I've owned houses that have been configured all three ways and these are my thoughts. In CA, there are few basements due to cave in potential with earthquakes and liquefaction soils. Crawl spaces are a real pain if you need to have work done on your plumbing or electric because there is such small space to work in. Often crawl spaces do not have poured flooring (especially in older houses) which is problematic due to insects and moisture. Slabs are also problematic especially if plumbing was installed through the slab. They are also prone to cracking in earth movement, with invasive tree and bush roots and if not properly installed, with moisture. Basements are great but difficult to insulate and heat. They also often have moisture problems especially when concrete or slump block is used in the construction or when there is improper drainage along the walls.Been looking at house designs. What is the big advantage to having a crawlspace verses nothing or a basement?
in our cold climate ,i believe a full basement is the only way to go...
It really depends on the locale.
In the south where it is more humid, basements are almost unheard of.
In the absence of the locality affecting my decision I would opt for a basement. It provides storage space, if it's unfinished and can be converted into living space by finishing it.
Our washer/dryer are in the basement and I wouldn't have them anywhere else. There's a concrete floor with a drain and if there should happen to be an overflow it's very easy to clean up and there is no water damage to the rest of the house.
What kind of climate are you in? Having the house up off the ground is better to avoid bugs like termites, and helps avoid flood damage. But cold air can get in underneath. I bought a house recently that was built in 1927. It had a crawlspace, which was fortunate because we had to rewire it.
Basements require a dry foundation and need to be sealed on outside. They are expensive to build and to heat. Slabs are a no/no in northern states because the floor will get very cold and chill entire level. With a crawl space, the temperature of the home is moderated. It should be at least 4 feet high for access and lined with heavy polyethylene sheeting for 75-90% of surface to keep moisture levels down. The space can be ventilated although there are differing opinions on doing this seasonally.
Well first of all your facts are wrong, with the full slab if something were to happen and you cut or sawed into the slab you would take the risk of screwing up your entire slab and getting the whole thing fixed, not just the original problem. With the crawlspace, if you have a pipe burst you can get under the house without screwing up your foundation to fix the problems. Also as long as the builder supports the house correctly, you can put all the furniture ';upstairs'; as you would with a slab and not have to worry about a thing. Trust me, I had a house with a crawlspace and we had 2 waterbeds, and a 50 gallon fish tank all on one side of the house and it did nothing to the foundation, trust me, we also went under the house to make sure that it was not too much for the house and everything was fine. Next it also does not last a shorter time, it can last just as long as a full slab. Lets say that you go and drill through your slab and you put a huge crack in it without knowing and then your town floods your foundation will float away from where the crack was. As long as once again your builder puts the blocks where their supposed to be under the crawlspace the foundation will last just as long. Last, the basement issue is going to cost you about an additional $10, to 20K. Unless you are building your house on a hillside were you would have a daylight basement for the house on the side of the hill to be supported by. If you do decide to do the basement you need to remember that your permit costs are going to go up, as well as it may be harder to get the approval from the inspectors with a basement depending on the town or state that you live in. Last thing with a basement, if you have a certain type of dirt they may not allow you to put a basement on the house. I would check with the building dept in your town before you make any choices on your foundation. Just make sure that you look at all your choices maybe a little bit better before you make your final decision. Hope I was of some help.
No comments:
Post a Comment