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Tips For Building A Wells Maine Concrete Foundation

By George Smith


A homeowner can handle construction of a new foundation without necessarily involving a professional. Such tasks are done when one wants to build a new extension to his or her house. You must be very careful with the considerations you make since the stability of your foundation can affect the integrity of your building. Here are factors to consider while building a Wells Maine concrete foundation.

Acknowledge the type of foundation to construct. The kind of footing to create is determined by the soil composition of your target area and the position of your building. Places which has loose soil or are hilly require a deep foundation. On the other hand, areas with a hard surface and are level require a shallow footing. Besides that, temporary structures require a shallow footing while complex one requires a deep one.

Set up a budget. It is recommendable to have a budget when undertaking a project to avoid unnecessary spending. In this case, your financial plans should consider all the materials and aspects required in this process. Therefore, consider materials such as cement, gravel, and sand. The budget is also expected to include capital to hire a mixer and a builder if the homeowner cannot manage to handle the task.

Dig the area that you want to set the slab. Hiring an excavator to dig up the area to set up the concrete makes this process easy and ensure that it is completed on time. Leave enough clearance along the area supposed to be covered by the slab which can be used by the builders to pour the mixture. Compress the surface of the hole and add gravel or sand to make sure that it improve its drainage.

Lay a barrier and the frames. Barriers are necessary for a concrete understructure since they prevent moisture from sipping through the footing. The barrier is made using mesh and polythene paper. The polythene paper is also important since it reduces the possibility of radon sipping through the floor. The frames should be built along the area in which the slab will be made. Use straight wood to make sure that the slab is even.

Mix the concrete and pour it. Using a cement mixer makes the mixing procedure easy to handle and efficient as well. Place the mixer close to the wooden frames to avoid spending a lot of time moving the mixture. Pour it between the frames using a shovel. From that point, you can smoothen and level the mixture using a hand trowel.

Finish this process using the right practices. Leave the entire slab for quite some time to ensure that it dries off. The frames can be removed after twenty-four hours depending on the type of cement you have used. You are supposed to wet the slab daily or thrice depending on the level of heat in the atmosphere. Use a polythene paper to cover the surface if there are heavy rains in your area. Such considerations are made to prevent depression in the slab making it appear uneven.

Look for professional help. Homeowners who cannot manage to handle this task all by themselves should consider the help of a professional builder. Confirm whether your ideal expert has a reliable working experience, the right tools, and reasonable pricing.




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