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Before you buy a slab look where the sinks. w/d and bathtub are located. First, it should be in the same area. That is the total floor area you may have to tear out to find the problem. AT the least do be sure you have a save area in which to move the w/d. Tree roots cause more problems than frozen pipes. The crawl space has its advantages because water lines and vents can be insulated. It saves money.
If you buy a crawl space go into it. It should be dry and not damp because dampness indicates the present of water which can lead to mold - a health issue you do not want.
Walkout full basement is the best, and if you search hard you can find them for the same price as a slab. Just make sure you don't pick a leaky basement
Trudge through a crawl space one time all the way around the house and you will truly appreciate your basement.
We are on our first crawl (walkout basement then slab before that) and I hate it most of the three....it has cost us a ton to get the moisture out of the wood---we ended up sealing the walls/floor with a 12mil vapor barrier, closing/sealing our vents, installing insulation on the walls and installing a dehumidifier. I now have nasty musty smells throughout my entire house that are coming from the earth below that sealed crawlspace (makes no sense but with all the research i've done, it is the most viable culprit) and am going to have to have all my a/c ducts sealed so the smell stops creeping into my house.
We are on our first crawl (walkout basement then slab before that) and I hate it most of the three....it has cost us a ton to get the moisture out of the wood---we ended up sealing the walls/floor with a 12mil vapor barrier, closing/sealing our vents, installing insulation on the walls and installing a dehumidifier. I now have nasty musty smells throughout my entire house that are coming from the earth below that sealed crawlspace (makes no sense but with all the research i've done, it is the most viable culprit) and am going to have to have all my a/c ducts sealed so the smell stops creeping into my house.
This is what I am most concerned about. Hopefully a good home inspector will identify existing problems, but I would like to know about any issues before I even made an offer on a place, I don't want to waste time on a place with problems of moist crawl space, however I don't want to miss a good property either. That is why I was leaning toward slab or dry basement, even though I know they are rare. Anyone know of anyone having problems with plumbing in slab. It would seem that freezing pipes would be a rare occurrence in a heated house unless pipes were somehow exposed.
Regarding slabs, just curious how local builders deal with drainage away from slab edge and foundation.
Make sure you get to see a sample report from the building inspector before working with him. Quality and depth of reports varies significantly between different inspectors.
Make sure you get to see a sample report from the building inspector before working with him. Quality and depth of reports varies significantly between different inspectors.
I've lived in houses with slabs, basements, and one with a crawl space.
I will never, ever, ever own a home with a crawl space if I can help it. More trouble than it's worth, and not having earth contact made heating and cooling a ridiculous endeavor.
Go for the basement, you won't regret it.
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