Slab-on-grade and basement in Parker (Denver, Colorado Springs: real estate, insurance, lawyers)

[email2maxim]

Any construction or real estate people around here who can explain to me slab-on-grade basements and expansive soils in HR/Parker?

Builder’s soil report came back as “low” but expansive soils are present (isn’t it always the case around here). Potential heave is less than 0.5 inch at ground/basement level per the report.

In a contract builder is very specific about using slab-on-grade and that slab-on-grade is not advisable for finished living spaces (aka finished basement). Contract basically says its ok for unfinished basement or garage but not ok for finished basement.

Does this mean that having finished basement is a bad idea? What kind of basement do other people in this group have? Why builder (Century) is not even offering an option to have basement finished like other builders?

Thanks.

[SkyDog77]

If there are expansive soils and you want to avoid problems with cracks in your floor, you need to go a different route than a simple slab on grade foundation.

If there are big expansive issues, it can actually cause your foundation to become unsafe. This is a MAJOR problem.

Read this document: http://static1.squarespace.com/stati...ormat=original

[daprara]

dont mess with this, if any doubt DONT BUILD...
if your house is great but your neighbor's is bad it will bring the whole neighborhood down.

location location; 4example Brighton CO dosnt have expansive soils. Than again bad/good its Brighton.

look into an older home that has stood a test of time

go with a conservative physical design so 20 years from now your new home looks and feels great. You can opt to skip a basement put up a big pole barn?

[NorthDenverGirl]

I would suggest that you have a structural engineer come out. An initial consultation is actually pretty cheap and well worth the peace of mind. I have done this with other clients that were concerned with their new build.

The structural engineer will then go over the whole place making sure everything is stable and remain stable. You could also just call around to some structural engineers and ask the questions you are asking here, they should be able to give you a good idea of what you need to do or not do.

Good Luck x

[davebarnes]

My personal experience with "should not have been a concrete basement floor" was in Colorado Springs.
The concrete rose 7 inches. Yes, seven.
The insurance company (the builder (Medema) went bankrupt after building 400 similar houses) paid to have the concrete removed piece by piece thru the basement window and then a floating structural wood floor was installed. It doesn't really float as it is hung off the basement walls.
The insurance company also replaced ~400 sidewalks, driveways, garage floors and patios.

[eatsDEN]

I was in the market for a home several years ago in Solterra -- builder was Cardel...


Soils report came, and I had concerns with the findings...


when I pressed the issue of clarity of the report, with respect to the lot's soils report findings and the position that slab on grade was acceptable taken by the builder (wanting to discuss the builder's contract terms for inclusion of a structural foundation when the soils report findings require it, either with their geotechnical engineers and/or lawyers), Cardel Homes ended up refunding 100% of my earnest money deposit.


to my understanding, this is unusual....

[email2maxim]

Originally Posted by eatsDEN

I was in the market for a home several years ago in Solterra -- builder was Cardel...


Soils report came, and I had concerns with the findings...


when I pressed the issue of clarity of the report, with respect to the lot's soils report findings and the position that slab on grade was acceptable taken by the builder (wanting to discuss the builder's contract terms for inclusion of a structural foundation when the soils report findings require it, either with their geotechnical engineers and/or lawyers), Cardel Homes ended up refunding 100% of my earnest money deposit.


to my understanding, this is unusual....

Do you remember your soils report? Was it low, med, high.... Mine says low probability of less than 0.5 inch based on their testing and thats why they are putting slab-on-grade.

[email2maxim]

Originally Posted by NorthDenverGirl

I would suggest that you have a structural engineer come out. An initial consultation is actually pretty cheap and well worth the peace of mind. I have done this with other clients that were concerned with their new build.

The structural engineer will then go over the whole place making sure everything is stable and remain stable. You could also just call around to some structural engineers and ask the questions you are asking here, they should be able to give you a good idea of what you need to do or not do.

Good Luck x

Nothing has been even built yet. All I have is just a bunch of papers that I have to make my decision based on.

[eatsDEN]

Originally Posted by NorthDenverGirl

I would suggest that you have a structural engineer come out. An initial consultation is actually pretty cheap and well worth the peace of mind. I have done this with other clients that were concerned with their new build.

The structural engineer will then go over the whole place making sure everything is stable and remain stable. You could also just call around to some structural engineers and ask the questions you are asking here, they should be able to give you a good idea of what you need to do or not do.

Good Luck x

many builders, from my understanding and admittedly limited experience, will refuse outside geotechnical or structural engineers to participate - even on the buyer's dime....

[eatsDEN]

Originally Posted by email2maxim

Do you remember your soils report? Was it low, med, high.... Mine says low probability of less than 0.5 inch based on their testing and thats why they are putting slab-on-grade.

I'll pull the file out and check for sure... I recall it being similar to your report language, as the developer had gone to significant lengths in an attempt to remediate the known soils issues in the immediate vicinity of the homes...


*edit* - it was deemed to be low...