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We are building a home in St. James Plantation Woodlands area and have heard many conflicting thoughts re. whether it is best to have a crawl space (with humidifier) foundation or a solid (sand/cement) foundation in which the pipes are embedded. Can anyone give us some practical experience/knowledge?
Thank you.
Woodlands elevation is high enough that flooding should not be issue. If you were closer to the water I would say a raised slab is the best choice.
I have heard from more than one person that has experienced issues with mold and moisture in crawl spaces and they wish they had gone with a raised slab.
I have dealt with crawl spaces and though they can be advantageous when to comes to accessing infrastructure like wiring and plumbing, they can have moisture problems even in non coastal areas. Generally you have vents. Hot, humid air in the south outside your home in the summer mixes with cool air under your home and you get condensation. Sometimes so much it will drip and puddle under the house. A dehumidifier is a constant energy sink that has to pull 10s if not 100s of gallons of moisture out of the air under your house day after day. It also has to have a place to dump all that water. It just seems very inefficient to me.
What will also work is to encapsulate the crawl space with heavy vinyl on the floor (over the dirt), combined with no vents and spray foaming all the foundation walls. You put no insulation in-between floor joists. Now your home HVAC heats and cools the crawl space just like the rest of your house. Believe it or not, this reduces your energy bill and you have no issue with moisture or mildew. This may cost 3-5k depending on the size of the house/crawl space but you can deduct the cost of a de-humidifier from that. Basically you are encapsulating your crawl space and making it part of your living area as far as the HVAC is concerned. The temperature in the crawl space will track that in your house by about 10 degrees or so.
I speak from research and experience. I have built 3 homes and have personally gone through all these scenarios. I will answer any questions you may have as best I can.
We have a Crawl Space in our home here in Ct....it's a Split Level Ranch. Our Crawl Space has cement floor.....is this an option ???....does it need to be a dirt floor in the Crawl Space. I know when the time comes for us to build in NC, this is something I would question.
Ditchoc is spot on here. I have researched this prior to building my house in SJP. I went with a raised slab after doing research. Both of my HVAC air handlers are in the attic. The only way I would go with a crawl space is if it was encapsulated. You are building in a very moist climate. Moisture, fungus, snakes, etc love crawl spaces unless they are sealed. The only tow advantages to a crawl space I see are 1) ability to get to sewer lines and 2) when you walk on the lower level, you will get the bounce that floor joists and sheathing will provide. Concrete, even with traditional floor coverings are hard on the joints.
Dear Ditchoc,
Thanks so much for your very helpful comments. RE. the encapsulated crawl space, we had several "spec" builders tell us that this is the only way they would do a crawl space, but the vent it into the house. It sounds strange to us.
We are now leaning toward the slab, but do worry a bit about the body joints.
Dear Ditchoc,
Thanks so much for your very helpful comments. RE. the encapsulated crawl space, we had several "spec" builders tell us that this is the only way they would do a crawl space, but the vent it into the house. It sounds strange to us.
We are now leaning toward the slab, but do worry a bit about the body joints.
Thanks again.
Make sure the slab is insulated on the bottom and sides with a minimum of 4" of rigid insulation.
We are now leaning toward the slab, but do worry a bit about the body joints.
Thanks again.
I would not be too concerned about the "joints".
Yes, a concrete floor does not give and if you were to fall and hit your head, it will hurt.
However, all the floors will be covered with tile, carpet, hardwood etc. Much of this will add some cushion that will soften joint impact. I doubt you will have a problem unless you already have severe joint issues or you build a cardio exercise room in your home where you do a lot of jumping and dance .
If you are still concerned, consider a high quality pad under the carpet. If you are doing hardwoods, talk to the installer. It is possible to put a plywood sheet over concrete then the hardwoods. This will add some flexibility to the floor and lessen impact.
I you want the advantages of a raised slab and a softer wood floor: Over the concrete pad, you can build a wood floor (deck) of 2x4"s (sleepers) then plywood then hardwood or carpet. Of course all this adds to the cost of building and you may need to compensate for ceiling height because the floor is now potentially six inches higher (not so much an issue with new construction as it is with renovation).
Building a house is a big deal. It's a lot of time, money and at times it can be a challenge. Personally I like the challenge and all the decisions that have to be made. It evolves almost every day of the construction process. It takes a lot of thought and consideration when it comes to your wants, needs, lifestyle and your pocket book. You get caught up in a whirlwind of contractors and banks and inspections then you are plopped into this expensive box where you will live. Try not to rush it. Make sure you can work with your contractor. Hopefully you can live or stay near by during construction so you can communicate and tweak the little things that will make your home truly yours. Everyone has a budget. I would plan on having about 10% of your house cost set aside for moving cost and upgrades. Its going to be real easy to spend an extra 20 or 30 thousand for that extra sidewalk, three season room, shower upgrade in the master, moving expenses, new furniture, landscaping, garden hoses and on and on.
Again, good luck. SJP is worth every penny. Enjoy.
My understanding is if you go with a slab, you can't install "real" or traditional hard word flooring. You have to install the "engineered" wood flooring. Is this true?
My understanding is if you go with a slab, you can't install "real" or traditional hard word flooring. You have to install the "engineered" wood flooring. Is this true?
The primary issue is moisture. Concrete has to be well cured and above grade or it can wick moisture that will damage "true" hardwoods.
You can install true hardwoods over concrete using techniques I alluded to above. This link explains it more fully with illustration.
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