Home Additions That Cause Foundation Problems

Between 1950 and 2000, house size in the doubled in the U.S., from 1000sq. ft. to 2000sq. ft. Similar growth occurred in many parts of Canada -not because family size increased, but because our sense of "necessary" space and privacy expanded. Extra bathrooms, separate bedrooms, larger kitchens with breakfast nooks-it's no wonder so many older houses were expanded with one or more additions.

Building an addition calls for a new foundation, and this important structural element needs to be properly designed, carefully built, and correctly joined to the existing foundation.

Problems Occur When a New Foundation is Added to an Old One

Homes with additions sometimes end up with structural problems, and foundation problems are surprisingly common for several reasons. First of all, the contractor who builds the addition is usually not the same contractor who built the house. The new guy may not be as familiar with local soil conditions as the original contractor. If the property has expansive clay soil and the addition contractor doesn't take steps to protect the new foundation from soil pressure that can reach over 5000 pounds per sq. ft, there's a good chance that foundation damage will occur some time in the future.

Foundation damage can also occur because a contractor takes a shortcut or two to build some extra profit into a small addition project. What if footings are placed above the frost line instead of below it, or some steel reinforcement is left out of a foundation wall? Maybe the contractor decided that gravel or drainage tile could be omitted because of an especially dry building season. These are just a few details that can lead to problems in the foundation for a building addition.

Crawl space foundations are often used on home additions, since they're less expensive than full basement foundations. But if the contractor chooses to build an "old-fashioned" vented crawl space with a dirt floor and fiberglass insulation installed between crawl space ceiling joists, this is a guarantee of future problems. A vented crawl space brings high moisture conditions under the house, encouraging mold growth and accelerated rust on steel ducts and HVAC equipment located there. The moisture also reduces the R-value of fiberglass insulation and usually causes the insulation to fall onto the crawl space floor.

Call in a Foundation Repair Specialist Rather Than a General Contractor

General contractors who build home additions don't have the training, tools or materials to make foundation repairs. Where a general contractor might recommend demolishing and rebuilding a settled slab or a bowing or tilting wall, a foundation repair specialist has the capability to correct these problems more quickly and less expensively. This is one case where calling in a specialist can save you money. Instead of demolition and replacement, a foundation repair contractor can usually stabilize and restore settled slabs or bowing walls by installing steel piers or wall anchors. These engineered solutions establish anchor points in stable soil outside or under the foundation, enabling the specialist to brace and elevate or pull the displaced element back to its original position.

7 Free Estimating Tips For Home Additions

Preparing an estimate for home additions, renovations, and massive construction is a combination of skills and techniques, which must be done exactly. As an estimator you need to make labour estimates, materials estimates, and job overhead estimates. Here are several steps to preparing an estimate. These steps will help you start your estimating method properly.

The first step in preparing an estimate is clarifying the scope of work. You must be clear on the customer specifications, such as materials, permits, and type of construction. The estimator must know the proposed start date of the project, the way to resubmit the estimate, by fax, e-mail or in person, and who to call in the event you have any questions.

The second step is to pick whether the project will be carried out in-house or outsourced. If the work is being outsourced you ought to start to contact your sub-contractors immediately to provide them with the necessary documents to prepare their estimates. Most sub-contractor will ask for an Adobe (PDF format) File or and AutoCAD (DWG format) file. Find ways to convert your documents to these formats.

Third, make positive you visit the proposed construction site to clarify any discrepancies in the drawings and specifications. Arrange the site visit so that your sub-trades can be present. Bring a measuring tape, a digital camera, and your marketing gear. Take as plenty of pics as feasible, this is not the time to be timid. Check any measurements that did not make sense on the drawing, and keep in mind to bring promotional gear.

The fourth step in preparing an estimate is gathering prices for materials from local suppliers. It would be in you best interest to find reliable suppliers close to the construction site. Finding suppliers close the site will avoid unnecessary traffic delays, and cut delivery time and cost. You can contact your regular suppliers and ask them in the event that they can refer you to someone closer to your job-site.

Putting together the estimate is the fifth step. The estimate can be prepared by hand, in Microsoft excel, or with an estimating program. In the event you plan to do plenty of estimates, I would recommend doing your research on a nice estimating program. The estimating program alone will save you a great deal of time. Take your time and prepare your estimate. Add all the necessary materials and there prices. All the expected overhead cost, such as insurance, permits, and operating cost and the labour cost. A nice estimating process will cut your time considerably.

Reviewing the estimate before bid day is the sixth step. The day before you submit your estimate check to make positive there's no materials missing and the numbers are correct. Submitting an incorrect bid will cost you the job, or cost you money.

Seventh step is to submit the estimate by fax, e-mail or in-person. Know the delivery process necessary. Submit the estimate in a professional format.

Arrange for the deadline before it arrives; do not get caught off guard. Most importantly do not be late; the estimate can be rejected if submitted late.

Estimating can take up plenty of your time; the key is to generate great estimating systems that consist of programs that make the estimating method simple to handle and faster to produce. And keep in mind that you won't get every job, the point is to generate correct estimates, which will better your chances of getting more jobs.