Preferred Builders/Subdivision in the Madison/County line area (Huntsville: how much, new home)

[NoleFanHSV]

Off topic but to TN2HSV post:

Breland, at least all the Brelands we looked at, slab was much higher than say Benton homes. There's actually a decent size step from the garage into the house. There is a small step(barely) from Family room to the back porch, but a large step down from the back porch to the ground.

Our friends who have a AHH also have a very small step from the garage to the inside of the house, and the back porch is almost level with the ground.

So I guess my confusion is to what is defined as a raised slab?

[TN2HSV]

Originally Posted by NoleFanHSV

Off topic but to TN2HSV post:

Breland, at least all the Brelands we looked at, slab was much higher than say Benton homes. There's actually a decent size step from the garage into the house. There is a small step(barely) from Family room to the back porch, but a large step down from the back porch to the ground.

Our friends who have a AHH also have a very small step from the garage to the inside of the house, and the back porch is almost level with the ground.

So I guess my confusion is to what is defined as a raised slab?

They actually dig out & set a concrete block foundation around the footprint of the house and build it up....IDK how many blocks high...fill the inside of the concrete blocks with gravel, and then pour concrete over that to fill it up to the top of the concrete blocks and level it off. Then they brick all teh way down to the ground, which covers the concrete blocks. You can have several steps up to the floor level, as this picture from the Stoneridge website shows. To me, this looks so much better than if the front door was on the same level as the sidewalk. To my knowledge, Neither Breland nor J Benton do this.

[NoleFanHSV]

Originally Posted by TN2HSV

They actually dig out & set a concrete block foundation around the footprint of the house and build it up....IDK how many blocks high...fill the inside of the concrete blocks with gravel, and then pour concrete over that to fill it up to the top of the concrete blocks and level it off. Then they brick all teh way down to the ground, which covers the concrete blocks. You can have several steps up to the floor level, as this picture from the Stoneridge website shows:

I see. I don't know if I'd care for this or not, especially depending on how the back porch is laid out. Reason I bring it up is because I don't care for the height of the back porch on our Breland. Its really too high to concrete out but too low to really do a wood deck.

I do get what you mean by how it looks though. It has presence, thats for sure.

[TN2HSV]

Well, if your lot slopes down from back to front, you could have a raised porch like this, and at the back of your house, your patio could be flush without a big step down.

But my last house in TN was built on crawlspace (as is the norm in middle TN), and we had 2 steps down onto the back patio. It wasn't a big deal....that's how they were.

IDK...I guess it goes back to where you grew up & what you're used to, but I dislike slab on grade because I don't like the idea of MY floor being on the same level as the ground. I also like tall 4-poster beds that you have to climb up into, so maybe it's just me

[CoreLysium]

Originally Posted by TN2HSV

To me, this looks so much better than if the front door was on the same level as the sidewalk.

Besides my hatred of steps in general, I am planning on becoming elderly later and think "porch ramps" are uncouth.

That said, I have a crawlspace house, so, like, nevermind.

[nlspgm]

Breland homes in Bakers farm will have side entry garages or court yard entry garages.

[TN2HSV]

Originally Posted by nlspgm

Breland homes in Bakers farm will have side entry garages or court yard entry garages.

[LCTMadison]

Jeff Benton varies on type of slab....some block and fill and some neighborhoods he does monolithic.

Breland does monolithic in every house they build.

Pretty much all Jim Wright's houses are going to be block and fill and at least two steps up off the ground, and his patios are that way as well. Jim will build a crawlspace as well, which I like. For a 2900 sft house its about $8k more but worth it IMO.

I agree, I like the look better of a crawlspace and/or raised slab. Just my personal preference.

[TN2HSV]

Originally Posted by LCTMadison

Jeff Benton varies on type of slab....some block and fill and some neighborhoods he does monolithic.

Breland does monolithic in every house they build.

Pretty much all Jim Wright's houses are going to be block and fill and at least two steps up off the ground, and his patios are that way as well. Jim will build a crawlspace as well, which I like. For a 2900 sft house its about $8k more but worth it IMO.

I agree, I like the look better of a crawlspace and/or raised slab. Just my personal preference.

I guess monolithic is the proper term for "slab on grade"? I didn't know. Millstone & Crown Pointe are both monlithic, right? I dont' think I've seen one of his houses with raised slab.

Good to know that Jim Wright/Stoneridge WILL do a crawlspace. I've never lived on slab until now and I can't believe the difference it makes on my feet & legs at the end of the day. I don't go barefoot in my house...I wear cushy Croc flip-flops to help with foot & leg fatigue. And I'm not even "old'!!!!!

Are the Ken McDaniel & other builders' homes in Cambridge & Waterford on raised slab or crawl space?

[MadHaus]

This is great info - thank you all. I prefer monolithic slab foundations, in part because I've had to use a wheelchair for months at a time, more than once, and want our next home to be wheelchair friendly since we plan to age in place. For me, that means easy access to the outside without steps to the front or back porches as well as 36" doors inside.