"Foundations"

Foundations / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Foundations and Basements

Slab on grade or crawlspaces, which is better?

...foundations to meet building code in most regions (we hope), but putting plumbing lines in conduits is also a good idea; that way, if for any reason at all you need to replace a waterline, you simply pull the PEX out of the conduit and replace it. An additional feature I once saw that made a lot of sense was a second b...

Decks, porches and gazebos

Building a deck ? Our Top Tips to make your deck last longer

Deck building tips for a durable deck construction: Meeting setbacks and getting building permits in Canada & US Raised Deck frame specification - make sure the structure is strong enough Which raised deck foundations are best: cement pillars (Sonotubes), screw piles, floating deck blocks What's the best type of d...

Slab on Grade

Slab-on-grade technical guide

...foundations prevents concrete from freezing © CMHC Skirt insulation is a very simple and cost-effective solution that could (and should) be applied to basement foundations as well, as it would help reduce heat loss by keeping basement walls at a much higher temperature. In addition to significant cost savings durin...