House foundations can cause huge problems if you build them wrong. Water is the enemy here, and a few recommendations can avoid a lot of problems in the future:
- Implement a proper grading
You have to ensures water cannot directly reach the base of your house and foundation walls. Grade the terrain about 6 inches in 10 feet soil to slope away from your home.
- Drain water AWAY from your house
Remember that soils can expand a lot, and here in New England we have soils with a lot of humidity in the winter times also. Install a drainage system with 4″ perforated pipes that are at least 12″ (1 foot) away from the foundation walls.
- Use insulation in the floor of your living basement
If you plan to have a living basement area don’t forget to use an insulation system in your floor also. A 2″ polyurethane is a good choice, but is also a little bit more expensive. You can also use crushed stone with a vapor retarder in the top of it.
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