I was recently looking at a home near Jackson Hole Wyoming where my parents live. This home was built 30 yrs ago without (i still don’t think there are) building inspectors that regulated construction in any way. The foundation on this home was barely 6″ in the ground, not the typical 30-36″ deep for frost depth. As a result the heavy winters have taken their toll on the foundation and a large section is all cracked, falling apart and causing the home to settle. If they had poured the foundation properly the first time, it would probably be in great condition today. Unfortunately, now the home needs to be jacked up, foundation cut out and replaced with a new wall. Kind of a pain to do and probably expensive to the owner. In my opinion it would probably be best to replace the entire foundation but the cost to do so would probably be prohibitive. Anyone ever done this before?

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I saw an interesting ad online while I was doing some research on concrete. It was for Bubble Deck, an innovative way of making flat concrete slabs. The traditional way is to put a lot of columns and beams beneath a very thick and very heavy slab of concrete. The Bubble Deck system uses rebar and hollow plastic balls to create a structural mesh. A thin precast concrete slab is used as a base, then they pour concrete over the mesh on site.

The result is a thinner, lighter (up to 50%) slab that is strong enough to eliminate the need for beams. This all makes the building lighter, reducing the concrete needed for the foundation. With only columns in the way, the interior space is much more flexible and open. This technology is just as useful in the residential world as it is in the commercial. That’s pretty cool.

HousePlans.Info: The latest trends, observations and opinions on all things related to house plans, home design and home building.