Foundation Types
When people think of the basement in their home they think of whether it is finished or unfinished and where to put the man cave??
What creates the exterior walls of the man cave can vary however?
There are three main types of foundations that are commonly used today
Poured concrete
By far the most commonly seen type of foundation these days. Contractors erect long wooden forms that are attached to each other to form the inner and outer walls. They are attached to each other using a series of ties. Concrete is then poured between the panels and allowed to dry. The forms are then removed a couple of days later once the concrete has cured. At tis point the foundation walls are done. This process is fast and generally not complicated. Poured concrete walls generally have more lateral strength and since they have no seems, are very waterproof.
Block Foundations
The second most commonly seen foundation type is block foundations. Block foundations take much longer to build as a mason has to lay the cinder blocks individually to build the wall. This process is much slower. Block concrete foundations are generally not as water proof as there are mortar joints between the cinderblocks. These types of foundations can be found in older homes as poured concrete is more prevalent now days.
ICF
The third type of basement is ICF or insulated concrete forms. This type of foundation is basically a poured concrete foundation but instead of using reusable wooden forms to form the walls, thick pieces of polystyrene are used to form the inside an outside walls. The two panels of polystyrene are held together with plastic webbing and rebar to keep them from separating when the concrete is poured between them. Once the concrete is poured into the polystyrene forms it is allowed to cure. Unlike the wooden forms that have to be stripped off exposing the concrete walls, the polystyrene stays in place and now acts as insulation. There is no need to insulate the basement wall and the drywall can be attached directly to the polystyrene.
ICF foundations are more expensive to build but are much more energy efficient.
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