Footers and foundation provide support for the structure. The footer is usually strengthened with two 5/8 inch steel rods called rebar. The rebar rests on what they call metal chairs. The chairs keep the rebar up off the ground so when concrete is poured, it flows underneath the rebar. The footer extends around the perimeter of the building and is the base on which the structure rests.
Two basic styles of residential foundations used in Florida are the pier foundation and slab-on-grade.
A Pier is a column of masonry. Piers are spaced out under the seal beams of a structure and usually spaced 8 ft. or less apart. Piers allow a crawl space below the structure giving easy access to plumbing, electrical and duct work. Piers can raise the structure even higher if needed in low-lying coastal and other flood prone areas.
Slab-on-grade construction involves pouring a concrete slab directly on the ground. The slab is reinforced with steel mesh (wire) and the ground is covered with a plastic, waterproof vapor barrier.
If the footers and slab are poured all in one, it is called a monolithic slab. If the footer and slab are poured separately, the slab is referred to as floating.
Information courtesy of Rowlett Real Estate School LLC, www.rowlettrealestateschool.com
Captain Wayne Rowlett
~P.Stone
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