Laying The Foundation: Why Grading In Construction Is Necessary To Build A Beautiful House

Why Grading In Construction Is Necessary To Build A Beautiful House

Laying the foundation of any building is vital for it to be built. We unveil why grading in construction is a necessity in order to build beautiful houses.

Keyword(s): grading in construction

Grading: it's all downhill from here.

Heavy rains and flooding have risen by 50% worldwide in the last decade. So there's no better time to talk about the importance of grading in construction, given that it's one of the best defenses we have. But grading is about more than just floods.

Let's take a look at why grading in construction is necessary to build a beautiful house.

What Is Grading?

Site grading is an engineering term for the leveling or shaping of land to suit the specifications of a construction project. A land's "grade" is its slope. So grading is a literal term describing the way we adjust the slope of land when we build on it.

Grading takes place early on in the construction process, among other preparation work on the site, to provide a stable foundation to build on.

There's a wide range of factors to consider when grading for construction. Soil composition alone raises considerations such as soil density and water retention. Depending on the site, site grading can take a significant amount of time and equipment.

Why's Grading Important?

Grading's about more than just looks. It's vital to the quality and longevity of the house. Here are some of the reasons that expert grading work is vital to a beautiful house:

A Strong Foundation

We all know the one about the man who built his house on the sand. Grading provides a strong foundation for a house, limiting the number of structural issues that could occur down the line.

Effective grading reduces the risk of erosion and damage to foundations over a long time period.

Proper Drainage

Water, water, everywhere — is exactly what you don't want in your house. Despite our modern technology, rainfall and flooding can still wreak havoc if not planned for.

Quality drainage relies as much on land grading as it does on drainage systems like pipes. By grading the land, we can take advantage of water's natural predilection for flowing downhill, keeping buildings high and dry.

The interaction between grading and water runoff will depend on the soil permeability, so more extensive grading work may be needed where soil water retention is naturally high.

Fighting Subsidence

Quality construction is about planning for the long term.

Subsidence is one of the most common long-term problems that can hit a property. Homes built on soft soils or clay can sink into the ground, resulting in subsidence. But homes don't often sink evenly, so parts of the structure become warped and begin to crack.

Grading can help tackle subsidence by working with the soil to balance the forces in play, creating a stable base for the home.

Grading in Construction: A Matter of Time

Grading in construction is more than just a matter of quality — it's a matter of time. Good quality construction stands the test of time, and laying a strong foundation through grading is a vital part of that.

Are you looking for help getting the basics right? Take a look at our services to see how we can help you.