What Are the Best Foundations for Homes on Hills?

Building your home on a hill takes careful planning and execution. The first thing you need to do is lay your foundation. However, the sloping nature of hills calls for more secure and sturdy foundations. You must also consider the size or limitations of your lot and the nature and character of the soil itself before deciding where your ground floor level should be.

Homes in Texas sometimes have to deal with flooding problems and humidity, so what are the best solutions for people building homes on hills?

Raised Concrete Slab Foundation

Choose a raised concrete slab foundation if your house site has water problems that affect the soil, preventing you from building a full basement foundation.

Walkabout Basement Foundation

If you want to save on building costs but still have a large living area for your home in Austin, this is a good idea. Since your home is on a raised level or hill, consider having a walkabout basement, allowing light to flow in and water drainage to flow out, resulting in a dry home.

Just a word of caution: Make sure your contractor excavates properly. Have him install the back fill of your hilltop home with special care.

Stepped Foundation

In this case, the foundation on a slope is stepped up. Broken brick can act as dry fill material to raise your concrete level during the installation of this type of foundation.

Caissons

If your home in Texas has active soil (think loose earth that tends to shift during weather), you could consider installing special systems that use caissons. This is the same type of foundation used to build bridge piers or structures within or surrounded by water. Caissons are similar to pile foundations, and you build them by digging a deep hole and filling it with concrete. Caissons may call for steel drilled into the rock or underlying soil to reinforce the foundation.

If you plan to build your home on a hill in Austin, you may still have reservations or need answers to your questions. Contact Done Right Foundation Repair so we can help you decide what foundation would suit your needs best.