Photographs of the elements which make up your foundation and the surrounding landscape.

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It
is sometimes hard to tell if foundation work has been done around
some homes, but in this photo you can see where some work has been
done. In the drive way, there are two square patches which do not
match the rest of the pavement. One is in the center of the photo,
and the other is just before the walkway (center top). These are the
access points where the workers dug down.

An indicator that you have a slab foundation with tension cables running through it is to look for these caps. They look like concrete smeared onto the butter coat. If the cable ends are exposed, they could rust out, causing the cable to break, ruining your foundation. The second photo shows the end cap without the cement covering. In this case it is beginning to rust.

It is not easy taking a picture in most pier and beam houses, since the space is so tight and small. This home sits on the side of a hill. Part of the foundation is a slab on grade, but the remainder is pier and beam. In this case, treated wood was driven into the ground, which can be seen on the left. Not the best installation method, but there is evidence that cement was used in the hole. On the right you get a better view of the plumbing under a house. The pipe gently slopes towards the right, indicating that the drain to the septic system is on that side. The pipe is attached by straps to the joists. Sheathing was placed under the house to cover the joists, but no insulation was installed.

Here is a visual record of a foundation being poured. For details go to this post.

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