Every home must be built on solid foundations or it is doomed to a lifetime of structural problems. This is where excavation comes in; it’s a vitally important process that should take place before any home construction gets underway. In this article we discuss why is excavation important before the home building process.
At Smoot Contract Group, we provide land clearing and excavation services for home building companies – or individuals looking to build their homes. Over the years, we have first-hand experience of why this process is so critical when building properties.
Why Is Excavation Important?
Clearing & Preparing The Site
Without proper excavation, a building site will not be optimized for a house. It may have rocks, trees, shrubs, and various other things that are in the way. Excavating this and clearing the site will prepare it for use. Think of it like this; you are getting a blank canvas that’s ready for work.
Getting the soil ready
Under every home, you will find lots of soil. Unfortunately, if the soil isn’t correctly prepared or graded, it can spell problems when laying the foundations. A big part of the excavation process involves getting the soil ready for construction to sit atop it.
Excavators will use special equipment to dig up the ground and drill down into the soil. It is then graded and smoothed out to ensure it provides the perfect base for the foundation. Not only should it be strong enough to handle the foundations; it should also offer good drainage to avoid water pooling. This can prevent problems with erosion later down the line.
Digging the trenches
Another part of excavation services – and probably the element you most associate with excavation – is the digging of the trenches. Trenches must be dug to allow space for the foundation footings, utility lines, piping systems, and so on.
If you neglect this step, your home will not be built with the right underground systems in place. It might not have a proper sewage system, it could have issues with the water works, and even the electricity supply may be concerning. Likewise, the trenches give the foundation footings a place to sit and stay nice and secure. Without this, they could move around too much and lead to a whole host of structural problems – such as deep cracks in the walls of your home.
Makes the building process easier
Laying the foundations isn’t the only thing that happens during the excavation process. Alongside this, it is the perfect chance to map out a property and see where everything goes. You can see if everything is going to fit in the area, or if you might need to extend certain elements of the home. Ultimately, this makes the building process far easier as you see where each room sits and what needs to be built where.
Overall, excavation is vital before the home building process because it prepares the site for construction. It gets everything ready to handle the foundations – and then installs the foundations themselves to provide a stable base for a home.
If you require expert excavation services, please don’t hesitate to contact us today to talk about your needs.