Home building is a major expense, and when it comes to building new foundations in Christchurch, you want to ensure you do it right the first time. That’s why you need to read this article. You’ll learn how to build foundations without spending too much money or damaging your home or other valuable property.

The excavator

Start by getting an excavator. This is the most important step in building your foundation. You will need to know how deep to dig and how wide to make the hole, so you should be able to hire an excavator. If you do not have an excavator, you can use a backhoe or other digging equipment.

Drilling the foundation holes.

The next step is to drill the holes for your foundation posts. Again, there are different methods for this, but if you have a concrete post, you will need to drill holes in the ground at least 5 metres apart. Once this is done, insert the posts into the holes and level them off with sandbags or other materials until they are level with each other.

Concrete prep & mixing.

You need to remove any vegetation and topsoil, then compact the subsoil with a plate compactor (or similar). This process will reduce the amount of moisture in the ground and make it easier for the concrete to form a strong bond with the soil.

If you’re using pre-mixed concrete, you’ll need to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines by adding water slowly as you stir so that it doesn’t crack or become too runny. Once you’ve added enough water and stirred thoroughly, use a shovel to transfer the concrete into wheelbarrows or buckets so that you can pour it into your forms.

Formwork installation.

The formwork is a process in which the concrete is poured into forms that are made of wood, metal or plastic. The formwork must be installed before pouring the concrete, as it will hold the shape of the foundation. The concrete will take on the shape of the formwork, so you must get this right before you start pouring in any concrete.

Removing formwork and screeding the concrete.

Screeding is the process of smoothing out the surface of fresh concrete after it has been poured, using a steel trowel to remove any bumps or dips on the surface.

The next step is to remove all of the formwork that was used to create your foundation. You will need to remove all of the forms in sections – starting with those closest to ground level and working upwards.

Install an expansion joint.

An expansion joint is a gap between your foundation wall and the concrete slab (or other flooring material) that will allow the two to expand and contract at different rates when it gets hot or cold outside. This will prevent cracks from forming in your foundation walls, which could cause serious damage in another quake.

Concrete curing

Curing takes at least 28 days, but this could be longer if the temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius (50F). If you need to speed up the curing process, then you can use an electric dehumidifier in your basement or garage to dry out the concrete faster.

Just planning a new structure is not enough. You must follow some steps to build strong foundations in Christchurch to protect the rest of the construction. Thankfully, pitfalls can be minimized through attention to detail and an awareness of what problems can occur. Understanding the basics of how to build a strong foundation will help you avoid potential mistakes and save time, money, and frustration in the long run.

Mark Pereira