Basement vs Slab
Last Post 14 Nov 2007 08:21 PM by timbertimvt. 7 Replies.
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VermonterUser is Offline
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04 Apr 2007 10:27 PM
I'm debating whether I want to do a basement or slab on grade.

The slab seems very appealing because I won't have to worry nearly as much about water management.

This will be in the northeast, probably Vermont. The house will be ICFs, off-grid. I will do as much work myself as possible. I have about two years of carpentry experience and lots of friends who work in various trades. I also have a very solid technical background.

I haven't found a site yet, so I'm not sure if it will be flat or sloped. Hopefully sloped, so a walkout basement would be a possibility. Would I need a sump pump if I went that route? I'm hoping a well designed perimeter drain would take care of the water. I'd like the house to be able to go without power for long periods of time without damage, just in case. I want this house to last for many generations.

Thanks for any help!
VermonterUser is Offline
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06 Apr 2007 05:32 AM
I talked with a friend of mine tonight who does concrete.

Seems like it will depend on the site. Hopefully I can find a site that has a slope, so I can rely on gravity for drainage. Then I could do a walkout basement and slope it so any water that manages to get in will drain back out.

If I do a slab I'll have to have my plumbing drains in the slab. Usually doesn't cause problems, but I just don't like the idea of pipes being embedded in a place that's hard to get to if there is problems.
blackdogarchUser is Offline
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01 Jun 2007 05:07 PM

Assuming you haven't built yet...

Given the north is mostly hilly, you will likely have a sloped site. While you can grade for a flat spot, I would go with a  basement for a number of reasons: you are already digging out most of your depth, especially on a hill, so you will get relatively inexpensive space for the effort. Depending on the slope, you may be able to have windows and actually have living space on the lower level.  Or a place to put the ski equipment...

Proper grading and waterproofing the exterior of the walls will elimnate water issues.

Like you seem to have realized, a slab is hard to insulate, plumbing is difficult to work on or extend for additions, and the floor is harder than a wood floor (less resilient.) Alos, if you raise the first floo above the grade a bit, you do not have to go as far down for the lower slab, and may be able to have your upper footings directly at the slab, stepping down as you approach the downhill side.

If you are looking at ICF's, look at Durisol blocks, made with recycled wood waste and cement. They have a high-R system, stackable, are not a petroleum based product, can be screwed into directly for finish or stuccoed. They assemble like ICF's but are easier ot work with. http://www.durisolbuild.com/.

Have fun!
Don

gregjUser is Offline
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01 Jun 2007 05:18 PM
If you go with a basement (and I would) you'll want some plumbing down there too (laundry or half bath or sink or floor drains or drain for water heater or utility condensate drain, etc.). So your dwv plumbing will be under the slab eitherway - but that really isn't a problem.  
blackdogarchUser is Offline
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01 Jun 2007 05:28 PM
That is waste plumbing, the supply can be kept out of the slab easliy enough. This is pretty standard construction in the Mid-Atlantic -North regions. You could even just insulate the floor of the upper level and keep the basement as a storage/work space, or insulate inside or outside of the walls. One builder in NH I know will pour basement walls since it is faster and cheaper, then add 2"
rigid insulation to the outside, and sceening and stucco or Dryvit finish. He gets a nice watertable bumpout at the floor band, visually adds to the base of the building. Back to the Durisol, it can be screwed to, so some builders will add furring and continue the siding down over the basement walls, stepping per the grade.
Chris JohnsonUser is Offline
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01 Jun 2007 08:55 PM
Put in the basement, it is the cheapest square footage you can build
Chris Johnson - Pro ICF<br>North of 49
ArdoseUser is Offline
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01 Aug 2007 09:15 PM
It isn't cheap square footage if it is wet and cold. Use some form of insulated basement wall system and a waterproofing system that is warranted for a long time. Read the warranty carefully before you choose one. Some have to be applied by a certified company representative.
timbertimvtUser is Offline
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14 Nov 2007 08:21 PM
over the last few years, I've been turning against basements. While it is true that basements are cheap square footage, they have there cost in other ways. The two that get me most are 1) a cubic yard of concrete production produces 631pounds of CO2, and 2)it wastes a good oppertunity to use the slab for thermal mass in a passive solar design. I live in vermont too, and have been building full time for 12 years, and I'm ready to be through with basements. The being said, a walk out that is desgined as a first floor is a good solution, in my humble opinion.
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