A Craftsman's Blog

As you can see from the attached photos, Art of a Craftsman put a plastic barrier on the dirt before any concrete is ever poured. Here are the reasons why you should ensure your builder takes this extra measure:

1. Moisture comes through the basement due to wet soil, especially if your house is being built on clay or in a low water table. The moisture will grab to the concrete and it will absorb it like a sponge and rise to the surface of the concrete. This is what causes a humid/stagnate feeling in basements and can cause a musty smell.
2. Just as important, when you pour concrete on moist or dense soil and you have existing footings that carry the loads to your home (exterior walls, interior beam pads, or bearing walls with footings under them), the concrete will wick up that moisture leaving the footings “extra thirsty”. This will cause the concrete to dry at different speeds, which will cause hairline cracks to form on the footings.
3. Do you need this plastic barrier? In one word, yes. By laying the plastic barrier, the concrete will dry at the same exact speed and the moisture will stay within the concrete while the trowel makes it to its finished state. Just because you don’t see water at the surface does not mean it’s not there. There is almost always water under any jobsite, and it can move up through the soil and come into contact with your concrete basement floor.

Please note: Concrete will crack NO MATTER WHAT. You can control the chaos of the cracking with saw cuts and controlled joints, but concrete will do what it wants to do. Don’t be alarmed if you see some cracking as it will happen.

The definition of a Craftsman is “an artist who is extremely skilled at a trade or an art.” The vendor delivering these massive granite countertops would not carry them down the stairs and told Art of a Craftsman owner, JB, that they would have to cut them to get them down there. While having a seam in granite countertops is not uncommon, it was unacceptable to him! So at no extra cost to the buyer, JB cut a hole in the (already finished) ceiling, and had them lowered down, preserving the beauty of these seamless countertops. It's quite a contraption he built!

We at Art of a Craftsman believe in doing what is right... not what is easy. When choosing a builder, make sure to pick one that will go the extra mile to give you the quality you deserve. After all, quality is not an act. It's a habit. Building a new home is a very personal and emotional experience for home owners and we want to ensure that you feel so terrific with your home when we turn it over. We are very passionate with it comes to our homes and clients, which is why we care for each project as if it were our own.