Few homes in the Poconos are built on a concrete slab. Most homes have foundations built on a crawl space or a full basement. A crawl space foundation usually is three to five feet high - five to seven courses of block. A full basement is usually built with twelve courses of block providing a full eight foot height.

Cinder and concrete blocks come in three widths, 8 inch, 10 inch, and 12 inch. Each block is 16 inches in length and eight inches in height. Blocks can be solid or ribbed. Full basements are usually built with 12 inch blocks, while crawl spaces are usually built with eight or ten inch blocks. The top course of block on every foundation should be solid termite blocks.

A full basement is built with a four inch concrete floor poured over crushed stone and a vapor barrier.

The latest technology in building foundations are precast concrete wall panels. The panels are set on a bed of compacted crushed stone, which serves as a bearing layer as well as a drainage control system under the foundation. Once in place, the panels are bolted together at the top and bottom, and sealed with a gun-applied adhesive-sealant. Then the four inch concrete floor is poured. Under normal conditions, the average foundation can be installed in less than a day.

The precast concrete foundation may be the way of the future. However, the public still has not fully embraced this concept, so it's time is still yet to come.