Building a Foundation in 7 Steps

A home’s foundation is probably the most important determining factor of your home’s future durability and safety, and there are different types of concrete polishing Los Angeles to suit different climates and structures. On this article, we’re going to be sharing a quick and easy guide on how to build a basement foundation, which often involves the use of concrete block among other materials, to build a strong sturdy wall that will support your home for many years to come.

The concrete block itself is available in about 30 different form variations and size options. One of the easiest ways to decide on one for your home is by consulting with your local buildings codes, as they will guide you on which forms are acceptable in your area. The Los Angeles foundations construction process we’ll be sharing with you can be followed for any of the three types of foundations that are available.

Here’s a straightforward seven-step process to build a solid foundation:

Pick a Site

Select the site where you’ll be building the foundation, and make sure to examine the soil conditions of the area to make sure that they’re suitable for your purposes. Some soil conditions lack the strength required to install certain types of foundation and thus necessitate the installation of special foundation repair Los Angeles to avoid future complications. We’d recommend that you consult with your designer or your builder and even your building department for guidance on this particular aspect of the process.

Measure the Area

The next step is to measure your lot to find out where the corner of the foundation will be so that you know how to form the foundation properly.

Start Digging

For the digging part, you’ll have to call on your excavation contractor.

Install the Footings

The footings are created by either pouring concrete into the trenches or directly into particular wood forms. You may also want to employ the services of an experienced contractor for this part of the process, as they’ll know how to avoid any mistake.  

Seal the Footings

Next, you’ll need to seal the footings. The sealant acts as a shield against moisture damage, but you have to use a high-quality sealer, and the best place to find one is from a ready-mix producer.   

Create Stem Walls

After the concrete has finished curing, you’ll have to construct stem walls using a concrete block. Most masons will start the process by putting up a block wall at a corner section of the foundation. In order to get the measurements right, ‘leads’ are used to define two endpoints that work as a guiding string line. This enables the masons to construct an accurately flat and upright wall between the two points. It’s very important to get the precision of this wall just right as it serves as the basis that’ll keep all the basement walls consistent.

Treat Your Foundation Walls

Lastly, treat the walls by applying another round of sealer to the concrete contractors Los Angeles walls immediately after step six, as this will help to keep the moisture completely out. Experts recommend acrylic-based sealer, which is an excellent curing compound and sealer.