Unit 1 Different Types of Basement Construction

1 Introduction

1. Read the text title and hypothesize what the text is about. Write down your hypothesis.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

1.2 What do you know concerning this issue? List your ideas in the table left column “I know”.

I know	I have learnt

3. If you know answers to these questions write them down in the space given after each question.

1	What are basements built from?
2	What does the type of basement depend on?
3	When are floating basement walls used ?
4	Where are foundation drainage tile systems installed?
5	What is the thickness of walls based on?
6	Who should survey the land before starting the construction?
7	What is a walk out basement?

3. Circle in the list the words and expressions you know. Write down their translation in the table and calculate the percentage of your lexical competence.

1	fire hazards		9	moisture
2	utilities		10	lifetime
3	a trench		11	carpentry
4	durability		12	to crack
5	floor joints		13	floorboards
6	to pour the footing		14	household tools
7	heavy machinery		15	wood framing
8	floating basement		16	a gravel bed

The basement construction of a home provides the foundation strength needed to keep the house standing through all types of weather and other environmental challenges. There are many ways to design and construct a basement. Basements can be built from concrete or wood in several different configurations. If you are interested in building a basement, it is a good idea to learn the different types of basement designs to decide which will work best for your project.

P oured Concrete Basements. Poured concrete basements are the most popular form of basement construction. The basement contractor may begin by pouring the footing for the basement foundation. After this is set, forms can be used to hold the poured concrete walls in place as they dry. The inside of the forms may need to be oiled before the concrete is poured to keep it from sticking to the form. Poured concrete walls tend to be stronger and often require fewer repairs as the home ages. The most significant benefits of this kind of basement are durability, resistance to weather and safety from fire hazards. How the concrete is mixed will affect the overall quality of the basement.

C oncrete Slab Basements. Ready made concrete slabs are constructed at a different location and then transported and installed into the basement space. Heavy machinery like large cranes is used to put the concrete slabs into place. The advantage of using ready made slabs is that the concrete is poured and hardened in a climate controlled environment. The disadvantage is that the basement is assembled in sections, so you need to make sure that space between sections is properly treated.

Also, since heavy machinery is required, you may have to hire a third party to move the slabs.

Floating Basements. Floating basements are useful in environments with soil that is likely to shift. Instead of being directly connected to the floor, these basements are connected to the floor joints of the house above them. If you live in an area with clay soil, basement foundations can become unstable as the condition of the clay fluctuates. For this reason, many concrete contractors will install floating basement walls under these conditions. Floating basement walls do not actually connect to the flooring; instead, they are suspended from floor joints under the main level of the home. This allows some breathing room for the ground to rise and swell without causing structural damage to the home. Most homeowners don't even know they have a floating basement, because the space between the walls and flooring is covered with floorboards.

The type of concrete basement you have will depend on the soil conditions under your home and the preferences of the builder who constructed the house. It is good to understand the type of basement construction your home might have in case you ever have problems with your basement structure. A properly constructed concrete basement will provide a firm foundation for the lifetime of your home.

Until recently, many individuals did not know that floating basement walls existed, much less how to install them in their home. Floating basement walls are typically used when there is a possibility of the floor of the basement moving or shifting because these types of walls are able to withstand the damage that can be caused by the shifting of the floor.

Floating basement walls are not difficult to install if the homeowner has some basic knowledge of carpentry and knows how to use some common household tools.

W ood Foundations. Wood foundations are made from treated lumber. Advantages of building a basement foundation out of wood include the fact that it is unnecessary to hire a contractor to pour the concrete, construction is possible regardless of weather, the foundation is less likely to crack, and the wood is easier to both insulate and finish.

Because wood foundations are significantly lighter than concrete or block walls, they may be placed on gravel beds, eliminating the need to cast and cure a concrete footing. A concrete slab may form the floor within the foundation, but most manufacturers promote the use of a treated wood floor system. This eliminates concrete work from the schedule altogether, allowing construction to proceed in any weather, with work completed by the same crew that does the rest of the wood framing.

C oncrete Block Basements. Basements can also be built from concrete blocks, also called cinder blocks. These basements are built by stacking pre-made concrete bricks instead of pouring concrete. This design requires no formwork and is as strong and durable as other types of concrete basements.

What Is Involved in Creating a Strong Basement Foundation? In order to create a strong basement foundation, there are several steps that must be properly carried out. First, the land needs to be properly surveyed and excavated. Then, footings, walls and the slab must be poured and constructed properly. Finally, it is imperative that all footings and walls are properly sealed to protect the entire basement from moisture.

Before a basement foundation is started, a local surveyor should survey the land to ensure that the foundation area is the proper size and in the proper place for the lot selected. After the survey stakes are in place, it is important to consider the soil before starting excavation. Different types of soil sometimes have different requirements. It is also important to make sure that the top of the footing is below the frost line and that the bottom is above the water table. Making these allowances for the local soil will prevent cracking and flooding problems in the future.

A fter proper excavation has been done, the footings that form the perimeter of the foundation are created using wooden forms and poured concrete. Footings are also sometimes added inside the perimeter in order to support load bearing walls within the structure. Wooden forms and poured concrete are also used to create the walls of the basement. The thickness of the walls should be based upon the load they will need to bear from the house above and on the tendencies of the surrounding soil. A slab between 3 inches (7.6 cm) and 4 inches (10.16 cm) thick that forms the floor of the basement foundation is then poured between the walls.

One of the biggest challenges facing a basement foundation is moisture. It is very important to use a high-quality sealer on all footings and walls to prevent moisture problems. A foundation drainage tile system should also be installed on the outside perimeter of the footings. This system is made using perforated pipes embedded in gravel and helps to drain water away from the foundation. Once the entire basement foundation is complete, the trenches around the walls should be filled with soil that drains well. A basement foundation provides the structure for an entire building to sit on, so it pays to take all of the necessary precautions.

What Is a Walk Out Basement? A walk out basement is a type of basement that is on the ground level and allows a person to walk out of the room directly into a sun room or the outside. Also known as a direct access basement or an above ground basement, the walk out basement is most often featured on houses that are built into hill or sloped lot. With a walkout basement, the homeowner can leave the house directly without ever entering another floor. They are called direct access basements because many of them feature a full-sized door to the outside.

The walk out basement area is often much warmer than a normal basement, because it is at least partially above ground, and usually has access to direct sunlight.

What Are the Different Options for a Daylight Basement? A daylight basement is a basement space that is partially beneath the ground but partially above ground. Such a basement often exists on homes built on a slope. A daylight basement can be used simply for storage, and utilities such as furnaces, water heaters, and electrical elements are often located in these basements, though the space can also be finished for use as another room in the house.

Very often, a daylight basement only includes small windows high up on the walls, and in order for the basement to be used as a bedroom, full size windows must be installed. This is possible, but it can be difficult to do if the walls are made of concrete. The basement can also be finished as a living room, game room, lounge, garage, and so on.

The space will need to be properly ventilated and protected from moisture. This may mean installing an air exchanger or larger windows for ventilation, and waterproofing the walls and floor before installing drywall or carpeting that can be damaged from ground moisture.