| When building or buying a home there are many | | | | basement is large enough to be used as an extra |
| important features to consider. One important | | | | room in the house. |
| feature is the type of foundation you want or the | | | | House foundation layouts differ from house to house. |
| condition of the foundation of the home you are | | | | Some house foundations use concrete masonry units |
| interested in. When evaluating these features you | | | | or insulated concrete forms for the foundation walls |
| should know that there are three common types of | | | | and support. There are different forms for |
| house foundation layouts: the slab, the crawlspace | | | | foundation layouts even though they are all typically |
| and the basement. | | | | made with concrete. |
| The slab house foundation is a concrete slab poured | | | | The foundation of any home is extremely important |
| on top of the soil grade with no spaces. No room for | | | | and should be evaluated in the instance of buying a |
| a crawl space or basement. These are typically used | | | | new home. Damaged foundations can be the result |
| in areas where water can be high in the soil. The | | | | of a bad deal. Foundations cannot be changed once |
| crawlspace foundation is used in areas where there is | | | | the house is built so make sure your plans will suit all |
| an abundance of clay soil. Crawlspaces allow you to | | | | of your families needs. |
| have a small access between the soil and the first | | | | To find out which foundation is best for you, think |
| floor of the home. | | | | about cost, weather, soil and personal needs. |
| The basement foundation is used a lot for colder | | | | Because a basement adds extra living space to a |
| climates because they sit below frost levels. A | | | | home it also costs more to have built. Think about all |
| basement also allows you to have space between | | | | your options carefully before building your foundation |
| the soil and first floor, but unlike the crawlspace, a | | | | because once it is dug, poured and built, it's yours. |