Why You Need the Services of a Professional Foundation Inspector
An inappropriately built foundation is a likely cause of many problems that can undermine a building's overall structural strength. The good news is that it is possible to detect these problems with a thorough foundation inspection. As the factors that determine whether a foundation is strong and stable are complex to understand, it is crucial that the inspection should be done by a competent foundation inspector.
The following points will explain what a foundation inspector can do to make sure your building has a strong and stable concrete foundation that will last for a long time.
Footings
Any excavation works that is associated with a future foundation for whichever part of a building should be inspected before being concreted. These include digging of trenches, footings, or other excavation works meant for foundation preparations. An inspector will examine the foundation's footings to ensure that they are built deep enough, the footing projection is a proper distance from each side of the foundation walls, and the walls are properly centred on the footings. Aside from that, this professional will also inspect the footing environment. This will involve checking if the footings are standing on wet grounds and if there is growth of vegetation and presence of debris around the area.
Waterproofing
A building that stands on waterlogged ground is hazardous to use. The foundation that encloses a usable space should be properly waterproofed. A foundation inspector will ensure that effective waterproofing procedures, including the pouring of cement and application of a waterproofing membrane or bituminous waterproofing material is correctly conducted in areas where the risk of water permeation is considered to be high. The inspector will also look for proof of water-induced damage or other signs that the foundation's damp-proofing has failed. Such failure may occur if the waterproofing membrane's joints are not properly lapped and sealed.
Drainage
Drainage systems are often installed at the foundation of the building. Because drainage failure can compound foundation problems, it is important to inspect the system before it can be concreted. A foundation inspector will check whether the various drainage components such as water pipes or sewer lines to be installed can withstand the weight of the building. This is because they may get damaged and fail to discharge fluids as intended. A broken water pipe, for example, can wet the soil on which your building is erected, undermining any efforts made towards waterproofing the foundation of the structure.
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