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Foundation walls provide support for a house and are crucial to get right. Materials like poured concrete, blocks, bricks, and stone can be used. Cracking is a common problem caused by various factors. Foundation walls can be retrofitted or replaced, but it’s complicated. Commercial structures require bigger and stronger walls, and engineering firms are usually consulted. Foundation replacement is not an option for large structures.
A foundation wall is a wall that rests on foundation feet and provides support for the weight of a house. Foundation walls are a key part of building a home with a perimeter foundation design, and they’re one of the areas of construction where it’s definitely worth spending the time to get the job done right. Problems with the foundation wall will eventually lead to problems with the house, all the way to complete structural failure.
Several materials can be used to make a foundation wall. Poured concrete is a common and popular choice, with some contractors using modular walls that are actually poured off site and hauled to a construction site. Blocks, bricks and stone can also be used. In all cases, the materials must be load-bearing and the wall must be designed and constructed so that the weight is distributed evenly over the feet of the house.
One of the most common problems with foundation walls is cracking. Foundation cracks can be benign or severe, depending on the location of the crack, the size and direction of the crack. Cracks can appear because the wall was built in a hurry, filled in before the concrete had a chance to harden, or not properly reinforced. Earthquakes and subsidence of the underlying soil can also cause foundation cracking, as well as impact damage to the foundation.
Foundation walls can be installed after a home is built, as seen when a home with a post-and-column foundation is retrofitted to install a perimeter foundation. Likewise, damaged foundations can also be replaced. In both cases, the house is usually raised on jacks which support the weight of the house while the foundation work is done. Foundation stabilization can be a complicated job, and in urban areas there are usually entire contracting firms dedicated specifically to foundation repair, stabilization, and reinforcement.
For commercial structures, building foundation walls can get much more complicated. The walls need to be much bigger, much stronger, and able to hold huge amounts of weight once the building is finished. Engineering firms are usually consulted to design the foundation wall and determine loading requirements, ensuring that the wall ideally exceeds need, as foundation replacement following foundation wall failure on large structures is not an option. a pleasant or economical process.
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