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We moved down from up north too and our new house has a crawl space. One of the disadvantages of a crawl space is that critters can crawl into it. We have a rather large (5') black snake get under the house, climb up the electrical service and into the circuit breaker box where he became a fried snake. Nothing better than the smell of fried snake... Also since people don't have basements, the two car garage becomes the homes storage place. When you are out driving around, note how many garages are filled to the brink with stuff while their cars sit in the driveways.
Crawl spaces can easily be closed off to the point that nothing larger than a bug can get in.
The advantage I see to a crawl space is that if you want to add or repair any electrical, low voltage wiring, plumbing, gas line, or HVAC ductwork for the main floor of a home that's on slab, your options are greatly reduced and the cost goes up tremendously.
X2
Agreed 100%.
I have owned 4 homes, 2 with slab and 2 with basemen/crawlspace.
What is your budget? There are some in our neighborhood for resale. A walk out as well.
That's kind of the problem -- As a single person, 50-ish with a fully paid off house up north, I'm looking to buy something that's about the same price as what I'd sell my present house for. Mortgages don't interest me at this point in life. And houses like mine would sell for roughly the $160,000 to $175,000, tops.
I get the impression that a budget like that is kind of limited in Mecklenburg, but that Gaston, Iredell and the other surrounding counties offer more in the lower price ranges. And a townhouse is a possibility, too, but from what I've seen those are all slabs.
Crawl space is best for many reasons, but another reason comes to mind: if you intend on installing tile flooring on the first floor. Installing tile on a slab = eventual cracks in the ceramic tile.
Granted, a crawl space allows for access to plumbing and wiring below the house, but the issue of bugs crawling into the house and the buildup of moisture pretty much dictates the installation of a French drain system to clear the area below the house of standing water after a storm. They're cheap. Shop around.
I am trying to sell off the residential properties that I own that are built on slabs. Too much trouble!
As others have mentioned, floors have to be torn up to get to any plumbing below the slab.
Termites can eat down a lot of the house before they're found in a slab house (don't ask me how I know!). On a crawl space, termites are easier to find BEFORE they get to the wood.
If the lot is graded correctly, French drains are probably not necessary on most crawl space houses. None of mine have a French drain and I don't have standing water either.
Granted, a crawl space allows for access to plumbing and wiring below the house, but the issue of bugs crawling into the house and the buildup of moisture pretty much dictates the installation of a French drain system to clear the area below the house of standing water after a storm. They're cheap. Shop around.
You don't need a french drain if the lot is properly graded. If it is wet in a crawl space then this is an indication that something else is wrong. i.e. Gutters in bad shape, HVAC system isn't plumbed right, leaking plumbing, or the lot was never graded properly. A slab is no protection against this either. If there is water pooling around the foundation, then it will seep into the slab and you end up with mold in the house.
If you have a crawl space, you'll have water under the house. It may drain out downhill or it may seep into the ground below. In either case, you will want that water out from under your house ASAP, and that's what a French drain is for.
Basements are awesome, but I've seen what foundation companies and subs charge for them... yikes.. Might as well buy an old house with one if you want one bad enough..
If you have a crawl space, you'll have water under the house. It may drain out downhill or it may seep into the ground below. In either case, you will want that water out from under your house ASAP, and that's what a French drain is for.
Grading also changes over the years,
This isn't correct about water.
I have no water under my house and I live next to a floodplain greenway. This house is more than 20 years old. The lot was graded properly and I take care to maintain gutters & plumbing.
Water should not be flowing into a crawlspace. It's a sign there is a problem and it needs to be fixed. A french drain is a bandaid, not the solution, and people should not rely on it to address water issues on or under their foundation.
Last edited by WaldoKitty; 05-02-2014 at 04:44 AM..
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