When building slab foundations, the concrete pour comes after the footings have set and before walls are erected. Dirt is compacted and backfilled with 4 to 6 inches of gravel.

Among new construction homes, slab and crawl spaces are the most popular types of foundations. With a slab foundation, the property is constructed on top of a thick, level concrete slab.

Concrete slab foundation homes became popular in the early 1900s and increased with time. They went mainstream for a reason, but they tend to complicate the maintenance and functionality of other home ...

A slab foundation is made of concrete that is typically 4" to 6" thick in the center. The concrete slab is often placed on a layer of sand for drainage or to act as a cushion.

Both piers and concrete slab foundations heave and fall as the ground expands and contracts in all directions, side to side and up and down. Repairs can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Slab-on-grade concrete foundations will typically last 80 to 100 years. Wood used in other foundation forms will need to be termite-proofed every 12 years and waterproofing should last 10 years.

Concrete cracks. That’s a fact of construction life that has been with the human race since it began building with concrete three millenia ago. The problem spurred the Romans to develop and ...