The Foundation Construction Process

Slab pour using concrete boom pump
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Sunlight Homes Provides and excellent construction diary of the homebuilding process. Within this diary is excellent information on building a foundation with insulated stemwalls and radiant heating.

Listed here is the foundation construction process.

April 27th to May 1st

Ground breaking, excavation

  • Grading the lot and getting it tested for compaction
  • Digging trenches for footings
  • Setting batter boards to level the house

May 4th to 8th

Footings dug, rebar set, inspection, footings poured

  • Installing rebar (and using safety caps)
  • "Boom pumping" concrete


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May 11th to 15th

Polysteel stem wall forms, stems poured, rough-in plumbing

  • Installing polystyrene blocks for pouring insulated stemwalls. Cold migrates into the home through the stem walls and slab if the stemwalls are not insulated.

May 18th to 22nd

Radiant heat, inspection, poured slab

  • The ground inside forms is prepped for the slab
  • Plumbing pipes are run under the ground and stubbed up in their exact locations
  • Black plastic is laid on the ground as a radon shield
  • Plastic tubing is laid for the radiant heat. The location and density of the tubes correspond with the space it will be heating and the finish flooring to be used.
  • The concrete Is "boom pumped" into place

May 25th to May 29th

Clean-up, site grading, block wall

The site is cleaned up and prepared for the framing crew.

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