Foundation Types In Northern Climates

Dustball

If you were to choose a foundation for spec houses with finished basements on 40 foot wide urban lots in a northern climate (MN), which would you use?

I'm currently evaluating block, poured, pre-cast and permanent wood foundations.

Factors to take into account- speed and cost since we're going for volume sales, ability to build all year round, ease of finishing the basement, dryness and energy savings.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Dustin

Brushslingers

What does MN require for access? In DE you have to have basement egress, so most use poured to account for rise and fall. Personally i'd use pre-cast but, depends on your code.

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Benn

Dustball

Egress windows will be required if we choose to have bedrooms in the lower level and that is what we plan to have.

maj

PWF all the way.

speed and cost since we're going for volume sales, ability to build all year round, ease of finishing the basement, dryness and energy savings.

An experienced framing crew can have it done in a day, depending on # of corners. Cost is about the same or even a lttle less than poured concrete, since we have to frame 2x4 perimeter walls on poured foundations anyway for the energy code. I have built PWF's in the dead of winter. You gotta keep a heater on the caulk though. Can't get any easier to finish the basement, since the studs are already there. Dryest foundation I've ever seen. Energy....... You could get close to R30 if you wanted to, but we usually just do R19 in the 8" cavities. Egress is just a matter of framing like any other window. And if you need to change or add some, piece of cake, sawsall and frame a new opening. No need for a specialized concrete wall saw.

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maj

Check out this thread Dustball....

http://www.contractortalk.com/showth...ood+foundation

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Dustball

Thanks for the input, maj. I read that thread earlier and I did a lot of research on PWF's and I don't have any issues with it personally.

I am a bit concerned on how it's viewed by the general public when our houses go up for sale- how will PWF's affect saleability?

As for PWF's and the floor- what's your thoughts on a wood floor on sleepers vs a poured concrete floor?

maj

I've never done, nor seen any wood floors, so can't comment on that aspect. 99% of our basements have radiant floor heat, so we always use concrete.

My experience with the general public is they are either totally against it, or really like the idea. I can usually tell if a customer will go for the PWF within 5 minutes of bringing up the topic. If they have their mind made up that wood does not belong underground, there is no changing it. The rest of the crowd can be persuaded into it, and all of the ones I have worked on love them.

You have to first believe in them yourself in order to sell them.

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The views expressed in this post are merely opinions of named poster and in no way shall be deemed meaningful by members of the herd. By no means does anything posted by named poster mean a damn thing for anyone else partaking in this thread.