DIY Network

	HOME BUILDING Index
	Custom Homes Electrical Systems & Wiring Garages, Basements & Attics Heating & Cooling Home Exterior Home Interior Inspections & Codes Insulation and Energy Efficiency Plumbing Rooms Sewerage & Septic Systems Site Preparation Other

BEST OF HOME BUILDING

Best Built Zone
Home IQ
Heck of a Deck
Weekend Projects
Home Renovations
Be Your Own Contractor

SPONSOR LINKS

Crack-Free Floor

From "Best Built Home"
episode DBBH-103F

Your home's durability can be affected by what region of the country you live in. DIY travels to Colorado in this segment to see what a builder (McStain) is doing to combat something called expansive soils. They've developed a new material called GeoVoid®:, which is installed underneath the basement's concrete floor. If soil beneath the foundation floor expands, the GeoVoid compresses and keeps the soil from putting upward pressure on the floor, keeping it from cracking and shifting.

You may not give much thought to the concrete slab under your home, but it does more than just simply cover the ground beneath. It adds structural integrity to the foundation, and if it's not built correctly, it can be a major contributor to a cold and musty basement.

Luckily for the Fetzer family in Colorado their builder knew how to solve the "damp basement" problem. One of the main attractions of their new home is a finished basement. "The first thing you notice when you walk into the basement," Eric Fetzer said, "is that it doesn't smell like a basement. It's not damp or cold. It's a very warm feeling basement, just like the rest of the house."

The concrete slab of a home acts as the barrier between the ground and the inside of your basement.

The Fetzer family in front of their Colorado home, which features a warm and cozy basement!

Figure A

Figure B

Eric and Marne Fetzer went to great lengths in their previous home to get rid of the musty smell in their basement, but when nothing worked they thought having a comfortable basement was impossible -- until they moved into their new home. "When we found that basement room (figure A), we thought this is exactly what we wanted," Marne said. "This is exactly what we've been hoping to get."

Environmental challenges in Colorado can cause challenges for a home's foundation. "The problem is that in our area the soils actually have the tendency to want to expand -- or expand greatly when they're wet," Justin Wilson, environmental manager for McStain Neighborhoods, said. "What will happen at that point is that the slab will actually crack and heave up and render the basement virtually useless."

In wet regions foundations are also susceptible to moisture coming up through the ground (figure B) and being absorbed by the slab. Once the concrete gets wet it can only dry to the "inside" of the house. It won't dry to the outside because it's in direct contact with the ground, which is saturated and wet.

The GeoVoid System

To solve this problem the builders at McStain Neighborhoods use something called a GeoVoid system (figure C). This product and system helps to create a floor that won't be affected by moisture and water problems. The floor is given 6" of space beneath as a buffer zone (figure D) that protects the foundation when the ground expands and contracts. The space also keeps moisture from seeping into the concrete.

The system works by placing a rock surface on the bottom that provides a capillary break, which stops water from being absorbed by the concrete floor. A leveling agent is also utilized in order to get the surface level before any forming material is placed down.

The next material is the actual GeoVoid (figure E) Styrofoam-based product that creates the 6" gap underneath the floor. This compressible fill material is designed to act as a compressible medium, reducing potential forces on structural slabs in the event soil expansion occurs.

A sheet of foam material is placed on top to add more insulation and support, which you can see in figure D, below. This particular sheet of foam has a glass facing that has been applied to each side to make it more durable and sturdy. It's so strong that the building crew can actually walk on it while setting up without puncturing it.

Figure C

Figure D

Figure E

Radiant Heat Flooring

Radiant Floor Heating (Web Extra)

Radiant floor heating uses plastic tubes built right into the floor. When the house gets cold they fill with hot water that heats the floor, which warms the house with a quiet, clean, comfortable source of heat. Best of all, energy costs can be reduced since the thermostat can be set two to four degrees lower than the standard "forced air" system.

The humidity level near the floor is low because the floor is heated, eliminating the habitat for mildew and dust-mites. Radiant floor heating is an improvement. It's quieter and the heat is more evenly distributed, without ductwork to trap dust, pollen and germs. It's healthier and it can save you money!

There are a variety of methods to use when installing radiant floor heating in the basement of your home. Ask your contractor which method is best for you.

In the next segment see how better builders deal high winds, hail and earthquakes.