Foundation work is not the glamorous side of home building. It is hard, dirty work. But it's also the work upon which all other work rests, and so a good foundation is critical to every home, writes Fine Homebuilding editor-in-chief Kevin Ireton in the introduction to Foundations and Concrete Work. And whether you are planning to build a new foundation, shore up an old foundation, or pour a new driveway, this collection of articles from Fine Homebuilding magazine will provide you with the professional guidance you need to do the job right. Foundations and Concrete Work brings together contractors and builders from all over the country to provide the best advice on formwork, foundations, waterproofing, reinforcement, and related topics.

Written by the pros who actually do the work, these articles will help you to:

• prepare a site for excavation and formwork
• avoid common mistakes when working with concrete and masonry
• cut, form, and install rebar correctly
• prepare forms properly
• evaluate insulated concrete form systems
• select and install drainage components
• repair problems in old foundations
• construct block foundations
• select the right waterproofing treatment

Formerly The Best of Fine Homebuilding: Foundations & Concrete Work, this newly revised edition features 30 percent new content, including the latest tools and techniques and updated photos and illustrations.

The original The Best of Fine Homebuilding: Foundations & Concrete Work is available in hardcover.

About the For Pros by Pros series
To get the best results when building or remodeling, you need advice from the best professionals in the business. For Pros By Pros books bring together the expert designers, builders, and remodeling pros who have written for Fine Homebuilding magazine.

Introduction

Part 1: CONCRETE BASICS
Avoiding Common Masonry Mistakes
Working with Rebar
Placing a Concrete Driveway

Part 2: BUILDING FOUNDATIONS
Pouring Concrete Slabs
Building a Block Foundation
Forming and Pouring Footings
Forming and Pouring Foundations
Insulated Concrete Forms

Part 3: WATERPROOFING
Moisture-Proofing New Basements
Details for a Dry Foundation
Keeping a Basement Dry

Part 4: RETROFITTING FOUNDATIONS
Foundation Drainage
When Block Foundations Go Bad
Retrofitting a Foundation

Credits

Index

My home is a study in foundations. Built 200 years ago, the original house sits on a stone foundation that's in surprisingly good shape thanks to the sandy soil surrounding it. On the east side is a bathroom addition built over a crawl space with a concrete-block foundation. To the south is a new two-story addition that rests securely on a walk-out basement with poured concrete walls. But sadly the north side of my house -- an odd 4-ft. by 20-ft. extension of the gable end -- has no foundation at all, unless you count loose stones placed on top of dirt. The grapes and marbles roll toward that side of the house. And in the winter, cold air and field mice come in over there. Studying my house, I've concluded two things: one, any foundation is better than no foundation at all; two, my next project isn't going to be much fun. Foundation work is not the glamorous side of home building. It is hard, dirty work. But it's also the work upon which all other work rests, and so a good foundation is critical to every home. And believe me, you don't want to be repairing a foundation; you want to get it right the first time. This book will help. It contains 14 articles originally published in Fine Homebuilding magazine. Written by builders from all over the country, these articles are quite literally advice from the trenches.

-- Kevin Ireton, editor-in-chief, Fine Homebuilding