It makes perfect sense that when anything like a car, bicycle or even a house are designed, they are designed to meet specific requirements, such as weight distribution, and structural support. This is why when someone puts a different type of tire on his or her vehicle it can change the calibration of the speedometer. Houses in Ottawa and elsewhere are the same this means that certain types of additions to the overall structure of a house will have an effect on the foundation.
Over the years, the construction of houses as changed in one fashion and that is in size. This has happened because of the change in the social attitude dictating the need for more space throughout a house. The bedrooms are bigger, larger kitchens and so on.
“Ground pressures exerted by the soil that can result in foundation damage”
When someone moves into an older house in Ottawa and they want to expand or add-on to the existing structure to accommodate the need for more space it means that the foundation needs modification as well. This does not change even if the addition is a vertical or horizontal one. The design of a building foundation is to support the original structure and any modification will cause major issues similar to when the soil shifts causing cracks.
This means that when adding and extra structure to an Ottawa house, (such as a room), careful consideration and planning take place on how to attach the new foundation to the existing one. The main issue that arises is that the company performing the construction of the addition has no familiarity with the soil conditions surrounding the original structure because they may not have built it. This can translate into overlooking the correct measures to take to handle specific ground pressures exerted by the soil that can result in foundation damage in the future.
Construction Shortcuts are another Root Cause for Foundation Issues
Face it businesses everywhere are created to make a profit, and the unfortunate factor in the construction industry is that some companies will take shortcuts in order to make more money on a particular contract. Generally, this happens more than most want to admit, in building houses. For instance, when putting an addition on an Ottawa home the contractor, being unfamiliar with the soil may build the foundation above the frost line instead of below it where it should be.
In other instances, they might not put enough support steel into the concrete footer wall. Another aspect is forgoing the installation of drainage tiles that are necessary to move water away from the foundation. Without them water will soften the surrounding soil causing it and the foundation to shift.
Issues with Crawl Space Construction
Vented crawl spaces with exposed dirt as the floor and that use fibreglass to insulate the top between the joists are not the answer. Over the years, the discovery that the vents allow excessive moisture to enter this damaging the infrastructure of the houses wooden support joists has lead to new closed designs. The moisture allows mould and mildew growth, and also reacts with the metal of air ducts and can affect the R-rating of the insulation used in the crawl space of the Ottawa house.
This information should indicate contacting a foundation repair contractor before beginning construction on an addition. General contractors lack the necessary knowledge for repairing an existing foundation wall or slab, where they may recommend the removal and incorrectly build what they think is stronger. This situation can end up costing the homeowner in the long run as well as driving the initial price of the project up significantly.
Having a foundation specialist inspect and repair any damage prior to the beginning of the construction of an addition to an Ottawa house will save on the expense of removing and rebuilding any parts of the foundation a general contract may suggest removing because of their lack of knowledge about foundation design and construction. Owning a house in Ottawa means understanding what affects the integrity of the home.
If you are concerned about your building’s foundation then contact with these local Ottawa Foundation Inspection and Repair Specialist to get the right solution.
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[column size=”1/3″]Foundation Repair Ottawa
Foundation Repair Ottawa[/column]
[column size=”1/3″]Address: 343 Preston St. 11th Floor
Ottawa, ON K1S 1N4
Phone: (613) 903-4924
Email: info@foundationsottawa.com [/column]
[column size=”1/3″]View Map[/column]
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