Home Improvement Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [foundation]

The base on which a house or other structure is built or installed, connecting the structure and transferring its load to the ground. Questions using this tag should include additional tags to identify the type or material of the foundation.

Foundations serve as the base upon which a house, structure, patio, deck, or other structure is built, and connect the structure to the ground. The foundation transfers all the load of the structure to the ground, so must be able to withstand the large forces involved.

Houses tend to have concrete foundations, whereas patios or walkways may have layered foundations of stone and sand. In houses with basements, the foundation may refer only to the floor or may refer to the floor and walls of the basement.

Questions using this tag should include additional tags to identify the type or material of the foundation. Some examples include , , , , , , and .

External links

Wikipedia

860 questions
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How difficult is it to repair or replace a preserved wood foundation?

I am looking at buying a house that has a PWF (Preserved Wood Foundation) foundation. Though there are some benefits to having one there seems to be varying opinions on such a foundation. I'm wondering if anyone has had experience/issues with…
Martin Giffy D'Souza
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How do I quickly address my foundation issues?

I own a post and beam home built in 1955 with a foundation issue which is causing a ½ sag on the floor as read by a level and tape measure within 3 feet of the foundation and outside wall. This is causing the prefinished wood floors all over the…
user2029
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How do I remove crumbling mortar from fieldstone foundation?

I have a fieldstone foundation. As with most such foundations, the mortar is crumbling, and the sandy mortar is falling out onto the basement floor. I have just read that I need to remove crumbling mortar and point (to fill the voids with new lime…
Vebjorn Ljosa
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What can I do about lead paint on fieldstone foundation walls?

I have an old field stone basement (1870's) that is crumbling but not just the mortar, the stone itself. We have tuck pointed the mortar areas with some success. Our problem is: the previous owner worked in a shipyard in the 50's and painted some of…
Stoney Boston
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Who to call about sinking porch and mud room?

I live in Massachusetts and have a porch and mud room that are sinking. I was stupid enough to think they had "settled" when I bought the house, but now I can see that they're still sinking, which is causing some damage to the inside of the house…
user980
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Destroying a wasp nest

Wasps have made 2 holes beside the foundation of the house: My dad wants to wait until winter, but I rather destroy both nests before they start stinging people. How should I go around destroying these?
Mike
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Very small foundation pour

Going to have to pour a very small 3'x2' foundation. I know that I should go easy on the water to prevent spalling problems, etc., but I'm looking for something better than chicken wire for reinforcement. I'm afraid of rust problems, which can…
Michael
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What can I do about water coming in from underneath when it rains?

I live in a newer home. when it rains really hard and a lot water comes in and soaks my carpets.I can feel the walls wet. I don't have gutters or any leaks around window. I already had that checked. somebody said water statics. what do i do if it…
Kim Gerardi
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How can I prevent my hoop house from being uprooted by strong winds?

I am installing a 20' x 100' hoop house with 5' spacing between each of the hoops. The arch is about 10' tall. The hoops are galvanized chain link fence top rail. 3 rails inserted into one another makes one arch. The hoops are inserted into 2.5'…
Andrew Siemer
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What should I do if my house is leaning up off the foundation?

Bought my first home, and after removing some of the siding I found that a corner of the house is "lifted" above the foundation. What causes this, how bad is it, and how would I go about fixing it? This is a 3D representation viewing the crawlspace…
Nathan Goings
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How deep is the frost line for footers in Michigan?

How deep is the frost line for footers in Michigan? I want to put in a small shed in the back yard. 200 square feet large.
doug gentry
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Should my foundation be wet or dry?

My whole life I was told to put up gutters and get water away from your foundation by building effective drainage. The reason was to stop the slab from having different levels of moisture and cracking. My neighbor does the opposite: he waters the…
Evan Carroll
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Risk from neighbor's construction?

My two story brick house (Toronto, Canada, circa 1920) is about 5 feet from my neighbor's similar house. Both houses have full basements; my house extends about ten feet farther to the rear than his does. He want to add an extension on the back of…
DJohnM
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Vertical cracks on newly poured foundation

The builder just poured concrete for the foundation of my house. One week later I saw a vertical crack on the back side of the slab. The crack is thin but it goes vertical and also horizontal. It is about 2 feet long. I am so worry that the crack…
Michael Mai
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Sill plate not aligned with cinder block

I am building a new home and in the attached garage the 2x6 walls were not aligned with the 6in cinder blocks. It looks like the blocks were not lined up straight so on one side of the wall the sill plate is not on the cinder block in some areas by…
Cass
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