A PWF is basically a standard heavy-duty wood framed wall that is used for the foundation below ground. It is made of special pressure-treated lumber to resist damage from moisture and insects. If built to proper design specifications, it should hold up as well as any conventional foundation.
A PWF offers many advantages including outstanding energy-efficiency, ease of construction, reduced construction time, and better feasibility for a do-it-yourself builder.
Since a PWF is basically a standard framed wall, you can insulate it like any above-grade wall. With 2x6 framing, you can easily insulate your crawl space or basement walls to R-19. This can significantly reduce the utility bills for an otherwise energy-efficient house. There are special cementlike coatings for any exposed above-ground foundation lumber.
For basement construction, you can run the electrics and plumbing through the insulated walls and cover them with paneling or drywall for a finished living area. That is less expensive than insulating and finishing poured concrete or block walls.
For crawl space construction, you can often eliminate the need for any concrete work. The footers can be made from gravel and a special gravel drainage system used to minimize the possibility of leaks.
You can either build the foundation framing at your site or purchase completed pressure-treated framed panels. Therefore, the same crew of carpenters that build the rest of your house can build the foundation too.
This eliminates costly delays. Also, you can install the foundation in almost any weather, further reducing potential delays and cost increases.
If you are planning to do much of the construction yourself, you are probably better off purchasing the finished pressure-treated panels made to your blueprints. Familiarize yourself with working with pressure-treated lumber before attempting to build your own foundation panels.
You can write to me for UTILITY BILLS UPDATE No. 397 showing manufacturers of the complete PWF frame panels and other special construction materials and design details and specifications for building with a PWF. Write to James Dulley, Deseret News, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244. Please include $1.00 and a self-addressed STAMPED BUSINESS-SIZE envelope.
Q - Does it really help much to put the foam gaskets behind all the electrical outlet faceplates in my house? My house always seems a bit drafty. L.K.
A - The inexpensive foam gaskets can be very effective for reducing air leakage (infiltration) into your house. Often, outdoor air leaks inside your walls through tiny cracks in the wall or around windows or doors.
Then it finds the location of least resistance to flow into your house.
You generally need to put the foam gaskets behind the electrical outlet and switch covers on outside walls only. Always switch off the circuit breaker or remove the fuse before removing the outlet or switch cover.