Having dealt with the key pre-start activities, we can move onto the process of house building, which starts with building the foundations.
As many have said, a building is only as strong as its foundation and this stage of the build must be done right. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done as foundations can be fairly complex and are usually unique to suit the architectural design of your house and the ground conditions of your plot.
The choice of foundation type and the cost to build it is usually at the top of most self builders’ worry list. While I think this is a good problem to worry about, self-builders shouldn’t worry, as the process of determining what’s required is fairly straightforward.
First, I’d like to dispel any myths that foundations must be what the groundworker built on their last job, or that the depths of excavations can only be as deep as their digger will reach! I know this sounds absurd, but I hear it too often. Foundations are not designed by groundworkers, they should always be designed by specialist structural engineers.
The process of foundation design starts with appointment of a structural engineer to undertake a site investigation of your plot. The engineer will either arrange for boreholes or will undertake excavations to establish the nature of the ground conditions and what load they can support. They will
