What Homebuyers Should Know About Foundations in Western Colorado
Every home starts with a foundation—but not all foundations are equal. Copper Creek experts Mike Hickerson and Chris Colman have a wealth of knowledge and share what makes our foundation strong enough to stand the tests of time.
Not All Foundations Are Built the Same—Here’s Why
Without a strong foundation, even the strongest, most well-built homes can collapse and have serious structural issues. Not all foundations are the same. Although every house has one, some are stronger and others are more affordable.
Mike Hickerson, Copper Creek’s site foreman, and Chris Colman, our builder, both have a deep understanding about foundations. For this week’s Wisdom Wednesday, they have taken the time to show us the foundation of Copper Creek’s homes and why they’re built to last.
What is the first thing to understand about foundations?
It’s more than just a slab. A good foundation starts below the surface. As Colman explains, “foundations start with overdigging the footprint of the house. Then we fill it back with a good, environmentally clean road base”. This material compacts much better than dirt and gets the area ready for pouring the foundation.
“The foundation is a part of the whole house system– it requires careful thought regarding water management, insulation, and overall energy efficiency,” says Colman. By prioritizing proper drainage and moisture protection from the start, builders ensure the long-term durability of the entire home.
What is a Monolithic Slab with a Thickened Edge?
Hickerson explains that Copper Creek uses a monolithic slab foundation, where the footing and slab are poured together in one continuous concrete pour. The footing is the part of the foundation that sits directly on the soil. This distributes the weight of the building over a larger area of soil so the ground can safely support it. Traditionally, footings are poured first, with the slab added later. By pouring both monolithically, the foundation becomes more unified, reduces cold joints, and offers better long-term performance.
The slab also features thickened edges, meaning the concrete is deeper and reinforced around the home's perimeter. These thickened edges function as built-in footings, providing extra strength where the home carries the most weight.
Engineered for Western Colorado’s Conditions
Hickerson mentions that all of our homes are designed by a licensed structural engineer. Colman takes pride in this fact as he explains that traditional, prescriptive foundations only follow a standard building code. With licensed structural engineers:
“There are precise calculations to the placement of steel reinforcement (rebar) to handle the exact dead loads (the weight of the house) and live loads (people and furniture) of each specific home.”
Western Colorado brings unique challenges such as a sporadic climate and variable soil conditions. An engineered foundation ensures the slab is designed specifically for the soil it sits on—never just a generic standard.
Hickerson shares, “we have one of the best foundations and slabs in Western Colorado” and he explains, “Part of that is the crews we work with performing the work, making sure our slabs and structures are square, level, and plumb [vertically aligned]”. Even the best engineering only works if it is executed properly. Working with an experienced foundation crew plays a major role in the final product as their precision and attention to detail helps maintain the high quality we strive to achieve.
Long-Term Reinforcement
Our concrete slab isn’t just concrete. Like a well-fed child, it’s nourished with rebar throughout the entire thing, making the bones of this foundation strong and allows for stable growth.
Our slabs include:
- Rebar in the thickened edges: both lower in the footing and up top.
- Rebar through the whole slab: a mat design.
The rebar runs throughout the entire slab like a grid, which helps distribute loads evenly and prevents cracking. It is spaced 18 inches on center in a mat design across the slab. This means steel reinforcement is installed every 18 inches throughout the slab. This high degree of internal framework helps resist soil movement and increase structural durability.
Starting with a solid foundation makes the entire building process smoother. It protects your walls, your floors, and your finishes. More than that, it safeguards your investment, letting your home stand strong for generations to come.
“A good foundation equals a long lasting building. Which is why we spend so much time and money on getting the foundation right” -Chris Colman