A1 services quite a bit of the New England area, and they run into all kinds of basements and foundations. In this episode, Adam explains the various types of basements and foundations A1 works on AND the areas they service. Narrator: It’s time once again for the “Crack Man Podcast” hosted by A1 Foundation Crack Repair. I’m Darren Kincaid here with the Crack Daddy himself, Adam Tracy. Adam and The Crack Man Rich have over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry. Rich as over two5 years as the president and founder of A1 Foundation Crack Repair. This podcast provides expert basement waterproofing, concrete repair, and preventative maintenance tips for homeowners and businesses. A1 Foundation’s valuable insight will help avert a disastrous flood within the basement, health problems associated with water infiltration, and protect your biggest investment….your home. The topic of today’s podcast: What are the various types of basements and foundations serviced by A1 Foundation Crack Repair?
Narrator: So, Adam, A1 services quite a bit of the New England area. I'll bet you run into all kinds of basements and foundations. Am I right?
Adam: You're correct. We do run into a whole wide array of different types of foundations. Generally speaking, they're going to be put into 3 main categories. One could be concrete, one could be stone, and one could be a block foundation. Now there are other ones that are in the same mold, but not exactly typical for those, but they're all a little bit different. And there's a lot of regional differences with the different types of foundations as well. Obviously, a stone foundation is going to be something that's a much older house.
Being in the New England area, stone foundations are actually quite common. So anything built prior to, let's say, around 1900 and earlier is going to be a stone foundation. So, when we get somebody coming in and saying, I think it's concrete. And I say, oh, how old is the house? It was built in 1842. And I said, well, unless they've replaced the foundation, it's likely a stone foundation.
Block foundations have a kind of a smaller window when they were built. They're typically from the early 20s to the 1960s. And there are a lot of areas where there's either additions that were put on or cabins that were made typically around lakes and bodies of water. And then the standard of today would be a poured concrete foundation. And each one of these different foundations provides different challenges and repairs and techniques that are needed. Now within those foundations, there's a lot of regional differences.
For instance, in the Worcester area, we're going to have a lot of what we call triple deckers. So, you know, 3 family homes that are on stone foundations. And those are built very differently than a farmhouse that was built in Peabody, Massachusetts. In Quincy, they're using a lot of large granite blocks because of the Quincy quarries and stone foundations. And in some areas that are maybe in the water table, like along the Sudbury River or the Asbury River or even the Charles River, you're going to see a lot of stone foundations that might just be crawl space only. Some might have bricks, some might have stones all the way up.
Even though it's a stone foundation, these have regional differences as well. With concrete foundations, even though concrete's a very well-known and understood man- made product, the reality is that there's a lot of differences even regionally here as well. We have a major issue going on in Northeast Connecticut and in Western Massachusetts and the Worcester area with some chemical structures of the concrete, which we've talked about in other podcasts, causing crumbling foundations. We have foundations that depend on the years that they were built.
If they were built concrete in the 1940s versus 2010, the strength differences are very different. The construction techniques, the codes that they were built to were very different. So being from this area is actually a huge advantage, and being in business for over 30 years is a huge advantage for us because we're not a company coming in from abroad or managed from a different area. We know these houses. We know these regions. We know these different types of foundations, and every little pocket of construction is a little bit different. Sometimes we even know the builders and the builders' tendencies if it's a newer construction and some of the things that just happen with those types of homes.
It's all about understanding about what the local market is, what the local houses are like, and all of the weather and geographic differences around here. So, whether you're from Southern New Hampshire in the Manchester area, in Rhode Island, in Warwick, Hartford, Connecticut, or Worcester, Massachusetts, Boston. All these houses, while they're similar, all present different challenges. And so, it's important for us to know, one, where you're from because it kind of sets the table for the things that we typically see from the area, and two, how we're going to be able to best help you.
Narrator: Well, thanks, Adam, for explaining the various types of basements and foundations you work on and the areas you service.
Narrator: If you have a basement water problem and think you need a professional, or, if you’d like more information on foundation crack repair and basement waterproofing topics, please visit A1FoundationCrackRepair.com or call (866) 929-3171. Or you can email info@a1foundationcrackrepair.com. Thanks for listening and keep that basement dry.