When building a house, two main types of foundations are used: slab-on-grade or below-grade foundations with a basement slab. Climate, including high water tables, frost lines, harsh winters, and ...

Q. I'm building a new home, and two concrete block piers toppled over when a ladder was leaned against one. The one pier crashed into the second one. Why did this happen and what could have prevented ...

Piers are structural elements that transfer loads to the earth. They are commonly made from concrete, brick, concrete block, stone and sometimes steel. At the end of the day, what’s important is the ...

Q. My upcoming deck project requires concrete support piers. I've never dealt with them before and have many questions. What are my options? How do I make sure the ...

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. During a recent evaluation at a home in ...

Q: I’m building a home, and two concrete block piers toppled over when a ladder was leaned against one. The one pier crashed into the second one. Why did this happen, and what could have prevented it?

Q. I’ve been researching foundation types for both new homes and room additions. I’ve narrowed it down to either poured concrete or concrete block. Many websites say poured concrete is better than ...

Contractors regularly look at the basic U.S. residential concrete foundation as being a three-day process. Excavation, footing forming and concrete placement on day one; wall forming and concrete ...

Chauncey grew up on a farm in rural northern California. At 18 he ran away and saw the world with a backpack and a credit card, discovering that the true value of any point or mile is the experience ...

Question: I have a foundation that was poured and I am not impressed. The footings were poured and when they set the wall forms, there was visible deviation in how much the footings extended past the ...