Footings - Momo Homes

We all should be so rooted

Written by Charles Gale on August 4, 2023. Posted in Surefoot.

There’s a reason trees don’t grow from concrete slabs.

Turns out a slab isn’t the most stable way to anchor something to the earth.

They can sink, buckle, crack, break, or, in a flood, just slide away.

That’s why our homes don’t have concrete foundations. Instead, our 100% steel Surefoot system works like a tree’s deep root network, securely connecting our foundation to the earth while resisting gravity, uplift, shear, and moment loads.

Nicknamed the “metal tree stump,” Surefoot spreads its footing over a greater surface area, achieving larger load capacities faster and more cost-effectively.

Surefoot footings provide a stable base in any penetrable soil: sands, silts, clays, small gravels and even rock.

Best of all, you can install a Surefoot in about half the time of a conventional foundation.

It’s a pretty great system, but it would be remiss of us to claim too much credit.

Anyway, the next time you install a Surefoot in an afternoon and feel grateful for the time you’ve saved, don’t thank us.

Thank a tree.

Cheers,

Jeff

Jeff Williams is Momo’s chief marketing officer.

Man wearing a denim work shirt and blue jeans facing away from the viewer (Springsteen-style) and holding a hard hat.

Your pants will thank you

Written by Charles Gale on July 21, 2023. Posted in Footings.

Concrete is a pour substitute.

For home foundations, that is.

Concrete slabs can crack, slide, break, and leach.

Plus, concrete has a gnarly carbon footprint.

And working with concrete is messy. Have you ever tried to get dried concrete off work pants?

By the way, recommendations vary.

Some sources recommend using a dull knife.

Others recommend bristle brushes.

One even suggests using a power washer. A power washer?! (Seriously, did they even consider how demeaning that is to the power washer?)

Fine.

If you DO decide a power washer is called for, we recommend using it only after removing your jeans.

Of course, you could skip the whole mess and avoid concrete altogether.

We do.

We created Momo Footings, a 100-percent-steel system that works like a tree’s deep root network.

Momo Footings give you a stable base in any penetrable soil: sands, silts, clays, small gravels, and even rock.

Momo Footings are fully recyclable.

And they install in about half the time of a slab, with no dried concrete to clean off your pants.

Which means you can wash your pants the normal way.

And preserve your power washer’s dignity.

Cheers,

Jeff

Jeff Williams is Momo’s chief marketing officer.

Ominous image of a tornado threatening a suburban street.

Built for Cyclone Country

Written by Charles Gale on July 14, 2023. Posted in Footings, Surefoot.

Residents in Far North Queensland are no strangers to cyclones. The big storms roll in from the Coral Sea all the time.

But Cyclone Monica, which barrelled across the Cape York Peninsula in 2006 was different.

Monica shattered rainfall records. Wind gusts hit 220 mph. And 140 million trees were damaged or destroyed.

The silver lining? No people were hurt in the storm.

The storm was a reminder of how important it is to be prepared whenever you want to put up a new building. Especially if it’s a hospital.

When the citizens of Aurukun (pop. 1,269) needed to build a hospital, they wanted it to make it cyclone-proof.

So they used our footings.

Our 100% steel Momo Footings system works like a tree’s deep root network, securely connecting our foundation to the earth while resisting gravity, uplift, shear, and moment loads.

And they’re the same footings we use in every Momo Home.

We hope your home never has to stand up to cyclone winds.

But isn’t it nice to know it could?

Cheers,

Jeff

Jeff Williams is Momo’s chief marketing officer.

Close-up of a steel screw pile supporting a home.

Screw it, let’s build a better foundation

Written by Charles Gale on July 11, 2023. Posted in Footings, Screw pile.

In homebuilding, you know that it’s possible to screw up the foundation. But did you know you could screw in the foundation, too?

Homebuilders have a few options for foundations. Concrete may be the most common type in U.S. residential housing, but it’s got some serious issues.

Just look at the production of cement. It’s a critical element of concrete which releases a ton of greenhouse gasses, making it one of the worst environmental offenders on the planet.

Who needs that kind of toxic relationship in their home?

What’s a screw pile?

But there’s another foundation type, one that’s been around since the middle of the 19^th century. We’re talking screw pile foundations, which are sometimes referred to by a confusing slew of other names like screw anchors, screw piers, ground screws, helical piers, or helical piles.

Using various types of earthmoving equipment fitted with rotary hydraulic attachments, screw piles are wound into earth just like a screw into wood.

Made originally with cast or wrought iron, screw piles are now often made with steel or composite technology, which have some pretty big advantages in installed performance.

They were first used in the 1800s in the construction of a hundred lighthouses on the east coast. Some of them are still standing, 170 years later, screwed in tight against the harsh seacoast weather.

Since then, screw-pile usage has extended widely – into industries like rail or telecommunications that require fast installation, or where the construction takes place close to standing structures. And they’re now increasingly featured in residential construction.

Benefits of screw pile foundations

Here’s what screw piles offer:

No weather delays: Unlike concrete, screw-piles can be installed in all sorts of weather conditions without any risks to the quality of the foundation.

Rapid installation: How many laborers does it take to screw in a foundation? Not that many! In some cases, using handheld equipment, one laborer can install a screw in just a few minutes, no specialized skills required.

That means no heavy machinery, faster construction time, and lower costs (and a safer process for the crews, too).

Immediate load-carrying capability: Unlike concrete, which needs time to harden, screw piles can be loaded immediately after installation, further cutting down construction time.

Minimal site disturbance: Screwing the foundations into the ground reduces soil displacement. In traditional homebuilding, excess soil gets moved offsite, so screw piles cut both transportation costs and the project’s carbon footprint.

Good for high groundwater conditions: Screw-piles usually don’t need an excavation, so shallow groundwater conditions have little to no impact on their installation.

Nice range of soil and load applications: Screw-piles can be installed in a lot of different soil conditions, from very soft to very stiff clays, and from loose to dense sands, too.

Sustainable technology: Screw-pile manufacturers often use high-quality recycled steel in their fabrication, which saves natural resources and energy and cuts the carbon footprint. They can even be safely reused in new installations. Unlike concrete, it’s the foundation you wouldn’t be ashamed to introduce to your friends.

There are a few other benefits to screw-pile foundations but we don’t want to overwhelm you with glowing accolades.

Just know that the demand for sustainable and efficient construction practices is growing, so we expect to see a lot more screw-pile foundations supporting the housing of tomorrow.

Drawbacks to screw-pile foundations

Soil restrictions: Screw piles aren’t a great option for rock, gravel, or other soil types containing large rock obstructions. They’re best used in soils with a maximum grain size of less than 60 percent of the screw piles’ pitch.

Equipment restrictions: Depending on the site and project, a hand-held pile driver may be required to install the screws, though this equipment is relatively easy to find for most contractors.

Build on a better foundation

Momo Homes uses the Surefoot system, a next-generation screw-pile foundation. (There’s no actual screwing-in involved.) Nicknamed the “metal tree root,” Surefoot spreads its footing over a greater surface area than the typical screw, achieving larger load capacities faster and more cost-effectively.

Winner of an Edison Award for its design and sustainable technology, the concrete-free Surefoot foundation first conquered the demanding conditions of the Australian construction industry, and are set to do the same here in the U.S.

Screw the hassles of toxic concrete. Let’s build something better.

Cheers,

Mike

Mike McAllister is head of story for Momo Homes.