When considering a new home, and homebuilder, construction methods matter. While many builders construct their homes to the minimum standards required by local building codes, it’s important to consider what’s behind the walls to ensure that your new home is built to last, ensuring comfort and value for years to come.
Footings vs. Caissons
There are many things that set a new Celebrity home apart from the rest. While the foundation, and support structure that lies beneath isn’t exactly sexy, and probably won’t be commented on at your next dinner party, it is likely the most important feature of your new home.
The foundation provides the backbone that the rest of the home is constructed upon. In Colorado, home foundations rest on either footings or caissons. Despite the fact that you will likely never see this part of your home, it is critical to consider which option your new home will have, and which will provide a superior and stable base for your home.
Footings: A footing consists of concrete that is formed into a trench which creates an attachment point between the foundation and the soil beneath. The footing is designed to support the home and prevent settling. Footings are generally the minimum requirement of building code and soils engineers, with some exceptions. The graphic below shows what a foundation footing looks like.
Caissons: Unlike the footing, which rests on soil, foundation caissons are drilled many feet below the surface of the soil into solid bedrock. The caisson is then filled with a combination of steel and concrete which the foundation connects to. Caissons provide a far superior level of stability and longevity when compared to footings. The graphic below shows what a foundation caisson looks like.
Unlike the vast majority of homebuilders, Celebrity Custom Homes builds every single one of our homes on foundations supported by caissons. Despite being more costly, we know that a superior foundation will translate into a more valuable, and stable, luxury home for many years to come. We even take it a step further by having a soils engineer onsite when the caissons are drilled to make any needed adjustments to caisson depth based upon the soil condition of the specific homesite.
We’ve been building homes in the Denver area for over 60 years, so for us, these extra steps are a must…doing it the right way is the only way.
Nestled along the rolling hills of Douglas County, Pradera is the area’s premier master-planned luxury community. Residents enjoy a year-round private golf course in an ideal climate. Find inspiration in spacious, stunning brand-new homes from award-winning builder Celebrity Custom Homes. Contact us today and begin your journey toward luxurious living.
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