New Home Construction: Solving Future Problems Now
Obviously, building your first or new home is not an easy decision. In fact, it probably will be one of the most difficult choices you make in your entire life! One choice that can make it easier is deciding to solve potential problems at the construction stage before they start.
A major one of these future problems would be settlement. Foundation settlement plagues homeowners all over the country and can cost fortunes to resolve. But, by knowing what soil your home will be built on ahead of time and knowing proper techniques you can save yourself from future foundation settlement problems and all the headaches that come along with it.
In many urban and suburban areas the ideal land is developed quickly leaving only the undesirable areas left. Often this land was not previously fit to build on, so contractors and engineers are looking for ways to utilize the unfit land or problem soil. This is also true when people are looking to buy a home in the country with undeveloped land.
In areas with unreliable soil forward thinking contractors will build homes with helical piers, sometimes called helical piles, in order to combat settlement problems before they start. Once the footing is dug for the new home the helical piers can be installed.
The piers are mechanically screwed into the ground using construction equipment, deep into competent load-bearing soil. They may be installed to support both the foundation walls and the floor slabs. Once they have been installed to proper depths, concrete is poured around the piers and foundation walls. The tops of the piers are cast directly into the concrete placing the weight of your new home down to the deepest point of the pier, the point with the strongest soil.
Installing helical piers during construction can prevent you from dealing with bothersome fixes and tossing money at expensive cosmetic repairs to your home down the line.
So if your going to be constructing your dream home soon, helical piers can help you defend from settlement problems and give you some peace of mind!