How Does an Excavator Prepare a Site for Your Detached Loveland Garage?

 

You might need a new barn for expanding your farm, or you might plan on building yourself a second  garage – or expanding the one you have. Many secondary buildings on your main property can require a good foundation, and according to most experts, a monolithic foundation is the best type for the Loveland area.

excavating Loveland

But what goes into adding a monolithic foundation to your property? How should the ground be prepared for the work, and what can a professional excavating Loveland contractor do to help you out? These are some of the question that we will cover below.

What Has to Be Prepared?

First of all, there is some preparation work that you should probably consider doing yourself, although you can still ask your excavator to help you by giving you some advice on it. For example, you’ll have to determine exactly how large your new building will be and what the layout needs to be like. Second, you’ll need to determine where it will go, and it’s usually best to choose a strip of land that’s relatively level and doesn’t have a lot of trees or vegetation on or around it. Thirdly, make sure you check with your local building codes to see what kind of foundation you can and can’t pour.

Once everything is ready, the Loveland excavator will arrive to measure and prepare the area. The process isn’t too complex, and a monolithic foundation is typically only 12 inches deep. Also, since only half of that will actually go into the ground, the total amount you have to dig will be about 6 inches, which means that for some smaller projects you could even do it with a shovel. However, that’s only if the ground is completely level, as any amount of elevation will have to be compensated for.

The removal of grass and vegetation will have to come first. Next, the excavator will check to see if any trees or utility lines might be running close by. These small details are essential, as tree roots can easily be damaged by some excavation equipment, and they might also have to call 811 to check if there’s a risk that the excavation work might damage some utility lines or pipes.

Then, once everything is ready, what the excavator will do is make some forms out of 2×3 or 3×4 plywood, and build them up as small walls that will show them exactly where the boundaries are. This process has to be done carefully, as the measurements need to be as accurate as possible.

Digging by Shovel vs. Hiring an Excavator

Although the less demanding nature of this type of project suggests you could also use a couple of shovels to get the job done, that’s not usually recommended. If the soil isn’t level, or there is a lot of clay, sand or rock under the surface, it can make the whole work much more difficult. The same is true when you plan your project during the cold season, and your Loveland soil is too hard.

Many other problems could also come up, and it’s very hard to be prepared for all of them, if you don’t have the necessary experience, education and equipment. So the best course of action is to call on your local Loveland excavation contractor to help you out.