We’re looking at buying a new 2 story home in Nashville,Tn. with a slab foundation. Are slabs a good thing or will I miss crawling around in the crawlspace with the spiders? What about settling concerns..should I worry about that? Is moisture a problem for the tile and wood floors on slab grade? Are the floors colder than plywood subfloors…can they be insulated? I watched the tile guys doing a kitchen floor in this development and they were cussin’ the uneven floor but said the G.C. wouldn’t spend the money to level it. Is this a bad sign or are slabs the wave of the future? Please help with any comments or opinions. Thanks!!
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It's like anything else. Including country songs.
The good ones can be pretty good and the bad ones can be terrible.
You might do well to hire a good inspector for this one.
DRC
I've had both slabs and crawl space.
First, the moisture issue. If the ground is dry, you're OK either way. If it's wet, you have problems either way. The slab just keeps you closer to the problem. The crawl space gives you the opportunity to pretend it isn't there until it gets extremely expensive to fix.
Slabs are cheaper to build in the first place, but they're much harder to remodel and upgrade. If you're in a climate where it freezes, re-piping is a bigger pain, because here in the non-freezing southwest, we can run it thru the attic.
Also consider the view from your windows. A crawl space puts your eye level a few feet higher than you'd have with a slab. A lot depends on what you have right outside. Our front windows are only 5 ft. from the public sidewalk, so the extra elevation helps a lot with making the place feel separated from foot traffic. On a larger lot, you may prefer a slab that puts your windows closer to the landscaping outside.
-- J.S.
Ahhh ...moisture! we get a lot of rain here..like a cow whizzing on a flat rock sometimes,and the soil is clay,so i am concerned with a damp "feeling" in the house as well as concerns with gluing down a prefinished wood floor. I assume they will install a vapor barrier under the concrete before they pour the monolithic slab??? How long does the slab need to cure before you can install tile and/or wood floors? Any comments or tips would be greatly appreciated!!
Everything we do here is slab on grade. But we also have sand everywhere. Typical house is red sand clay foot above natural grade, vapor barrier, concrete. No stone under slab like most. Three day cure for framing , block next day after placement. usually dirt,plumbing etc. monday thru thursday, friday placement, following monday start framing.
Ambi-C,
I just re-read your first post, and realized this house you're considering is new, and may not be built yet.
If there is any legitimate concern about the quality of this builder's work, including those initiated by tile installers questioning the builder's parental heritage or recreational activities, you probably ought to keep looking.
Slab on grade construction is the only foundation system I build on. (If I could sell full basements, I'd build them.)
Anyway, done properly,slab is a good way to go.
If it's done improperly you can easily end up with an inferior quality home that can not be economically repaired. A bad slab is a problem for the life of the home.
There is no excuse for inferior quality in construction. In this industry we have an unprecedented choice of top-quality materials, and a skilled, experienced, well-trained workforce with excellent tools and more technical knowledge than any time in recent history. If you're willing to pay for that.
If you want to pay less, you can get less.
Sounds to me like you'd do well to trust your instincts.
DRC
Nashville is at the northern limit of the sun belt.....at best.
Slabs of concrete are heat sinks!!!!!!........... and feel mighty cold to the feet even in moderate winter climates.
....check out the slab for perimeter insulation.
Ask for the utility expenses for the last year if it is an existing house.
Yes....hire a certified house inspector.....new or used!
....................Iron Helix