Slab vs. Crawl Space

davidmc467 · 01-10-2013, 01:37 PM

The wife and I are building a home soon across the street from Lake Murray near Chapin. This is our first home, so I'm loaded with questions.

What do you all prefer, slab or crawl space?

It seems that the slab is the trendy thing these days with newer homes, but are the upfront financial savings of a slab worth it in the long run?

CampusPolice · 01-10-2013, 01:39 PM

Slabs make it cold as balls in the house.

USC girl · 01-10-2013, 01:41 PM

Crawl

5150harley · 01-10-2013, 01:42 PM

I'm not a fan of slab. If you have a line burst under the slab, you have to pull up your carpet, hardwoods, or what ever you have down and cut a section out to repair it vs. crawling under to repair.

GamecockSkip · 01-10-2013, 01:43 PM

I much prefer having a crawl space. With slab construction any repairs to plumbing systems are a nightmare. HVAC is much easier to maintain if the unit and ducts are below the floor rather in the attic which is required in slab construction. Installation of cable or satellite systems, as well as running home theatre cabeling is much easier below the floor in a crawl space. You also have better protection from flooding if the floor level is elevated.

COCKDIESEL · 01-10-2013, 01:43 PM

I live on a slab and we did it that way save on initial costs. I will never do it again. First the heating and air unite ds up in your attic. This causes two problems. 1st it takes up space. Second there is always the threat of water damage to your ceiling from a clogged drain that comes out of the heating unit. Also I just feel that the vents in the ceiling don't do as good a job as ones in the floor. Which raises your heating cost because its cold.

Captain9Dragons · 01-10-2013, 01:51 PM

crawl space

also, if you get a crack in your slab and you dont see it, termites can enter and you will never see them

Mick Chicken · 01-10-2013, 01:56 PM

davidmc467 · 01-10-2013, 01:57 PM

All good points. I grew up in a crawl space home, and I currently rent a slab home.

I do feel better about the long term benefits and the set up of a crawl space. I couldn't imagine ripping my floor and foundation up just to make repairs in a slab home when the repairman could just walk under the house and get to issue directly with no demo work needed in a crawl space home.

Berry · 01-10-2013, 01:58 PM

Basement.

Of course I has someone tell me that his washer sprung a leak, and if he didn't live on a slab it would have caused floor damage.

But I guess they both have their pros and cons.

M.C. · 01-10-2013, 04:01 PM

crawl

usc90grad · 01-10-2013, 05:09 PM

Crawl space....gives you somewhere to hide bodies.

USCBatgirl21 · 01-10-2013, 05:15 PM

Crawl space.

Of course I live in an area where damn near 50% of the homes must be elevated anyway.

Acockolypse Now · 01-10-2013, 05:23 PM

Yeah crawl spaces are hella useful.

Great way to overcome your fear of spiders too.

GamecockSkip · 01-10-2013, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acockolypse Now

Yeah crawl spaces are hella useful.

Great way to overcome your fear of spiders too.

There it that. Spiders are the only thing that will make me squeal like a little girl. Whenever I have to go in the crawl space, I carry a spray can of spider spray.

lance_uppercut · 01-10-2013, 09:29 PM

I never knew slab homes were considered "trendy". When my wife looked for our first home it was very easy to eliminate homes without even going in them by just seeing if they were slab or not. Like everyone else has stated, you can go cheap with a slab and run into a WORLD of problems including wiring, cooling/heating, plumbing, flooding, etc.

sodacitynate · 01-10-2013, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acockolypse Now

Yeah crawl spaces are hella useful.

Great way to overcome your fear of spiders too.

And possums.

cocky0 · 01-10-2013, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acockolypse Now

Yeah crawl spaces are hella useful.

Great way to overcome your fear of spiders too.

Or make it worse when one of the little buggers crawls into your ear unnoticed only to lay a whole bunch of eggs which will hatch one day thus causing a few thousand little baby spiders to make a mass exodus down your face.

Sleep well tonight, folks.

MEL · 01-11-2013, 01:41 AM

Crawl space. The only downside is that small critters could find their way in, so you probably should find out how to prevent that while you're building the house.

Gamecock Rob · 01-11-2013, 02:07 AM

Crawl. Ideal place for storing homebrew while it is fermenting (among other stuff).

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01-10-2013, 01:37 PM	#1
davidmc467 Little Engine That Could Male Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Chapin, SC Posts: 3,412 CockyCash: 500	Slab vs. Crawl Space The wife and I are building a home soon across the street from Lake Murray near Chapin. This is our first home, so I'm loaded with questions. What do you all prefer, slab or crawl space? It seems that the slab is the trendy thing these days with newer homes, but are the upfront financial savings of a slab worth it in the long run? __________________

01-10-2013, 01:39 PM	#2
CampusPolice To Protect and Serve Male Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Columbia Posts: 64 CockyCash: 2200	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space Slabs make it cold as balls in the house. __________________ "CLED" Cockytalk Law Enforcement Division.

01-10-2013, 01:41 PM	#3
USC girl ᒍᑌᔕT ᗩ ᔕIᑭ Female Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Beverly Hills Posts: 8,625 CockyCash: 85348102	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space Crawl

01-10-2013, 01:42 PM	#4
5150harley Sandlapper Pools Male Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Richburg, SC Posts: 1,364 CockyCash: 500	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space I'm not a fan of slab. If you have a line burst under the slab, you have to pull up your carpet, hardwoods, or what ever you have down and cut a section out to repair it vs. crawling under to repair. __________________

01-10-2013, 01:43 PM	#5
GamecockSkip 2nd Team All-SEC Male Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 2,748 CockyCash: 800	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space I much prefer having a crawl space. With slab construction any repairs to plumbing systems are a nightmare. HVAC is much easier to maintain if the unit and ducts are below the floor rather in the attic which is required in slab construction. Installation of cable or satellite systems, as well as running home theatre cabeling is much easier below the floor in a crawl space. You also have better protection from flooding if the floor level is elevated. __________________ You can't spell Clemson with a D

01-10-2013, 01:43 PM	#6
COCKDIESEL Voice of Reason Male Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pine Ridge Posts: 6,600 CockyCash: 52380000	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space I live on a slab and we did it that way save on initial costs. I will never do it again. First the heating and air unite ds up in your attic. This causes two problems. 1st it takes up space. Second there is always the threat of water damage to your ceiling from a clogged drain that comes out of the heating unit. Also I just feel that the vents in the ceiling don't do as good a job as ones in the floor. Which raises your heating cost because its cold. __________________

01-10-2013, 01:51 PM	#7
Captain9Dragons Forest Grump Male Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Erastus,NC Posts: 8,861 CockyCash: 24891820	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space crawl space also, if you get a crack in your slab and you dont see it, termites can enter and you will never see them __________________

01-10-2013, 01:56 PM	#8
Mick Chicken Banned Male Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Nohio Posts: 4,714 CockyCash: 500	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space

01-10-2013, 01:57 PM	#9
davidmc467 Little Engine That Could Male Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Chapin, SC Posts: 3,412 CockyCash: 500	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space All good points. I grew up in a crawl space home, and I currently rent a slab home. I do feel better about the long term benefits and the set up of a crawl space. I couldn't imagine ripping my floor and foundation up just to make repairs in a slab home when the repairman could just walk under the house and get to issue directly with no demo work needed in a crawl space home. __________________

01-10-2013, 01:58 PM	#10
Berry Sherlock Male Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 9,958 CockyCash: 17578666	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space Basement. Of course I has someone tell me that his washer sprung a leak, and if he didn't live on a slab it would have caused floor damage. But I guess they both have their pros and cons. __________________

01-10-2013, 04:01 PM	#11
M.C. The original "Mastercock" Male Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Denver, NC Posts: 10,603 CockyCash: 475	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space crawl __________________ All you Clemson Tigers Can Kiss My Garnet Ass -M.C.

01-10-2013, 05:09 PM	#12
usc90grad Cum Laude Cock Male Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Waxhaw, NC Posts: 28,187 CockyCash: 1880	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space Crawl space....gives you somewhere to hide bodies. __________________

01-10-2013, 05:15 PM	#13
USCBatgirl21 Official Baseball Chick Female Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Sec 4, Row 1, Seat 16 - Carolina Stadium Posts: 8,184 CockyCash: 1000500	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space Crawl space. Of course I live in an area where damn near 50% of the homes must be elevated anyway.

01-10-2013, 05:23 PM	#14
Acockolypse Now L-I-V-I-N Male Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,758 CockyCash: 45000175	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space Yeah crawl spaces are hella useful. Great way to overcome your fear of spiders too. __________________ Always remember... stay Feisty.

01-10-2013, 09:29 PM	#16
lance_uppercut Banned Male Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: columbia Posts: 267 CockyCash: 1450	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space I never knew slab homes were considered "trendy". When my wife looked for our first home it was very easy to eliminate homes without even going in them by just seeing if they were slab or not. Like everyone else has stated, you can go cheap with a slab and run into a WORLD of problems including wiring, cooling/heating, plumbing, flooding, etc.

01-11-2013, 01:41 AM	#19
MEL RIP Feisty & C-Girl Female Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: A little town north of Atlanta Posts: 10,288 CockyCash: 3000500	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space Crawl space. The only downside is that small critters could find their way in, so you probably should find out how to prevent that while you're building the house.

01-11-2013, 02:07 AM	#20
Gamecock Rob Household Name Male Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Wilmington, NC, America Posts: 6,518 CockyCash: 200	Re: Slab vs. Crawl Space Crawl. Ideal place for storing homebrew while it is fermenting (among other stuff).

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