In the process of searching for a house, have you ever thought about what kind of foundation is available for the home you'd like to buy? Since there are many different kinds of foundations that could be a good idea to ask.
The knowledge of whether the house is a slab foundation or foundation made of piers and beams will determine if you're looking to buy the property. What is the foundation that is pier and beam you may ask? It's alternative to the slab foundation or basement foundation. It typically comprises of an under-floor crawl space beneath the home.
Let's look at what the advantages and disadvantages are, and what's involved in foundations for beams and piers.
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The house is less likely to flood due to its elevation.
Alongside the less chances of flooding, you will also are also able to access the electrical and plumbing lines beneath the house. The reason for this is that the crawlspace is created by the foundation being elevated.
It is also worth noting that the repair of piers and beams is much easier and cheaper than the concrete slab foundation.
Finally, a pier and beam home could be quickly moved.
Crawlspaces can be a target for infestation by vermin and insects. These may carry disease and cause damage to wiring as well as structural members, including beams. The larger pests can be kept out the crawlspace by putting hardware cloth or lattice over the access holes. When the opening for access is extended to the ground, make sure to put the lattice or construction cloth a couple of inches below the soil to deter animals digging.
The flooring in homes constructed on beam and pier foundations are less supported than floors built on concrete slab. Therefore, creaking and squeaking floors are not unusual. Most of the time the noises can be reduced by placing shims between floor floors and floorboards.
Another disadvantage of foundations for piers and beams is their vulnerability to dampness. Similar to all foundations the soil surrounding the pier and beam foundation should slope downwards to the side of the foundation. In certain situations it is possible to construct an French drainage system or even a swale in order to remove water from the foundation area. Follow the link below to find out more information regarding foundation drainage.
Additionally, the flooring of homes constructed using an pier and beam technique tend to be colder during winter because of the exchange of air within the crawlspace. Although many houses built with piers and beams feature subflooring which acts as an additional layer between air within the crawlspace as well as the flooring, it's also not uncommon to see flooring directly laid on flooring joists.
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Planning foundations for piers and beams typically starts with a floor plan for the building it is expected to support, the way in which it will ultimately be utilized in the future, as well as an examination of the topography, the climatic aspects and the soil bearing capacity. The floor plan and the joist layout outline the most important dimensions, structural elements and plumbing issues that could arise.
Based on the structure's size and the weight of the structure, the piers usually are set 5-10 feet their center, and along the entire perimeter. The space between the wall's exterior requires support when it's required to support floors or structural component such as posts. Deciding on the shape of the pier such as square, round or rectangular - as well as the dimensions dependent on the structure's dimensions and weight is important in the planning stage.
Some prefer rectangular or square beams for structural corners as well as round ones elsewhere. Beams are usually designed to be sized to accommodate the joist framework that is used to build the structure.
Determining the pier's spacing and sizing is a maths exercise this is the reason the reason why people often let an expert to handle. A typical structure has an active load of 40PSF as well as an unload of 10 or 20PSF to create a total load of 50PSF and 60PSF. In some areas the snow loads from the ground that range from 70 to 90PSF can replace the live load for safety reasons, and can alter the combined load to greater than 100PSF. When you've identified the load that is combined for your location, you can multiply the area of your plan by that number.
For example, 20'x30' of a cabin covers 600 sq ft, multiplied by a weight of 50PSF and the building's weight is 30,000 pounds yet the actual weight of the structure is closer to 6,000 pounds.
To determine the maximum weight that each pier could be able to support, measure the horizontal surface of the pier in square feet. Then multiply it by the soil's capacity, in pounds. The greater the size of the horizontal surface and the larger the soil capacity more piers will be needed.
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