whats the risk of having a house on a cement slab? what are the positives and the negatives? and how long do they last? ?
Some thoughts to consider: First, If you live in a climate that gets any kind of cold weather the slab will feel cool or even cold to the touch. The solution to this is to put in a hydronic in-slab heat. Even if you don't put the hydronic heat in, do put rigid foam insulation under the slab, it WILL save money on heating costs (unless you live in a tropical climate). Second, if you do put tile on the slab, be sure to use a membrane between the tile and the slab. It will add a little cost, but if you don't, any cracks in the concrete will just come through and crack your tile (and you know what they say about concrete, there's two kinds, concrete that's cracked and concrete that's going to crack). Third, DO NOT let anyone talk you into putting forced air ducts under the slab unless they use the blue plastic HK duct. The HK seals completely. If they use the old PVC style duct under the slab you WILL get mold in the ductwork. Slab homes can be fine, if they're built right. They will last just as long as a home with a basement or crawlspace.
Alot of homes are built on cement slabs in the coastal areas where we have as much sand as dirt...you have the same settlement issues as one with a crawl space. One of the big negatives is that none of the air handling components can be under the crawl space. We've had cement slabs for the last 4 houses we've owned and I love it. There is less settling overall and not as much echo to the floors. They last forever!!
We've lived in a home w/cement slab for 22 yrs. and had no problems. People ask if it ever cracked and the answer is no. We also have ceramic tile over the slab and no problem. Love it! Neither of us grew up w/ a basement so we don't miss it. Negative - possibly not having a place to go in hurricane events or extreme weather but that's what an inside closet is for.
