Design and Build of your Foundations

Solo Timber Frame offer an in-house service of designing and building your foundations. We own our own plant which includes Diggers, Tippers, Breakers and Laser Levels as well as an excellent team of Tradesmen to construct accurate foundations and drainage connections quickly and efficiently.

We can also undertake demolition, lay patios, driveways and prepare your site ready for landscaping.

Please contact us for further details of this service.

Types of Foundation

This short guide will help you understand the options available.

There are many types of foundation for homes, especially in the innovative self-build market, although there are a few popular, tried-and-tested types that most Builders and Architects will recommend.

Strip foundations

Strip foundations are the most common type of foundation used because of their simplicity and subsequent cost effectiveness. These foundations have narrow trenches filled with concrete to within a couple of brick courses of completed ground level.

Raft foundations

Raft foundations cover an area at least the same size as the ground floor area of the building. They are often used on soft, compressible subsoils e.g. soft clay and peat.

Piled foundations

Piled foundations are typically the most accurate. The systems consist of stilts or columns, which rest on a solid, load-bearing layer up to 10 metres below the surface. The piles may either be precast and drilled into the soil, or cast on site. Piling is the most expensive option so most people will try to avoid it. You may however be forced to use it if there are trees nearby or if you have tricky ground conditions.

It is important to note that with Modern Methods of Building, accuracy is extremely important. The foundations are the most heavily-loaded structural element in a building. Their integrity is reliant on the quality of workmanship in construction. Recent research indicates that, on average in the UK, 20% of building projects are delayed by more than a month due to problems in the ground. It is not unfamiliar for us to inspect foundations and them be out-of-level by a concerning amount.

If you are using another groundworks company to construct your foundations, Solo will always visit to inspect and check them prior to delivery of your Timber Frame to ensure that on the day there are no unforeseen problems.