What is a foundation and why should I care ?

9/24/2020 (Permalink)

Homes are the single biggest investment the average person will ever make

What is a Foundation?

The foundation is the component of construction that supports the entire home.  There are two basic types of foundations, "Concrete" and "Raised".  

A Concrete foundation is a concrete slab that is poured on top of a bed of prepared soil and rock.  The house is then built upon this concrete slab.  A concrete slab does not have a crawl space.  

A Raised foundation is the oldest and most common foundation which consists of an outer wall made of wood, masonry or concrete with a series of pillars inside of the perimeter which support the home.  The home is then built on top of these pillars and perimeter wall.  This foundation has a crawl space.  

Often times when we buy a pair of shoes, we look at the style of the shoe and the looks of the shoe.  We don't always turn it over and inspect the sole of the shoe and seldomly do we buy the shoe based on the quality of the sole alone.  The "sole" is much like the "Foundation" of a home.  The foundation supports the home and has everything to do with how the home will stand up over the long term.  

When buying a home, the foundation is  always inspected as a part of the buying process, but we don't always give it the attention that we should, because we are looking a the looks of the home, the style and the fit of the home.  

Redfin has recognized this and has created some information on what a new home buyer should be looking for when it comes to the foundation.  This information was compiled by several experts in the field, including SERVPRO of Antioch.  

Check out this very useful information that every home buyer should be aware of at

https://www.redfin.com/blog/expert-tips-to-prevent-home-foundation-issues/