The MAE Method

Starts with a
strong foundation

Water, air, and soil gas, engineered as one system before the first shovel. Every MAE home is built to it, and tested to prove it.

The principle

One system, starting below the footings.

Most homes fight water, air, and radon separately, and only to the minimum the code allows. We engineer them together, from underneath the concrete up.

A MAE foundation on a hillside lot: waterproofing membrane and drainage board over footings set on engineered gravel
Butyl membrane, drainage board, and footings on engineered gravel, before backfill
The assembly

Every layer has a job.

The MAE MethodBelow grade

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    Code minimum vs the MAE Method

    Same lot. Two different homes.

    The building code is a floor. This is the distance between it and how we build.

    Standard build The MAE Method
    Below the slab Minimal gravel Engineered drainage plane for water and soil gas
    Drainage Weeping tile only Perimeter drainage to a dedicated sump
    Radon Capped rough-in Full collection and vent system, then tested
    Concrete Standard mix High-strength fibre-reinforced mix, specified above code minimum
    Above grade Wood frame Concrete, finished with siding
    Proof None required Slump, blower door, air and radon, tested
    The method, on site

    What it looks like in the ground.

    ICF basement walls over a deep engineered gravel drainage plane
    Below the slabThe gravel plenum, before concrete
    Aerial of ICF foundation forms over an engineered gravel drainage plane
    The foundationICF forms on the drainage plane
    In-slab radiant tubing laid over sub-slab insulation and drainage plane
    In the slabRadiant heat over the plane
    What you get

    Build it dry and tight. The rest follows.

    Dry by design

    Remove the water and mould has nothing to grow on, before finishing ever begins.

    Clean air

    Radon is drawn out below the slab, and the air is tested before you get the keys.

    Even comfort

    A sealed, ventilated envelope holds temperature and filters the air, year round.

    Proof

    You get the numbers, not a slogan.

    Every stage is tested and documented. The record is yours at handover.

    01

    Concrete slump testing

    The mix that goes in is the mix specified, checked at every pour.

    02

    Blower door testing

    Airtightness measured, not estimated.

    03

    Air and radon testing

    Indoor air and radon measured and documented before handover.

    04

    Embedded monitoring

    Concrete tracked for cure quality and long-term performance.

    Straight answers

    Questions we get, answered plainly.

    A small share of the total build, and a fraction of what it costs to remediate one flooded basement. You see real figures early, during design, and make decisions with them in front of you.

    The local data says no. Clay soils, spring melt, and summer storms drive basement flooding across the region, and newer homes test higher for radon than older ones. See why basements flood and why new homes have more radon.

    Yes. At handover you receive the package: slump records, blower door results, air and radon data, and concrete monitoring. The numbers are yours to keep.

    The warranty position

    We do not sell a warranty against water. We engineer the foundation so you are not left relying on one.

    No bolt-on dry-basement guarantees. Building science applied below the slab, documented at every stage, and engineered so failure is not the expected outcome.

    Start with what is
    under the house.

    Start Your Project