The Benefits of a

Permanent Wood Foundation

“It’s the Better Answer”

Comfort

Concrete or Block Foundations often do not result in a Dry and Comfortable Basement. A PERMANENT WOOD FOUNDATION (PWF) always does. A PWF Foundation is always dry and comfortable. In fact, a PWF Basement creates a basement that is just as comfortable as any room above the foundation. A PWF gives the owner absolute control over both kinds of moisture that try to penetrate a basement area. Because of gravel under the floor, under the footing, and part way up the backfill, there is no damming of liquid water outside the basement envelope. All the water outside flows quickly and freely through the gravel to a sump surrounded with gravel. The sump, located below the basement floor, is the lowest point in the building. The water enters the sump through holes in the bucket. By keeping the sump drained by a sump pump, there can be no hydrostatic pressure. This is what forces water into the basement space. A 6 mil vapor barrier on the outside of the basement walls and beneath the floor (concrete or wood floor) prevents infiltration of water vapor (a gas) into the livable basement space. This keeps the relative humidity low and the atmosphere pleasant. There are no musty odors and smells in a PWF basement. Because of its dryness, no mildews or molds can be present either, further promoting a healthy atmosphere in the basement. Because of its superior comfort, wood foundations add livable space to a home without increasing costs for this additional livable space.

Added Living Space

Adding furring to poured walls or block walls to finish the basement increases the wall thickness, which reduces the already smaller area of the basement. The basement area is already smaller because the concrete wall has to thicker to achieve the same structural strength as the PWF wall. If this area needed for the furring were put in one place, it often adds up to the area in an additional bathroom. Since a Permanent Wood Foundation basement is always dry and comfortable, it can be used the same way as any part of the building above the basement. There are no odors or off-gassing from the treated wood, and no musty odors from mildew or mold in a PWF.

Ease of Finishing and Remodeling

The finishing and remodeling of the basement of a building with a Permanent Wood Foundation is simple. The stud spaces are fully insulated, the vapor barrier is in place and studs are ready for the installation of drywall or paneling. There is no need for any preparation before installation of any finish. Unlike poured walls or block, furring strips or nailers are not required. Electrical outlets and fuse boxes can be recessed into the stud spaces instead of protruding into the living space. Nailable studs enable easy attachment of partitions and walls without special tools. The installation of a fireplace or additional window can take place without the hassles of cutting through concrete or block.

Energy Savings

Wood is naturally a good insulator, plus the PWF system comes standard with insulation installed between the 2 x 6 studs. Unlike Poured Walls and Block basements, no additional furring needs to be added to accommodate the insulation. An R-21 wall is not uncommon for a Permanent Wood Foundation.

With today’s emphasis on energy efficiency, most of the energy loss in a building using poured concrete walls or block is through the basement walls. This is because concrete and block are good conductors of heat. Ever notice green grass adjacent to some foundations in the middle of the winter? However, the grass is brown a foot away? This is because the soil surrounding the building is being heated by the heat being conducted through the wall. This is wasted energy. This will not happen with a Permanent Wood Foundation. This energy is saved.

Another, more subtle energy savings results by using wood. The energy saved to manufacture lumber and plywood far exceeds the amount of energy required to manufacture concrete and block. We will never run out of our supply of wood. More wood is added by growth each year and far exceeds the amount harvested from forests. It is a very environmentally friendly product.

Design Flexibility

The Permanent Wood Foundation System is adaptable to all kinds of light frame structures ---single story, multiple story, full basements, walkout basements, bi-levels, split levels, crawls, and slab-on-grade type foundations. They easily solve difficult problem site conditions and high water tables. Another advantage of flexibility is spring-time mud making it difficult to get heavy equipment and concrete near the building site, and delaying construction plans. The Permanent Wood Foundation can be built in any kind of weather conditions. Freezing weather does not limit construction time.

Questions and Answers

Q. A Realtor showed me a 10 year old Eid-Co Built home and I absolutely loved it.

My husband’s father discouraged us from making an offer on it because he discovered the basement

was coming apart just below the siding. Was he correct? Karen R, Fargo

A. Your father-in-law saw a non-structural part of the basement that protects the basement wall behind it. This wall component is referred to as the “grade board”. It is used to prevent damage to the 6 mil poly and basement wall behind it from the sun, weed hackers, lawn mowers, shovels, racks, landscaping materials, etc. Simple owner maintenance such as “drawing the board down” to its original position with a sheetrock screw would remedy this. The grade board is located in an area subject to wet and dry cycles making warping possible. This is a cosmetic problem and does not affect the performance of the PWF.

Q. I have seen treated lumber decks deteriorate after 15 or 20 years and they aren’t buried in our area’s moist soils. How can you claim a wood foundation is permanent? Brian P, West Fargo

A. First of all, treated lumber is treated with varying amounts of chemical depending on the environment in which it expected to perform. The treated lumber used in an area prone to continuous moisture contains a greater amount of preservative than that used in an above ground application such as a deck. Ongoing tests sponsored and monitored by the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory confirm the longevity of the PWF. Test stakes of treated wood have been buried in the ground at various locations, stretching from the Mississippi Delta to the Canadian border. Data analysis indicates that these stakes in place since 1938 have shown no failures at chemical retention levels of .29 pounds of preservative per cubic foot of wood, or higher. In layman’s terms, the stakes are not showing any signs of deterioration after being buried for 70 years. The wood used in today’s PWF is treated to levels two and three times the .29 pounds of preservative per cubic foot of wood.

Q. How does a wood foundation compare in strength to a concrete foundation in the heavy soils here in

the Red River Valley? Clinton H, Moorhead, MN

A. The Red River Valley has expansive clay soils. When the soil dries out it contracts. When it gets wet it expands. You have probably seen concrete foundations with various degrees of cracking and deflection inward. More than likely, pressures exceeding the strength of the concrete has caused this during wet cycles and/or heavy frost cycles. Expansive soils are constantly changing in volume.

Engineers build flexibility into structures that must perform under large stresses and pressures. Bridges, towers, skyscrapers, airplanes, a bow (and arrow) are examples of applications where flexing is better than cracking. The PWF is designed to flex without breaking and without negatively affecting the basement structure. In the majority of cases this all takes place without the homeowner being aware of any changes. When the expansive soils dry out, the PWF has the ability to return to its original position. Once a concrete foundation cracks, the homeowner may incur major expenses restoring the basement structure.

Q. I have read that the treated wood is treated with chemicals that can be harmful to humans, especially children. Is this true? What assurances are there that wood foundations are safe? Janet S., West Fargo

A. To best answer your question be would direct you to http://www.woodfoundation.com The following is an excerpt from that site:

Are the preservatives used for PWF’s toxic? Yes, but so is common table salt. The word “toxic” is a relative term. The amount of any chemical it would take to injure any human varies widely. The chemical that people seem to worry about the most is arsenic, and arsenic is a part of CCA preservative used the wood used in a PWF However, it is in the form of arsenic pentoxide, and is locked into the cellular structure of the wood. Water will not dissolve it out. When we eat a seafood dinner (any shellfish), we will eat more arsenic pentoxide in one meal than we would eat if we ate a 2 x 6 by twelve foot long board. The splinters are more dangerous than the arsenic. Clams contain an average of 11.6 ppm of arsenic; table salt 2.7 ppm; and a dose from the arsenic in treated wood in not likely to exceed 5 ppm. It’s the dose that makes the poison. CCA pressure treated wood is safe. There is no taste and no emission of gases from the treated wood.

Without trying to make light of your question, your children will not be affected negatively by the treated wood in the PWF if they don’t make it a regular part of their diet.