Foundation Haunches

Foundation haunches are protrusions from the foundation wall that are designed to carry a load. For instance, to carry the weight of a concrete porch. Without a haunch to sit on the porch could settle over time as the earth below it compacts over the years. Because the haunches are formed directly into the foundation wall when it is initially poured they will never move or settle.  

Haunches are also particularly useful when you install a deck on a new home. The ground next to the home gets disturbed during construction and is backfilled once the foundation is in. As hard as the builder tries they can never get the backfilled dirt as compact as the surrounding undisturbed earth. So, over many years the backfilled area slowly compacts and settles down, taking the deck with it. This is why nearly every home I have inspected comes back with ‘negative grade’ next to the house. If you are wanting to build a deck right away on your new home you can set the front legs on footers in the undisturbed soil and the back deck legs on the haunches at the foundation  and never fear settling will make your deck uneven. 

This is a picture I took of a haunch on a brand new home in Bellbrook.  ou can see it has two 6 x 6 deck posts sitting on it. These posts will NEVER settle down – not even a fraction of an inch! Learn more about home construciton tips and how they can help your future property now.