Site Work and Foundations - Page 27 of 37

As California builders, my colleagues and I are often called on to retrofit anchor bolts for sill plates to reinforce a house against earthquakes. Whenever we drill a hole for…

Q: I recently replaced the condensate drain line from my central AC evaporator, and I noticed that it emptied into a section of 1-1/4 in. PVC pipe embedded in the slab.…

I use steel foundation stakes to support the formboards for the concrete foundations I build. The stakes are easy to drive, and they have holes drilled in them for driving…

Used overseas successfully for decades, this innovative foundation system uses carefully placed insulation and a slab with integral footings instead of conventional deep frost walls.

I was on a job that required a poured-concrete step with 6-in. radius curved corners. I've had good luck in the past using hardboard to form odd-shaped curves, but the…

Q: Last year, we had frost-heave problems with several patios and driveways that we built. When the temperature dropped to near 0°F for several days straight, some of the patios…

Helical piers go in like giant drywall screws to support a sinking house and a new addition.

An engineer offers a few simple changes to make walls and foundations much sturdier.

When I build an arbor, I like to elevate the posts above grade on concrete piers. The posts last longer that way, and if they ever need replacing, they are…

In Morgantown, W. Va., the power company requires 4 in. to 6 in. of sand under a buried power-supply cable, and another 4 in. to 6 in. on top of…