of your mind, while working on your project. Framing a new basement wall will not be complicated as long as you follow a few of these time-saving steps.