A slab foundation or a basement: pros and cons?
Question:I could build either, and would be glad for opinions. Thanks!
Answers:
Absolutely basement, no question. We just built a home this past year with a basement, and have moved here from a home with a crawl space. With a basement, any issues with plumbing or "guts" of the house is easily accesible for repairs. You almost double your usable space and have the future for expansion if you desire. Plus there is my favorite reason: tornadoes!! If you go with a basement, I highly recommend a 2nd entrance, preferably into your garage. It's very handy for parties or maintenance and just a good idea for safety's sake to have two exits, and one not be INTO the main part of your house. Won't cost a lot more either, as long as you plan it at the start of construction.
Definitly a basement. You can easily make it a family room or a play room for the kids so they're not in the main part of the house making a lot of racket. You could make it into your own recreation room with a pool table and a bar maybe foos ball? Also if you live in an area with tornadic weather it's nice to have the shelter to go into. I really don't know of any cons except for the added cost. GO WITH THE BASEMENT!
Besides the added space for storage or recreation, a basement has the major advantage of giving you access to all your plumbing and electrical wiring. With a slab, the plumbing all runs underground and is extremely expensive to repair or modify. Slab home also have a tendency to shift and crack, including cracks in the slab, allowing critters like ants and termites free access to the home. The only disadvantage to a basement is the potential for flooding. Make sure the walls are waterproofed, a sump is installed and a good drain system is put in around the foundation.
I'm partial to basements, extra space. I live where we have a lot of tornados and it's a life saver when storms are around. My husband argues with me about this but slab floors just seem so hard on your feet, even with carpet and padding. My opinion, think you'll like the convenience and looks of a raised foundation or basement. Congrats and enjoy your new home!
I cannot think of ONE reason why you would consider a slab for a new home other than the price.
The home heating/cooling system would require that the duct work either be placed in the concrete slab or in the attic. Either way it is a problem. Future repair work in the slab is basically impossible. Having heat coming from the ceiling is questionable as heat rises and that will give you colder floors.
Do the basement, gain the space and enjoy the comfort.
More Related Questions & Answers...