All houses need foundations to make sure the walls have some protection from sinking into the earth or withstanding the natural movement of the earth over the changing seasons.
Historically foundations, or footings, were not very deep and if you have a medieval house you may only have a few inches of foundations made from compacted stone or even a pad stone foundation. As we have come to understand the process of building better, and as our buildings have become bigger, we have come to realise that we need deeper foundations to make sure our houses don’t move, or fall down.
Most modern foundations in the UK are now made of concrete which offers a stable and strong solution to ensuring your building is on a solid footing.
When it comes to the groundworks, digging out the foundation trenches is more easily done with machinery where you can get the digger onto the building site. If you need to dig and remove earth by hand we have information on the correct way to load a wheelbarrow, to ensure you are using it safely.
You will need to consider what you are going to do with the waste material that you dig out of the foundation trenches, will you use it for garden landscaping, or remove it into skip or skips. Alls of these choices will alter the cost of your build, and while lit can seem expensive to spend large sums on the foundations, consider how expensive it would be to have sub-standard foundations?
We also have video tutorials about laying footings and foundations to help you with any home improvement tasks you are planning. If none of these satisfy your curiosity we have a forum which answers your individual questions on foundations and footings, as well as any other Home Improvement questions you may have.
You are in the right place if you need to know how to lay a shed base, or what you might use scalpings for. You may be building a drive, an extension or a conservatory and you want to know what depth of foundations you need, and we can offer you guidance and advice, although you will still need to check with your Local Authority.