Concrete Slabs and Pier & Beam Foundations are two common options when it comes to building designs, but which one is good for you? Well, the answer to this isn’t just a mere pick. It depends on where you live, the conditions like the soil on the area where you want to build and pretty much what the experts like engineers say. Let’s delve in deeper to expound more on the two foundations.
Concrete Slab and Pier & Beam Foundation Differences
A slab foundation is made of concrete that is typically 4 ‘-6’ thick in the center. A house on a concrete slab is often placed on a layer of sand for drainage or to act as a cushion. Houses built on a slab lack crawl spaces or rather, they don’t have space under the floor.
Pier and Beams foundation, on the other hand, is made of beams (often wooden) or concrete piers set deep into the ground that bears the weight of the building. It does not rest directly on the ground instead it is elevated about 18’ above with utility units for plumbing and other cabling work installed in this crawlspace.
Advantages of Using the Slab Foundation
- Concrete slab foundations are quite common in warm climates where the ground is less likely to freeze creating in like cracks in the foundations. Slab foundations will tend to reduce the risk of damage from flooding or the leaking of gas from a basement or crawl space into the house.
- A concrete slab can protect a home from termites or other similar insects as there are no open spaces underneath the house that provide access to wooden joists or supports insects could chew.
- Cost-saving is another one of the biggest advantages when it comes to using slab foundations when compared to other types of foundations like Pier and Beam.
Advantages of Pier and Beam Foundations
Pier and beam foundations actually have a number of cool features over concrete slabs:
- The foundations are quite easy to fix, repair, upgrade and remodel. In Pier and Beam Repair, a foundation repair expert can literally get underneath the house to diagnose and fix the issue fast.
- Pier and beam foundations elevate homes to protect them from flooding and moisture. The crawl space is often high enough to crawl through and allow extra utilities including plumbing and electrical wiring/units to be installed and can also be easily accessed if issues should occur.
- There’s also tend to have an extra bit of insulation from the air and extra ones which will save you on energy costs if you live in a cold place
Final Word:
Whether you choose a concrete slab or a pier & beam for your foundation, it depends upon the region where you live. Pier & beam foundations are structurally strong, along with the multiple benefits they offer, which makes them a far better investment. After all, you wish for your home to be the best in all aspects.