The construction of a Basement in a home provides the foundation strength needed to keep the house standing through all types of weather and other environmental challenges. While some regions will have different prescribed construction methods based on average rainfall and soil conditions, the three basement construction choices most often used are poured concrete, precast panel, and masonry wall construction. Costs & benefits for each of these construction methods can vary.
Poured Concrete tends to be the choice most often used because the walls are stronger than other methods and require fewer repairs as the home ages.
The precast basement panel can be created in much the same way as the poured concrete basement. In this method, basement walls are generally molded at a location other than the building site. The walls can then be transported to the building location and placed on the footer. While the integrity of the walls may be similar to the poured concrete wall, a crane will be needed to place the walls on the footer. The cost for such major equipment can increase the total cost of the basement construction.
Constructing a basement using the masonry wall method can be one of the least cost intrusive basement construction solutions. These walls are often constructed using concrete masonry units (CMUs), also referred to as cinder blocks. The large size & hollow interior of the cinder block can reduce building time. To increase durability, contractors will reinforce this material with steel rebar and concrete. The hollow insides of the cinder block allow the contractor to pour concrete into the centers of each block.
If you are looking for a contractor in the San Francisco bay area to construct the right basement for your needs the right way, be sure to contact Montclair Construction. If you have any questions or want an estimate, please don’t hesitate to contact us.