#Crawl-Space-Insulation toronto

[torontosprayfoamkings1]

Tips for a Crawl Space Insulation Installation in Georgina

If you’re thinking about crawl space insulation installation in Georgina, we’re here for you! Our team at Toronto Spray Foam Kings has the expertise to tackle this important project. We understand that good insulation is crucial for keeping your home cozy while saving on energy costs.

Not only does it make your space more comfortable, but it also helps reduce your energy bills over time. Trust us to provide top-quality solutions tailored to your needs. We’re committed to ensuring that every customer receives the best service and results, so you can rest easy knowing you’re in good hands with us.

[fireproofingkings]

Crawl Space Insulation Installation Services in Toronto: Energy Efficiency Solutions

Fire Proofing Kings offers professional crawl space insulation installation Toronto, ensuring energy efficiency and comfort in your home or commercial building. Our experienced team uses high-quality insulation materials to seal crawl spaces, reducing energy loss and preventing moisture buildup. You can enjoy lower utility bills and a more comfortable living environment by insulating your crawl space. Serving the Greater Toronto Area since 2001, we provide reliable, efficient insulation services that improve the overall efficiency of your property.

[torontosprayfoamkings]

Caledon's Comfort Oasis: Crawl Space Insulation for a Cozier Home

Elevate your property with top-tier crawl space insulation in Caledon. Toronto Spray Foam Kings delivers expert installation services, ensuring optimal temperature control and moisture prevention. Our dedicated team transforms your crawl space into a resilient and energy-efficient zone, safeguarding your property. Experience the Toronto Spray Foam Kings difference in Caledon – where insulation meets excellence. Say goodbye to temperature woes and moisture concerns with our specialized insulation solutions.

[selectrestorationtoronto]

The pipes in your home can freeze and burst in extreme cold weather. Take steps to protect your pipes from freezing and know what to do if they burst. - Know where to find your main water shut-off valve and how it works (you will need to quickly shut-off the water supply if your pipes burst). - Insulate pipes most prone to freezing, especially near outside walls and in basements, crawl spaces, the attic and garage. This can be done with spray foam insulation or foam pipe covers available from building supply or home improvement stores. - Seal air leaks in your home and garage to stop cold air, using tape, vapor barrier or spray foam insulation. Check windows and doors, electrical wiring, dryer vents and pipes. - Outdoor faucets are the first pipes to freeze and burst. Unscrew any hoses, turn off the outdoor water supply and let the taps drain. - For commercial buildings – protect fire lines by wrapping all lines exposed to the cold. A burst 2 inch sprinkler pipe can cause a lot of water damage! - Ensure rooms and wall cavities that contain water pipes are kept above 8ºC, especially near the water meter. - Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage (do you have a bathroom above your garage). - Open kitchen, bathroom and laundry cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate in cabinets and around the plumbing. - If leaving for an extended period of time - close the main valve that supplies water to your home. https://www.callthemfirst.com/post/toronto-frozen-pipe-burst-pipe-emergency SELECT Restoration Services 261 Bering Avenue, Unit 2⁣⁣ Toronto, ON⁣⁣ M8Z 3A5⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ☎️ Toronto: 416-236-0660⁣⁣ ☎️ GTA: 905-499-3765⁣⁣ ☎️ 24-Hour: 1-833-24EMERG⁣⁣ 📢 MAKE US YOUR FIRST CALL IN AN EMERGENCY!⁣⁣ #callthemfirst #selectrestoration #toronto #restorationcompany #newtoronto #etobicoke #mississauga #oakville #brampton #caledon #vaughan #markham #yyz #freezing #torontolife #residental #commercial #insurance #floodcleanup #waterdamage #restoration #firedamage #watercleanup #emergencyplumber #damagerestoration #burstpipe #frozenpipe #iicrc #baeumlerapproved https://www.instagram.com/p/CoHe0YnuNf8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[wisdomrays]

TAFAKKUR: Part 304

NANOTECHNOLOGY: Part 3

ALWAYS CLEAN CLOTHING (8,9)

Imagine textiles that cannot be stained or wrinkled, that always maintain the look and feel of fabrics made from natural fibers. Imagine materials that are 100 times stronger than steel, but weigh only one-sixth as much. Nanofibers could be used in astronauts' suits, moving with them as they work to give them greater flexibility in space, or to allow the disabled greater mobility by acting as extra muscles.

Imagine batteries that take up less than one cubic millimeter, but supply a medical implant with power. Imagine sensors, smaller than a pinpoint, that detect anything in extremely low concentrations, from specific antibodies to toxic chemicals.

A big splash of coffee leaves an unmistakable stain on an ordinary pair of trousers; on a pair of nanotextile trousers, it can be brushed off without leaving a trace. A titanium frying pan and the laser in a fairly modern CD player are both based on nanotechnology. By using nanotechnology, wall paint could automatically sterilize an operating theatre, filters could be used in water purifiers to automatically kill undesirable bacteria, and roofing tiles that convert solar light into household electricity could give way to reinforced self-repairing houses immune to all natural disasters "short of a large incoming meteor.

Hence nano-technology is and will continue to become part of our everyday lives ... sometimes without us even noticing.

MICHAEL CRICHTON (11)

Crichton says "These organisms [self-reproducing tiny computers] will be created by nanotechnology, perhaps the most radical technology in human history: the quest to build man-made machines of extremely small size, on the order of 100 nanometers, or 100/billionths of a meter. Such machines would be 1,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Experts predict that these tiny machines will provide everything from miniaturized computer components to new medical treatments to new military weapons. In the 21st century, they will change our world totally.

"The potential benefits are spectacular: Tiny robots may crawl through your arteries, cutting away atherosclerotic plaque; powerful drugs will be delivered to individual cancer cells, leaving other cells undamaged; teeth will be self-repairing. Cosmetically, you will change your hair color with an injection of nanomachines that circulate through the body, moving melanocytes in hair follicles. Other nanomachines will lighten or darken skin color at will, removing blemishes, birthmarks and liver spots in the process; still others could cleanse the mouth and eliminate bad breath. Nonsurgical nanoprocesses could even perform liposuction and body reshaping. They will also repair knees and spines.

Living spaces will be transformed with self-cleaning dishes and carpets and permanently clean bathrooms. Windows will lighten or darken at will; programmable paint will change color. You can walk through the walls of your house, since they are composed of particle clouds. Your personal computer and your watch will be painted on your arm. Temperature-sensitive clothing will loosen when it gets hot, insulate when it gets cold."

In the future, roving nanomachines will convert trash dumps to energy, solar nanomachines will be coated on the houses to generate electricity, and flexible nanomachines will provide earthquake protection. It may even be possible to move a house across the lawn on the backs of millions of nanomachines.

In 2003, nanotechnology is still very much in its infancy. However, such major corporations as IBM, Fujitsu, and Intel are funding this research. U.S. government investment has gone from virtually nothing only a few years ago to well over $600,000,000 per year in 2003.

At present, nonotechniques are being used to make sunscreens, stain-resistant fabrics, and composite materials for cars; soon, they will be used to make extremely small computers and storage devices. Pittsburgh based PPG Industries, Inc. is making self-cleaning window glass; the Westaim Corporation of Toronto is making nanocrystal wound dressings with antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. Currently, nanotechnology is principally a material technology.

Most experts predict that self-reproducing machines are only a decade away. Man-made, self-reproducing entities already have been released into the environment. The first of these, of course, were computer viruses. The first viruses were created as a game ("core wars"), a 1960s battle between mainframe programmers, each releasing a program into the other's mainframe computer. Originally limited to specialists, hackers soon joined in. The growth of computer networking made rapid worldwide transmission possible. Computer viruses, worms on the Internet, have become an international threat to information and global business.

Scientists are witnessing some of the problems of self-replicating biotechnology agents. For example, a recent report indicates that modified maize genes are appearing in native maize in Mexico, despite laws against it and efforts to prevent it. This is only the start of probably a long journey to control this new technology. Laws have been passed to put hackers in jail; delinquent biotechnologists will soon join them. We need international controls to deal with self-reproducing technologies right now, whereas now there are essentially none.

[icarusthelunarguard]

This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter.

Aries  

Take a day off this week to do something fun. Drive to a local train station and take a day trip somewhere. It’s relatively inexpensive and could be massively entertaining. This suggestion is void in Buffalo, where the 6 mile end-to-end “Railway to Nowhere” doesn’t do squat for you. Start with Toronto’s 48 Miles of rail service, move up to Calgary’s 60 Miles, Tokyo clocks in with 189 Miles, And of course the Big Daddy of them all, NYC has 665 Miles of rail. Good luck navigating that spaghetti map, though. 

Taurus 

It’s almost Spring, meaning it’s the season of New Beginnings for you. Set a goal of learning something unusual before the end of the year, but make it esoteric enough that most normal folks wouldn’t easily be able to figure out if you’re BS’ing them or not. Take a deep dive into some atomic theory and learn how magnetic mono-poles are a thing. And for everyone else wondering, that means an atomic particle could have a North or South magnetic force ONLY. Yes, that really IS a thing… or IS it?

Gemini  

The recent storms have made the primary long-term storage in your house moist. You better check to be sure your Santa Suit hasn’t mildewed and there aren’t any bees nests being built there. If you’re going to take a spray can into the crawl space, make sure it’s not WD-40 or AquaNet. The insulation is rated as “Flame Retardant”, not “Fireproof”.

Cancer Moon-Child 

It’s safe to take your boat out of drydock and put it back into the water this week. Get it aired out, the battery charged, the radio and antenna calibrated and the cooler inspected for leaks. And, you know… maybe check the life vests to see if they’re still OK. It’s not like they have an expiration date on them, though, right? 

Leo 

You want to learn to play the drums. Hey, that’s cool! Just remember, you’re less a Neil Peart and more a Neil Patric Harris. You know. Less a Gene Krupa and more a Gene Siskel. Your style is more like Animal from the Muppets and less like Def Leppard’s Rick Allen… and he only had one arm! In other words Good Luck And Don’t Expect Miracles.  

Virgo 

Speaking of Def Lep, did you know that they’re releasing a new album next month and going on tour for it! They start Jun 16th in Atlanta, Georgia, finishing Sept 9 in Las Vegas… That’s 85 Days. If they just WALKED it would take them 28 days. Let that be a lesson to you - you didn’t do drugs in the 80’s and even YOU know the band is just wasting time with this tour.

Libra 

You remember the movie “Ralph Breaks the Internet” from 2018? It was a Disney movie that included a scene with all the Disney Princesses in it. But consider this: Disney, the company, exists in the Wreck-It Ralph Universe. And Wreck-It Ralph is a Disney Movie… and because of all this Wreck-It Ralph does NOT exist in the Wreck-It Ralph Universe. If you need help untangling this, go check “Fact Fiend with Karl Smallwood” on YouTube and search for the video titled, “That Time Disney Had To Figure Out What One Of Their Character’s Ears Looked Like.”

Scorpio 

You remember the Columbia House marketing of “Buy These Albums For One Penny…”? They went bankrupt in Canada in 2010 and two years later Canada stopped making pennies. So remember - the smallest sale you make might have lasting implications. By the way, the Columbia House brand is owned by Sony now. You don’t still owe them for those Casingles you bought in 1988, do you? 

Sagittarius 

Being an orchestra conductor is harder than you think it is. It is a serious upper body cardiovascular workout the likes of which you would not be able to keep up with. An average Mozart symphony runs over 90 minutes. Imagine yourself standing, waving your arms Down, In, Out, Up, keeping track of where you are in the music, how big or small to wave, for an hour, straight… in a wool tuxedo! Be glad you only conduct pop music from the 70’s in your car. 

Capricorn

Don’t admit to anything this week Capricorn. You didn’t burn the popcorn, you didn’t make kabobs without soaking the bamboo skewers, and you didn’t turn on the Roomba while your cat was sick. We’re not saying you did any of those things, just that they happened. Repeat after us, (*Col. Klink German Accent*) “I. Know. Nothink!”  

Aquarius 

One of the most famous jazz songs to come out of the 50’s was Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five”. The song was NOT written by Brubeck but by his saxophonist Paul Desmond because their drummer, Joe Morello, wanted a piece to show off on. It was so tough for them to record that after 20 attempts and 40 minutes they were told to just stop and pick it up again the next day… which worked, finally. So remember, Aquarius: If you run your mouth, be sure you can back it up.

Pisces 

There’s an expression from Letterkenny that says, “Well! If you can be one thing, you should be efficient.” That being said, there’s something to knowing the difference between being Efficient and being Pretentious. The theme song to “Deko Boko Friends” (2003) is about three seconds long and contains only the lyrics "Deko Boko Friends!". The intro to “The Prisoner” (1967) is a bit over 3 minutes, but gives the full backstory to the psychedelic hellscape prison you’ll find yourself in. So which is efficient and which is pretentious? Good luck figuring that out.

And THOSE are your Hobble-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Discord.

[sprayfoamkings1]

Looking for Spray foam Toronto

If you are looking for Spray foam Toronto then visit Spray Foam Kings. We has extensive experience and knowledge to complete the task successfully. Poor or even no insulation in your crawl space could be costing you money in form of high utility bills. For more details, contact here.

[fireproofingkings]

What Is the Best Time of Year to Insulate Your Crawl Space?

While crawl space insulation in Toronto can be undertaken at any time of the year, spring and fall are generally the best periods due to moderate temperatures and lower humidity levels. These conditions provide an optimal environment for installing insulation, ensuring it performs effectively and lasts longer. Choosing the right time can maximize the benefits of crawl space insulation, leading to a more comfortable, energy-efficient home.

[sprayfoamkingsq]

Leading Fireproofing Companies Safeguarding Properties Across Ontario with Expert Solutions

Explore top-tier fireproofing services Ontario with Spray Foam Kings. Serving various regions in Greater Toronto, we specialize in spray foam insulation that not only lowers your electric bills but also ensures superior fire protection. Our comprehensive services encompass fireproofing spray, basement, garage, attic, and crawl space insulation. At Spray Foam Kings, we turn your dreams into reality, prioritizing safety and energy efficiency through innovative spray foam solutions in Ontario.

[torontosprayfoamkings]

Crawl space insulation spray foam Gwillimbury

Are you looking for experts who can perfectly insulate the crawl space? Then, all you need to do is connect with us. At Toronto Spray Foam Kings, we offer top-quality Crawl space insulation spray foam in Gwillimbury. Our professionals have state-of-the-art equipment that allows them to insulate complex areas for desired results perfectly. Moreover, we use top-quality spray foam for complete peace of mind. For more information, make sure to visit our website or call us today.

[selectrestorationtoronto]

The pipes in your home can freeze in cold weather. This can leave you with no water or cause your pipes to suddenly burst, leading to extensive water damage. Take steps to protect your pipes from freezing and learn what to do if they burst. - Know where to find your main water shut-off valve and how it works (you will need to quickly shut-off the water supply if your pipes burst). - Insulate pipes most prone to freezing, especially near outside walls and in basements, crawl spaces, the attic and garage. This can be done with spray foam insulation or foam pipe covers available from building supply or home improvement stores. - Seal air leaks in your home and garage to stop cold air, using tape, vapor barrier or spray foam insulation. Check windows and doors, electrical wiring, dryer vents and pipes. - Outdoor faucets are the first pipes to freeze and burst. Unscrew any hoses, turn off the outdoor water supply and let the taps drain. - If your pipes are prone to freezing, there may be a problem you cannot see. Consider contacting a plumber for advice on how best to protect your home. - For commercial buildings – protect fire lines by wrapping all lines exposed to the cold. A burst 2 inch sprinkler pipe can cause a lot of water damage! - Ensure rooms and wall cavities that contain water pipes are kept above 8ºC, especially near the water meter. - Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage (do you have a bathroom above your garage). - Open kitchen, bathroom and laundry cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate in cabinets and around the plumbing. - If leaving for an extended period of time - close the main valve that supplies water to your home. It is typically located in the basement on the foundation wall (next to hot water tank and mechanical equipment). https://www.callthemfirst.com/post/toronto-frozen-pipe-burst-pipe-emergency SELECT Restoration Services 261 Bering Avenue, Unit 2 Toronto, ON M8Z 3A5 ☎️ Call: 416-236-0660 #callthemfirst #waterdamagerestoration #selectrestoration #floodrestoration #watercleanup #burstpipe #basementfloodcleanup #restorationcompany #toronto #etobicoke #mississauga #northyork #insurance (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYT6_e1u1fq/?utm_medium=tumblr

[garbagebinrentals]

Where You Are Most Likely to Find Asbestos, Mold, and Water Damage in a Demolition

Completing demolitions and deconstructions, you occasionally find materials that contain asbestos, mold, or that are plagued with water damage. These construction materials usually aren’t salvageable and need to be disposed of in a very specific way.

A lot of homeowners and property managers may not even be aware that there are mold-containing materials on-site. Prior to completing a deconstruction of any kind, it is important to conduct an analysis of what’s being torn down. This will hopefully help to distinguish between materials which can be recycled and what cannot.

Where will I find asbestos in a home or building?

Asbestos is most commonly found in cement mixed with asbestos fibres. These are known as asbestos cement, fibro, low density fiber boards, or AC sheeting. Any building component stamped with ‘AC’ may contain up to 40 percent asbestos so beware. Why asbestos and cement are such a dangerous combination is because as they age, they become dust. This means anyone can breathe it in. Here are some other areas where you find asbestos in a home for demolition.

 Textured coatings.  Sprayed coatings on walls, beams, and columns.  The aforementioned asbestos in construction cement used to be applied in finishings, insulation, joinings, masonry, and toppings.  Older tiles and vinyl floors can sometimes contain asbestos.  Asbestos insulating boards.  Older sealants and adhesives – things like sticky tape and duct tape – can contain trace amounts of asbestos.  There could also be loose asbestos in the ceiling or floor cavity, something which is often discovered in older homes during demolitions and renovations.

Where will I find mold in a demolition?

Mold is a fungi. It develops in places that are typically damp or wet, warm, and surrounded by humid conditions. If you have wet or damp areas in the home, it is likely you have mold that’s growing somewhere. Mold’s relatively small and can be hidden in holes or cracks. Oftentimes, we’re completely unaware of our exposure to mold. The most common areas to find mold is bathrooms, walls, under carpet, and in basements and attics.

What are common mold types you’ll find in a renovation or demolition?

If you’re deconstructing or taking apart a home, there are several types of mold you very well may find.

 Stachybotrys, otherwise known as ‘black mold’ is the most common type of toxic mold discovered in demolitions. Though it resembles black, on further examination, it is actually closer to a green-ish black.  Cladosporium is a type of mold that is known to cause allergic reactions among human beings. For this reason, cladosporium is discovered quicker than other mold types if someone’s living in the home.  Penicillium is a type of mold that is blue-ish in color and is considered a food contaminant.  Alternaria can appear as black or gray mold, is easily discovered on examination, and is known to be the cause of allergic reactions.  Aspergillus is a type of mold that can appear in a number of different colors. If you have a compromised immune system, aspergillus can cause severe harm.

Where am I likely to find water damage in a demolition?

A demolition can bring to light materials that have been water-damaged. This is most likely to occur in attics and basements. The attic, for example, doesn’t see much traffic. Though attics make a great storage space, they can also be damaged by leaks in the roof which can subsequently cause mold issues. You wouldn’t be none the wise either because we visit so rarely.

Basements and crawl spaces are also prone to water damage, as the lowest point of your property. Hard rains bring water that, if the ground doesn’t soak it up, can find their way in. Foundations can deteriorate and allow water to flow underneath a home. A plumbing leak can also potentially create a leak.

Water damaged materials in a demolition can sometimes be salvaged but not always. Some otherwise recyclable materials can be ruined depending on the condition. If you have any concerns, it’s best to speak with a waste disposal and demolition expert such as Core Mini Bins who are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

What is deconstruction?

If you want a demolition to simply knock down a property and clear the site, this is easily accomplished but it is a little dated. These days, more demolition contractors are moving to becoming deconstructionists. What we mean by this is that ‘deconstruction’ is the act of dismantling a building with the singular goal of maximizing the recycling value of materials removed.

Deconstruction is an eco-friendly version of demolitions. The great thing about a deconstruction is that, in some cases, mold, water damaged materials, and asbestos is carefully removed and doesn’t affect the value of the rest of the materials.

Whether you choose a deconstruction or a more classic version of a demolition, the resulting demolition waste will be broken down into smaller, more manageable pieces and then sorted and/or salvaged, or sent to the landfill if they don’t possess any long-term value. There are numerous factors that go into what kind of demolition your project may require, from one’s schedule to the cost of recycling and more.

How do I maximize the recyclability of my demolition materials?

It is estimated that on average 75 percent of waste materials collected from a Toronto demolition’s recyclable. A great way to maximize how much of your demolition you recycle begins with the list below.

 List all materials onsite before the demolition commences, identifying any hazardous materials or materials which you believe are rendered unrecyclable.  Identify any salvaging or recycling opportunities that may exist before you start the demolition.  Connect with facilities in the local area that accept the materials you’re going to create through your renovation or demolition.

Connect with a demolition contractor committed to recycling, reusing, and minimizing landfill waste. Core Mini Bins handles everything from demolition to waste disposal, dumpster rentals, junk removal, and more. We have a lot of relationships with facilities in the area, allowing you to minimize what has to be sent to the landfill.

There’s so much that can be reused from a demolition or renovation, including appliances, architectural details, concrete, bricks, carpet, asphalt, aggregates, drywall, electrical components, doors, windows, cabinets, countertops, gates, railings, glass, heating and cooling systems, light fixtures, metals, wood, paper, plastics, and more. Core Mini Bins can help.

Source: https://www.garbagebinrentals.ca/waste-collection-removal-disposal-blog/757-where-you-are-most-likely-to-find-asbestos-mold-and-water-damage-in-a-demolition.html

[provincialsite]

What should I know about the "Home Foundation" before I buy my first home?

Footings and foundations are to homes what feet and legs are to the human body: footings anchor the home to the ground and support the foundation which in turn carries the weight of the home.

Although foundations have been made from several  materials — stone, block and even treated wood — reinforced concrete is used in most new homes. The contractor erects wooden forms, installs steel reinforcing bars (“rebar”) between the form faces, then fills the forms with poured concrete. After the concrete sets, the forms are removed.

There are three main foundation types: full basement, crawlspace and slab-on grade. Different types are popular in different parts of the country, with reasons that include ground conditions and local market expectations.

FULL BASEMENTS

A full basement typically consists of footings placed deep below the region’s frost depth and eight-foot-high walls that enclose a four-inch to six-inch-thick poured concrete slab. This creates an underground room that can be used as a storage and mechanical space and/or finished to create a living area.

Basement finishing is a growing trend: Homeowners are turning these spaces into recreational rooms, gyms and entertainment centers. If the lot slopes or allows for a walkout configuration, the basement will have natural light, good ventilation and a more spacious feel. If you think you might want to put a toilet in the basement, consider including a well for a grinder pump.

If you plan on finishing the basement, you may want to consider installing rigid foam insulation beneath the slab. While it may not noticeably lower energy use, it could make the space more comfortable. Even when not finishing the basement, insulating the slab and walls can reduce problems with mold and mildew, since the insulation reduces the chance of condensation by keeping the concrete at a higher temperature.

Basements with insulation under the slab “don’t smell like basements and feel clean and dry,” says Steven Gamsby, Principal of Provincial Site Services “It’s a tremendous improvement over what people are used to. Honestly, I would never build a house without insulation and a vapor barrier between wet soil and concrete for the quality and comfort issues alone.”

Gamsby says that under-slab insulation isn’t just for the far North. “Soil temperatures down South are warmer than in the Northeast, but they’re probably below the dew point even more of the year, so the dampness is even more of an issue.”

CRAWLSPACES

Crawlspaces are most common in the Southeast and parts of the Midwest. The footings are placed below the frost line, but there’s only enough headroom between the ground and the floor frame for someone to crawl around.

Most crawl spaces include foundation vent openings. They’re supposed to prevent the buildup of excess moisture, but in practice they often backfire by bringing moisture into the space. Open crawlspaces can become breeding grounds for mold and moisture. This moisture can soak the home’s framing, leading to rot and structural failure, and can carry mold spores and other pollutants into the home’s living space.

He recommends sealing and insulating the crawlspace and covering the ground with a polyethylene vapor barrier, or even a concrete slab. These details add cost, but a multiple home field study (27 homes in different parts of the country) confirmed that they can also lower space conditioning bills and reduce mold and mildew. As a bonus, you end up with a tempered, dry storage space. If there’s enough headroom, the heating unit can also be placed there, freeing up space in the house.

SLAB-ON-GRADE

The slab-on-grade foundation is just what it sounds like: a concrete slab poured at grade level that serves as the subfloor for the home’s main living area. A shallow footing around the edges of the slab transfers the weight of the home’s walls to the ground. Before the pour, a bed of gravel is spread across the slab area to allow drainage, wire mesh is rolled out to reduce the chance of cracking and any in-slab plumbing pipes or electrical conduit is installed.

Slab foundations are most common in warm regions and where there are high water tables, such as Florida and not often utilized in Canada. When used in northern climates, special frost proofing details are required, which, in most cases, consists of a short foundation wall (called a “stemwall”) poured on footings placed below the frost line. Putting a layer of rigid foam under the slab in a slab-on-grade home is also a good idea in the North and necessary if the slab will have embedded hydronic heat.

Its important to note that using a foundation type that’s not common in your area may affect the schedule and budget. With a slab, for instance, the mechanical systems must be completely engineered out before the slab is poured, so that the proper elements are put in place. If that’s not standard practice where you live, subcontractors may raise prices to cover unexpected time and cost overruns.

SOIL CONSIDERATIONS

Regardless of foundation type, the foundation walls and footing are designed to work as a unit, supporting the weight of the home and transferring that weight to the surrounding ground. How well they do this depends in part on what type of ground the footing rests on. Foundations for commercial buildings are custom engineered for each site, but in residential construction that’s usually only true in special cases. “Almost all residential foundations are designed according to generic expectations of the area’s soil conditions,” says Gamsby “If the foundation crew starts digging and finds unusual conditions, then they will make adjustments accordingly.”

For instance, dense, dry soil will be stable, forgiving of less-than-perfect construction and less likely to settle after the house has been built. But if the site has soft, wet clay, the foundation will be much more likely to settle, leading to cracked tile, drywall and even masonry.

KEEPING IT DRY

Concrete is not waterproof, so water that sits on the outside of the foundation wall will eventually make its way inside as water vapor. Surface water that seeps into the ground near the house will quickly become an interior moisture problem. The result: a damp home environment that encourages mold and mildew growth. This is true regardless of foundation type.

To prevent this, a waterproofing coating is usually brushed on the outside of the foundation. Perforated pipe may be placed around the perimeter of the footing to catch any water in the soil and drain it away. Note that most waterproofing coatings require a footing drain for the warranty to be valid.

Landscaping also plays an important role in keeping foundations dry. Siting the house well enough above grade so that water can easily drain away from the foundation. Using firm, rather than loose, soil close to the house will also help.

SINGS OF TRPUBLE

Small hairline shrinkage cracks aren’t unusual with a new foundation or of serious concern, but some other types of cracks should raise a red flag. The size of the crack is less important than its configuration, a narrow, vertical crack is seldom a sign of problems, but if the crack is significantly wider at the top than at the bottom, it could indicate that the foundation is settling unevenly.

The most worrisome type of crack is a horizontal one, which could indicate a structural failure of the wall. Fortunately, this type of failure is more common with block walls and is extremely rare with poured concrete.

PROTECT YOURSELF

It should be clear that while designing and building a stable, dry and trouble-free foundation for your home is a straightforward process, proper detailing is important. The best way to protect yourself and your home is to hire an established builder with a longstanding reputation for quality work.

As an added precaution, you could hire an independent inspector to check the foundation before framing begins. Unfortunately, this is only done in a minority of homes, but Steven Gamsby principal of Provincial Site Services, a Toronto based concrete remediation and waterproofing firm says it is worthwhile. “An independent inspector will check the workmanship to make sure the foundation is built right.”

It estimates cost at a couple hundred dollars, depending on where you live. That’s a small price to pay to ensure the job is done correctly.

[sprayfoamkings1]

The Best Crawl Space Rigid Insulation in Ontario

Spray Foam Kings offers the best garage and crawl space rigid insulation in Ontario. Our services use high-quality materials that are exceptionally durable and long-lasting. To keep your home safe from any potential threats, our crew is providing top-notch basement wall insulation services in Toronto. For quotes and a list of our most popular services, go to our website- Know more: https://sprayfoamkings.ca/