Crawlspace: Why do homes have that space under the house?

 What’s the purpose?

There are many reasons why a crawl space is a popular form of foundation for homes and of course one of the most considerable reasons is price. Building over a basement can be much more costly than a crawl space, building on a slab can in fact be a cheaper option. So why not build on a slab instead of a crawl space? Well for one, a slab is poured on top of the soil and when the soil settles or shifts you are in danger of cracking the foundation. So even though it is initially less expensive to build on a slab, foundation issues on this type of house can be extremely costly. Crawl spaces, on the other hand, have footings deep down under the house. These footings protect the foundation from most soil settling, as long as drainage for the home is taken care of appropriately.

Disadvantage?

The disadvantage to having a crawl space foundation is that it adds another area for the homeowner to look after. However, most homeowners want nothing to do with the crawl space. I mean who wants to go crawling around under the house with spiders and who knows what else? So a high percentage of crawl spaces are neglected which can lead to costly repairs when a problem does come to light.

What to look out for!



If the floors in your house are starting to sink or slope, or you are concerned about foundation issues, you should consider your crawl space. It often causes many problems that can lead to long-term foundational damage. Crawl spaces can be a hassle, but you can avoid the repercussions by keeping up with the necessary crawl space repair and restorations.

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