How To Build An Addition On Piers (Details Guide)

If you’re building a new home for your family one of the most important decisions you’re going to make is the type of foundation to use. If you get your foundation proper everything is going to go well for your house long duration. On the other hand, with a bad foundation, no matter what you do in the build you’re going to have difficulties with your house.

It’s not often you see full in-ground foundations in the countryside. The most common foundation types are either a slab on grade or a pier in beam foundation. That’s why in this article we are going to discuss How to Build an Addition on Piers.

What Is A Pier And Beam Foundation?

It’s mainly a house elevated above the surface of the ground. You can move a pier and beam foundation from one place to another very easily because it’s not attached to the ground permanently.

These kinds of foundations are easy to insulate which prevents moisture from seeping through the house, exchanges hot-cold air underneath, are easy to fix if there is any damage, protect your foundation from the ground retraction, are easy to upgrade or remodel, and many other great things that this kind of foundations provide.

Why Pier And Beam Is A Great Choice?

Soil is a very important part of building a foundation. If it’s an area where the soil has a high content of clay underneath, a slab-on-foundation foundation is not going to work. There is a high risk of foundation movement on that soil.

That’s why it will work great if you make deep concrete piers on that soil it will hold the foundation strong. Another reason that pier foundation is great is that you’ll have great access to all your utilities underneath the house later, like- sewer lines, electric lines, water pipes, and many other things that you can do underneath.

You can also use this pier foundation technique on other types of soils too. It’s also very cheap to make pier foundations than slab foundations.

How To Build An Addition On Piers

You can build a whole house, a room, a garage, a cabin, or any kind of addition through piers. Let’s discuss the basic procedures-

The first thing you need before digging for piers is to test the soil. So you can understand the solid type and how deep you need to dig for your pier
A concrete-based pier foundation starts from digging down severe feet underneath. Here you have to start by drilling from the ground, based on the design of your house, and keep on digging until you hit the hard surface underneath.
When you’re done digging holes you need to insert the perimeter beam through the metal form that’s going to support your beam. When all the beams are ready to be filled up you can fill those forms with concrete mix. This way you have to fill all the pier forms that will later support and level you whole foundation base you’re going to create
When the forms are filled you have to put a sauna tube on that will create a vibration inside to make sure the concrete is going to be nice and aerated or in easy words get that air bubbles out
After filling all the piers with concrete you must cover the whole foundation base with blue plastic sheets that will act as a vapor barrier and tape them with the piers. Wait for several days so the concrete piers get solid. Then you can pull those forms off
On top of the vapor barrier pour a small concrete slab which is basically a concrete sidewalk just a couple of inches thick; no rebar; just a nesh down there. So when you finish building the house you’re going to have a nice crawlspace
After that, it’s time to set all the beams that are going to be on top of the piers. When you finish setting the beams, layer the whole beam area with thick i-joists. This can also double-layer with the i-joist.
This will create the floor for the foundation and from here you can move from there upwards to make the rest of the house or any kind of addition.

You might also like:

Final Verdict

So this is a general overview of How to Build an Addition on Piers that will give you a basic idea of how the pier foundation works. This was about a vented crawlspace pier foundation and you can also make it without a crawlspace or a non-vented or without a concrete pier. The foundation can also be made with wood piers or helical piles. Everything depends on the design of the house and also the preference of the owner.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How Far Apart Should Piers Be?

There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on a number of factors, such as the size and type of vessel, the water depth, and the wave conditions.

However, as a general rule of thumb, piers should be spaced at least twice their width apart.

So, for example, if you have a pier that is 10 feet wide, it should be spaced at least 20 feet away from any other pier or object in the water.

Are Concrete Piers Good?

Concrete piers are commonly used in the construction of both homes and commercial buildings. Their popularity is due in large part to their versatility; they can be used to support a variety of different loads. In addition, concrete piers are relatively easy to install and require minimal maintenance.

There are, however, some potential drawbacks to using concrete piers. One is that they are not always as aesthetically pleasing as other foundation options. Additionally, concrete piers can be susceptible to cracking and settling over time.

Despite these potential drawbacks, concrete piers remain a popular foundation choice for many builders. Their versatility and ease of installation make them a good option for many different types of building projects.