Building a new construction home is a process that involves a lot of decision making, excitement, and inevitably some frustration. The foundation of your home is the foothold from which everything else stands. Obviously it’s the first critical structure in a home. Foundation problems after a home is built, whether months or years down the road, are some of the most damaging and costly repairs to fix. The time to thoroughly inspect the foundation is after it’s poured and before the surrounding dirt covers the outside. In part two of our four-part new construction series, we take a look at the most damaging mistakes that can occur in a foundation. These mistakes underscore why you should hire your own inspector, beginning at the foundation phase of your build.
1. Failure to address external threats. Once dirt is back-filled around the foundation, you can’t see what lies below. Your own licensed inspector needs to examine the footing which supports the walls, as well as the foundation walls themselves after they are poured, before the crew has filled in surrounding dirt. He needs to see both exterior and interior sides. A home inspector we hired once reported a large boulder about 3 feet in diameter pressed right up against the foundation wall. It was dug up during the initial excavation, but was never removed from the site. If dirt had been back-filled around the foundation walls before the inspection, this threat would have been concealed. The pressure of dirt pushing the massive boulder against the foundation certainly would have cracked the foundation wall and caused potentially damaging water leaks into the finished basement down the road. Adding to the frustrating, no one would know there was a boulder on the other side of the wall causing the damage. Fortunately, the home inspector reported it to the building Supervisor, who had the crew remove it.
2. Failure to waterproof the foundation. Most foundations are made of cement or concrete, which is very durable, but also quite porous. Water can penetrate concrete and will contract and expand as it freezes in winter. Over time, that will damage the foundation and cause cracking. Left unchecked, water leaks can severely damage the foundation over time. Ensure that your builder waterproofs your foundation. In most cases, this involves a liquid rubber or other compound that is applied to the finished foundation like paint. Don’t settle for “damp proof” methods, which is a cheaper, less effective option. Your home inspector will review your foundation’s waterproofing.
3. Failure to allow the appropriate drying time before building. The long-lasting strength of cement and concrete foundation depends a lot on having adequate time to dry. Not allowing enough time to dry can lead to cracking and sagging, which can damage the integrity of the home’s support strength. A reputable builder should know the appropriate drying time for foundation, but if the project is running behind schedule there may be a temptation for the builder to back-fill the dirt sooner than it’s safe to do so. It may give you more confidence to talk to the Supervisor about the timeframe beforehand.
4. Pouring the foundation during inappropriate weather. No one can control the weather, but builders should be following weather forecasts to determine a good stretch of time for pouring the foundation. Ideally, the foundation should be poured on a clear day without threat of rain or else the above-mentioned problems of cracking and sagging can occur. A humid day will mean allotting a longer drying time due to excess moisture in the air. Pouring a foundation in the winter is not recommended.
One of the assurances that builders give to buyers is that county inspectors and builder supervisors will conduct checks to ensure your home follows local building codes and safety standards. While these folks play an important role in your new build, your own inspector will provide a far more in-depth look and can catch potentially costly mistakes, starting of course, with the foundation.