cement slab vs.foundation w/i-joists
Does anyone know price per sq.foot difference between a slab floor vs. a wood floor.also pros and cons?
Does anyone know price per sq.foot difference between a slab floor vs. a wood floor.also pros and cons?
Source control, ventilation, and filtration are the keys to healthy indoor air quality. Dehumidification is important too.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
Fine Homebuilding
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
© 2024 Active Interest Media. All rights reserved.
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.
Start Your Free TrialStart your subscription today and save up to 81%
SubscribeGet complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.
Already a member? Log in
Replies
What/where are you building & what level of finish do you desire?
All other things being equal, (no fill, compaction, piers etc needed) in Western MD, the slab will be cheaper & faster. The concrete costs just a little more than the Advantech per s.f., and joists/rim cost way more than remesh.
I am not figuring labor, b/c I do the work myself, but here finishers charge $.55/s.f. for flatwork (doesn't include forming or rebar etc)
But there are so many variables to consider. We had a stained concrete floor in the last house, and our kids never cracked their heads (like my some said they would) It wasn't cold (we insulated) and it looked great - everyone asked where we got the huge 3x3 stone tiles. I poured it myself and it worked there, but I have a bias toward concrete.
Plumbing lines under concrete make some people nervous (not me) and they are a pain to put in.
If you have a foundation in place, and everything is ready, the I joists system can go quickly - wood is softer on the feet. But you still need a finish floor.
thanks for your input.I think i will go with the i-joists@foundation due to the dryness here in kansas,also I am skptical of plumbing placement in the cement.we will have to get rid of alot of dirt but I think it will make a better house in the long term.
thanks again
John T.
I am skptical of plumbing placement in the cement
Well, really, the horizontal plumbing runs are really under the concrete slab, which does not change worries about how the plumbing transitions through the slab.
The "trick" of it is to have really, really, accurate batterboards & reference lines so the plumbers can get the rough-in as accurate as possible (the other 'trick' being to get the formwork as accurate as the plumbing . . . )
Please, take some time and review the buildingscience.com site for recommendations for your climate. Some of the info there will not be the "way everybody else does it"--but, that can actually be better. Honest.
Like sealing the crawlspace, and insulating the roof not the ceiling--that's different, very different, but it can be so much better, too. It's good reading, if, occasionally a bit like stereo instructions from singapore . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
"due to the dryness here in kansas"
I don't understand. What does dryness have to do with it?
Your call - crawl spaces can be handy. You have to plan well in advance w/concrete. I just personally don't like the idea that there is a seldom used space where critters might find a way in undetected. Wooden floors really are nicer, but the solidity of a slab can be nice too.
Don't sweat the dirt - someone needs it & will come asking - put up a sign.
Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life - you just might!
I am
worried about cracks in the concrete due to movementof the soil.
But it will crack anyway,so just forget what i said earlier.I guess I will leave it up to the homeowner.
thanks j.t;
There is really no way to quantify this without more info.
If the site is level and you do not need to raise the grade too much to get to finish floor then slabs can be economical. That's why they work so well in sundivisions.
If the site is not level or you need to raise the grade substantially, that is, do a lot of dirtwork, the savings can evaporate rapidly.
Also be sure to consider floor finish. Stained concrete is inexpensive compared to hardwood over joists. If you are carpeting either way, it's a differnt story again.
With a slab floor the plumber is driving your schedule and mistakes are difficult and expensive to correct.
Given the choice I would go with a joisted floor every time.
And no, concrete does not have to crack. I will catch a bunch of flak for that statement, but it's true. You just need to know what you are doing and take some extra care.
And no, concrete does not have to crack. I will catch a bunch of flak for that statement, but it's true. You just need to know what you are doing and take some extra care.
You be right.
Gabe Martel did an article for JLC several years ago that was excellent. I guess he spents more time at thier forum now. Haven't seen him in years around here.
Dave
then you miss the fight couple weeks ago.
I was pretty impressed with that article, too. <G>Gabe still hangs around here, he'll flirt with SG a little every now and then (y'know, not the same without those formerly used terms of endearment like "DF" and so on), and he'll give the liberals h#ll when they deserve it.He's also very generous with his hard-earned knowledge and wisdom here. I am surprised that more people don't pay attention because there is a lot to learn.He knows more about concrete than most of us realize there is to know and occasionaly places more in one day most of us will in our lifetime.
Gabe Martel did an article for JLC several years ago that was excellent. I guess he spents more time at thier forum now. Haven't seen him in years around here.
Link please!
We've done a lot of concrete pretty well, but there is a lot of flatwork in the near future & we'd love to learn more.
Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life - you just might!
http://www.jlconline.comThen go to research.I have not tried it but you can probably bring it up by searching for his name.