How Are Concrete Foundations Made?

Building a Strong Foundation in 7 Steps

A concrete base forms a framework for a structure. The type and size of the concrete base you’ll need depends on the structure you’ll place on it. For a fountain or your patio furniture, or even for an air conditioner unit, you would need a concrete base.

How Does a Foundation Go In?

Installing the three foundation forms is achieved using the same method. The only difference is that you also use concrete blocks to build the stem wall which supports the home with a basement foundation.

A concrete block is available in over 30 sizes and shapes. Local building codes typically define the form needed for which one is right for your basement.

There are seven steps involved in installing a foundation:

Note: With the exception of the concrete block mentioned above, these steps apply to each of the three types of foundation.

• Pick a site, make sure the soil conditions are examined. There are several occasions soil conditions need special foundations because the soil does not have great strength or any other properties that could cause potential problems. At the local level, your planning department, your architect and your designer are in the best place to advise you on this matter.
• Have a survey of your number. This is to establish and locate the foundation’s actual corners, so that the whole structure can be created.
• Come searching. This move in the process is carried out by your excavation contractor.
• Install the footings. Keep in mind that concrete can be poured into types of wood or directly into trenches to build the footings.

Note: There are quite a few dos and don’t, as concrete is poured out. But most critically when you’re doing a large-scale pour is using a quality-minded contractor.

• Seal the footings against moisture to secure them. Be sure to buy a high-quality sealer and experts recommend you to a ready-mix manufacturer and ask where a high-quality sealer will be recommended for you.
• If the concrete has healed, if you are constructing a basement, use the concrete block to create the stem walls. Typically your masons start at the base corner with your block wall. They do so with what are called “leads,” which give masons two endpoints from which to string a line— allowing them to create between the two points a plumb and level wall. The effect is a straight and level wall which is key to keeping all walls in the basement intact.
• To hold out moisture, clean the base walls with another coat of sealer. Acrylic-based sealers can be applied directly after the concrete is finished, and they serve as a curing agent— as well as a sealer in other respects.