What's the difference between Poured Walls, Block Walls and Pre-Cast Walls?

Advanced Concrete Foundation's poured walls are a minimum of 6" thick and reinforced with 1/2" steel rebar.  They are poured as one solid piece of concrete, meaning there are no seams to weaken the integrity of the wall, on top of a pre-poured concrete footing.  They can be poured in any configuration of heighth, width or length, to meet any requirement.  The forms are assembled on site and the wall is poured in place, meaning that changes are easy to accomadate, even after we have begun work. 

Block walls are put together piece by piece on site by block masons, on a pre-poured concrete footing.  They can be built in any configuration the builder desires.  The seams between blocks are grouted, but they reduce the strength of the wall.  Whereas 7' of backfill is allowed against an 8" poured concrete wall, only 4' is allowed against an 8" block wall; any further backfill requires steel reinforcing and grouting the hollow core of the wall solid (both extra costs that are handed on to you).

Precast foundations are constructed in a factory off the building site, meaning that once the design is sent off to the factory, no changes are possible.  The walls are typically 2" thick and reinforced with 3/8" thick steel rebar, they rest on a compressed gravel footer.  Unlike block and poured walls, they are not availible in any wall height (a typical maximum height is 10').  The seams between panels are caulked to prevent water from intruding into the home. The seams are typicallly only guaranteed  for 15 years.

What's the cheapest option?

A solid concrete foundation is competitive with any type of foundation.

Pre-cast wall suppliers say their walls have a higher "R-Value" than poured walls, is that true?

Some pre-cast wall systems do come with insulation already attached, which obviously gives them a higher "R" or insulative value than bare concrete.  Advanced Concrete Foundations' total package installs walls with 1" Green Jacket drainage board, giving the walls a minimum below grade "R-Value" of 5.

What's the fastest option for me?

Poured walls installed by Advanced Concrete Foundations are faster than either pre-cast or block walls .  Pre-cast wall installation companies rightly say that their product can be installed, most times, in less than a day, but they fail to mention the following two things:

1. You're responsible for all the site prep prior to installation, including excavation and placement/leveling of gravel 

2. The panels won't be put into production, which typically takes a month, until all site prep is completed, by you, to their specification. 

Block masons also don't account for the time that you spend preparing for their arrival, supervising excavation, pouring footings, ordering materials etc.  Unlike pre-cast wall suppliers and block masons,  Advanced Concrete Foundations supervises every stage of the foundation process: Excavation, Pouring Footings, Installing Walls, Water Proofing, Drain Tile, Slab Prep and Slab Pour.  We handle all relevant inspections and arrange for any heavy equipment needed during the entire process.  Our experienced staff will become an invaluable asset on your job site, saving you time and money.

Why Choose Advanced Concrete Foundations instead of another poured wall company?

Because Advanced Concrete Foundations Inc. is unique in our industry.  We offer one on one customer service from experienced staff that know the building industry; we take the time to address each job with the individual attention that it needs.  We are the only wall company in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area that has its own surveying equipment to lay out foundations, which makes us the most capable to handle even the most complex jobs.  We are also the only company to offer a total, from the ground up, foundation package.  One call to us gets your building project out of the ground and ready for carpenters.