We are planning on downsizing. We are looking at a house built on a slab foundation. For the last twenty years we have had a basement but we don’t feel like we need a basement any longer and found this open floor plan house built on a slab. Is this something we should avoid? Thank you.

Our 4 floor 110 year old beach house is on a slab...still going strong despite being built on what’s basically a giant sand bar.

Plumbing failures may lead to breaking up the slab.
Cold floors and possible moisture issues.

No, it should be fine. Just about every house in Florida is built on a slab.

It would depend.

Is it a conventional footing and stem wall foundation that a slab was poured in? Is it a mono pour? or something else?.

quote:

Originally posted by shovelhead:
Plumbing failures may lead to breaking up the slab.
Cold floors and possible moisture issues.

A good summary. Cold winters, and wet soil, will transmit through the concrete readily.

All slabs are not created equal. There are a number of ways of pouring a slab, better ways, cheaper ways.

Also, a great deal depends on the soil it is poured onto. Some soils are very difficult to stabilize.

Decades ago, when I was involved in these things in San Diego, it was said that the definition of a coward was a soils engineer in San Diego who gave it up to go fight the Ruskies in Afghanistan.

Get some expert evaluation.

No basements here. Unless it's on pilings, it's on a slab.

There are good and bad points to both types of construction. In some parts of the country one type or the other are more prevalent. There aren’t many houses with basements in Houston or New Orleans. I’d suggest that you not buy a house with any type of foundation built on a swelling clay soil.

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:
All slabs are not created equal. There are a number of ways of pouring a slab, better ways, cheaper ways.

Also, a great deal depends on the soil it is poured onto. Some soils are very difficult to stabilize.

Decades ago, when I was involved in these things in San Diego, it was said that the definition of a coward was a soils engineer in San Diego who gave it up to go fight the Ruskies in Afghanistan.

Get some expert evaluation.

"Hey, I have a great idea - let's build on the clay hillside of Mt. Soledad"
"Gee, I don't know, where can we find a soils engineer who'll pass the analysis? "
"Don't worry, I know a guy - and he works for the city!!"
"Boom baby, we're gonna be rich"

There are many millions of apartments and commercial properties built on a slab. I would not worry about it. Slabs are also cheaper for insurance.

How often does KY see tornados? They are essential around my parts.

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:

quote:

Originally posted by shovelhead:
Plumbing failures may lead to breaking up the slab.
Cold floors and possible moisture issues.

A good summary. Cold winters, and wet soil, will transmit through the concrete readily.

As long as the house is properly graded, there shouldn't be any wet soil underneath the slab, no way for it to get there. The ground under the slab is relatively warm since the slab is sitting on top of it. Shouldn't have moisture issues either if done properly.

Plumbing issues aren't a problem anymore either. I had the cast iron drain pipes replaced on a 4 plex I own, they simply tunnel under it. They shoot water in there and have a vacuum that sucks out the water/dirt slurry, replaced the pipes, installed hangers into the slab from underneath, and the same vacuum machine shoots gravel back into the tunnel/hole like it never happened. 2 guys made the tunnel under the 2600 sq foot 1 story building, replaced all of the drain piping, and filled the hole back up in 5 days.

All my rental properties are on a slab.

Less potential issues.

But my house has a basement, and I like it.

I think you just need to understand how much shit is in the basement and where it’s gonna go in the new house (if it makes it in at all) without a basement.

My wife and I just built a 3500 square foot home and it is on a post tension slab. We live in Oklahoma so the tornado shelter is something we wanted. No basement, but the tornado shelter is cut into the floor of the garage in between the cars. Will hold about 7 people.

My lovely wife and I are pack rats so a basement is a must to store all the stuff. Another big advantage for a basement as pointed out in a couple of the previous responses is a safer place to go during a tornado. Also it is a comfortable place to stay in during a summer power outage because it stays cool.

From a structural standpoint a slab is fine.
From a practical and selling standpoint there are other considerations.
My first house was a 4 bedroom on a slab with a 2 car garage.
Our cars ended up parked outside. Storage was the problem. A basement could have provided more space or been finished into more living space. Not on a slab.
Cushioning on a slab is essential if you have joint problems and hardwood floors have to deal with potential moisture issues and have no flexibility. Not a good combo as you age.
People who live near the coast or building where there is a lot of bedrock don’t have an option.
I would never own any other slab home anywhere a basement is an option.

quote:

Originally posted by SigMaverick:
I think you just need to understand how much shit is in the basement and where it’s gonna go in the new house (if it makes it in at all) without a basement.

This. Fully agree that the basement holds a bunch of crap, so get ready. We miss having a basement. We've owned 5 homes with the previous two having basements. The homes without basements have been concrete slab. Agree with concern about soil, grading and slab construction. Current home is newer construction with post-tension concrete slab, no issues at all.

Basements are the deal. I doubt I'll ever have another home without one, with such easy access to the plumbing and utilities, the extra storage, the boonker...

our old house in NC was built on pillars, we moved to TX and the house is on a slab, I saw them pulling cable into tension as the place was being built and I asked why?

Turns out the ground (clay) shrinks BIGLY here and causes problems...the tensioned slab is the way to go....also uses you sprinkler to keep the soil near the slab moist.

I grew up in Fla and my home was built on posts around 1930's, dad added new sections over time and they were both slabs. the only thing is you have to think out your stuff before pouring-piping, water lines..etc

my older bro had his water lines replaced as the galvanized pipe was starting to die...my dad ran pvc under the driveway in under and hour with nothing more than a hose and jet tip for a hose and a shovel

I wouldn't worry about a slab.

What I would worry about is where are you gonna put all the shit you've got in that basement now?? After moving recently I found that my "paring down" didn't get to the absolute bare minimum...