When you see the finished product, it’s difficult to imagine that your stunning new home began as a big hole in the ground. And it wasn’t just any hole, it had to have just the right soil and pass several inspections before the first cement was poured.

What a home buyer doesn’t see is one of the most important aspects of the home, the foundation.

“If that’s not done correctly then it just poses problems down the road,” says Dorian Grah, construction manager for Starward Homes.

According to the construction manager, the key to building a solid foundation is solid ground. It begins with the excavation going down to undisturbed soil. Where poor soil conditions exist, it is necessary to add fill or dig deeper to find a viable base. During the course of the excavation, a careful eye is kept on the condition of the soil. Grah explains that an engineer could be called in if any problems or concerns are encountered.

Several layers of inspections occur during this important stage with the final approval coming from the municipal inspector before the footings are poured. Construction cannot move forward until that inspector signs off, indicating that everything is done to the standards of the building code.

Now the footings that will form a base for the basement walls are created. The footings are a 20-inch-wide strip of cement. The 8- to 10-inch wide walls are constructed on top of the footings, held in place by key holes or tie rods that poke up out of the footings.

“The purpose of the footing is to evenly distribute the entire weight of the building onto a wider surface area,” explains the construction manager.

Starward adds on extra step to this process to give added strength to the foundation walls.

“It’s not required by the building code but we do put two strips of reinforcing rod in the actual footing itself,” he says. “We just want to be certain that everything is 100 per cent and go a little bit extra.”

Normally this step is only taken if there is “a question about the bearing capacity of the soil”.

When the foundation is poured, two pieces of reinforcing rod are added just below the window line to provide extra strength to the concrete wall. Again, this is not a requirement but is done to minimize the disturbance to the walls when the foundation is being back-filled.

Before the soil is pushed back in around the foundation walls, a waterproofing layer is applied to the exterior to prevent any moisture from getting into the basement from outside. Grah explains that the standard requirement just calls for a tar spray treatment and a drainage membrane – like plastic wrap – intended to deflect water. He advises that it doesn’t prevent water from entering into the foundation if there is any cracking.

Starward goes beyond the standard requirements and sprays on a water-proofing membrane that is impervious to water even in the event of a foundation crack. This special membrane will expand to fill cracks and prevent water from seeping in.

“Although we don’t like foundation cracks, structurally they are generally not a concern and the big issue is water entering them.”

The construction manager says that Starward’s higher standards make finishing the basement worry-free, with no water or structural issues.

To find out more about worry-free Starward Homes, visit www.starwardhomes.com.