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Which would you prefer and why? I see that the more expensive homes are built on a crawl space and many of the less expensive homes are on a concrete foundation.
Today I overheard a heated debate over the two, and I just wanted to know "the good folks at city-data's" viewpoint.
I've lived in both. so here goes! The crawl space allows access to plumbing and electrical wiring. Much easier to repair than tearing up a slab or cutting into a wall. With proper insulation, it can be just as warm or cool.
If you ever want to remodel or add on rooms, it's much easier to tie the new stuff onto the old.
There's nothing like having a water pipe break somewhere under a concrete slab. We had that happen in some rental property. By the time we found out the family had moved and left it, we had to replace the hardwood flooring throughout the house. Plus the vinyl tile in the kitchen. The floor where the leak was had to be broken and replaced. It also washed out some of the dirt from under the house. Yep, it was a BIG break! $$$$$$$
I think it's more of a regional thing. Perhaps in your area, wherever that happens to be, more expensive houses are built on crawl spaces. In my region of the country, old houses were built with crawl spaces and many were knocked off of them in earthquakes. Conversely, many multimillion dollar houses are built on slab foundations in my neck-o-the-woods.
There is also more than one version of a slab foundation. One is the kind you're thinking about with just rebar in it. Another version is called a "post tension slab" that is held together through preapplied tension on rebar in the slab. When ground movement happens, the slab is held strongly together and the house acts very much like a boat on the water. I don't think anything like that could happen without the use of a slab.
Personally, I'd rather have a post tension slab in any part of the country with ground movement. It feels more stable, secure, and firm to me. I like that sure underfoot feeling.
In other parts of the country, perhaps those areas with deep freezing ground, something else like a raised foundation might have a purpose. There's also the benefit of a softer, more springy, surface that's held up by floor joists. The downside is worrying about termites, carpenter ants, the appropriatness of the perimeter foundation (block v. brick v. concrete), and other such things.
So, each has their purpose and it's not as simple as cheap v. expensive. It's likely more an example of the builder's experience in your area, appropriatness for your climate conditions, or simple preconceived notions whether they're right or not.
In Florida, most houses are constructed on slab-on-ground, regardless of price. When you get up to northern Florida, some houses are built on a crawl space, but I think slab is still the most predominate.
There are several reasons. The primary reason, at least in South Florida, is that the wooden beams/joists/underlayment etc. of a floor over a crawl space will rot. Even with positive ventilation in the crawl space, moisture builds up and is combined with heat in a deadly combination. There are some very old houses still standing that are on pilings, but they used a form of rot-resistant southern yellow pine that is all but gone, today. Also, pilings allow much more circulation than a perimeter wall, which is what is used today when someone wants a crawl space.
Another reason is that in sand, which is what Florida's "soil" consists of, a monolithic slab (combined with the footers) is the most stable way to build. Pilings and stem walls can settle and shift.
Finally, there are no basements, and no excavations for crawl spaces, in South Florida, because the water table may only be a foot or two below grade at some times of the year.
All that said, I really wanted a crawl space under my planned new house for the reasons stated by Padgett2. Our house will be raised above grade by about 30" so the wrap-around porch will be above grade, which means building perimeter walls. I planned to have engineered wood floors on the first floor and be able to access the crawl space.
But, working with the builder, we kept running into road blocks. Ventilation, engineering for wind load, and cost were the major stumblers. So, we're still going to build perimeter walls to raise the house, but we're going to fill the inside of the walls full of compacted dirt and pour the slab on top of the raised area. I won't have the flexibility to move plumbing or wiring in the future, but I probably won't live that long, anyway, and then it's someone else's problem.
In more hotter southern and western parts of the U.S. crawlspaces and slabs are usedmore often. In the North East where I am everyone has a basement. It has to go down far below the frost line, otherwise the house would shift and upheave with the constant change in weather from summer to winter. I would prefer a basement, not only does it allow storage, but access to all your piping and electricity. Plus you need room for your furnance, hot water heater, oil tank, etc.
Location: Lots of sun and palm trees with occasional hurricane :)
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Originally Posted by pslOldTimer
at least in South Florida, is that the wooden beams/joists/underlayment etc. of a floor over a crawl space will rot. Even with positive ventilation in the crawl space, moisture builds up and is combined with heat in a deadly combination. There are some very old houses still standing that are on pilings, but they used a form of rot-resistant southern yellow pine that is all but gone, today.
You got that right! My house is 50 yrs. old. and you can practically stand up straight in the crawl space. Yes, it's very easy to run wiring, fix plumbing, and do all kinds of stuff by when my ORIGINAL oak floors started warping and we had to pull them all out after trying to repair them twice, we found all the subfloor was rotted and had to replace that.
The previous owners had added a family room, which happened to close off the cross ventilation under the house. I was always getting sick from the humidity in the house and several fans under the house didn't do the trick.
I haven't been sick since we replaced everything with porcelain tile.
I also have that pine stuff in the attic. It really looks and smells good.
Today, cost is most often a determining factor with whether you go with an off-grade (crawlspace) or a slab foundation. Off-grade is much more expensive.
Here in NE Florida, the OLDER homes are often off-grade. I'm speaking of houses built in the 20's, 30's, and 40's and sometimes later. The crawlspace is usually about 3 feet and the piers are usually concrete piers. There probably are some houses built with wooden piers, as described above by PSLOldTimer, but that may be more outside the city limits (my experience is with the older homes inside city limits).
Newer homes are almost always on concrete slabs now. It's just cheaper and easier for the builders and it's become the accepted way. Insurers like them better too for the same reasons (if you have to rebuild, the insurers want it done the cheapest way ).
Having had both, my preference is for off-grade. The house just feels better and healthier plus all the access reasons Padgett stated above (been there, done that !).
My primary home is recently built and it is on a slab. It's okay, but it's hard on my feet (I'm barefoot much of the time). It does have a secure, solid feel to it, and I plan to tile it throughout (except bedrooms) and I think that will work well with a slab - it's something I would not have done with an off-grade house (I'd be concerned with cracked grout and tile due to the slight movements of an off-grade home).
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