Foundation

Foundation Walls
Foundation walls require trenches or excavations down to the proper level. The foundation must be deep enough in order to place the bottom of the wall below the frost line and at depths prescribed by local building codes. In our area, the code requires a 3' - 6" depth to the bottom of the foundation wall. There are different types of foundation walls that we are using at Lakewood Homes. The first is the trench wall with formed cap. The benefit is a substantial savings of time and cost.Ê Second is a formed wall for slab. The benefit that Lakewood provides is added insulation from outside to inside of wall and a below-slab heating system. The crawl space foundation requires a footing and the trench must be wide enough for construction of the form. Backfilling is the replacing of the soil around the outside foundation walls after the walls have been completed. Backfilling is performed after the concrete forms have been stripped and the waterproofing and drains have been installed. Backfill must be placed carefully against the foundation wall and well compacted to avoid future shrinkage.

Full Basement Foundation and Slab on Grade
Basement floors have concrete slabs that are a minimum of 4" thick. Foundation walls extend above the outside grade level at a minimum of 6" to prevent water from entering the basement. Our basement walls are typically 7' 10" high and we use formed footings.

Asphalt Dampproofing
All of Lakewood's basements have a sprayed on asphalt or fiberglass dampproofing which is sprayed directly onto the exterior of the foundation wall. This acts as a vapor barrier against moisture penetrating the concrete wall. The benefit is a basement that is suitable for storage, work and living, and a reduction in dampness which can cause odors, mold and wood decay.

Drain Tile
Drain tile around the foundation is a 4" round perforated, corrugated plastic pipe that moves water away from the foundation. It is pitched towards the storm sump pit. This storm sump pit holds the sump pump which pumps out water to the storm sewer system or to the outside of the foundation.