What Are Floating Walls?
When you want to finish your basement, its important to know what your home is sitting on. Many homes sit on clay soil which can cause the basement floor to heave and settle during the year.
You may find that in many cities, there are building codes that mandate the use of floating basement walls if the area has expansive clay soil. The reason is simple: its possible that when the clay expands, the basement walls may lift the floor. This will cause structural damage to your home.
The good news is that there are ways of fixing this dilema. Minimizing the amount of runoff water from your roof to the side of your house will help. Have it drain away from the house. Also, ensure that the home’s foundation slopes away from the house.
Another option that is available to you, is to use floating basement walls. By leaving a space between the bottom of the wall, and the floor, you allow the basement floor to move without moving the walls. A baseplate will help to hide the gap when you build your floor.