What maintenance needs to be done on a slab on grade foundation?
Hi we are looking at a house to buy that has a slab foundation. It's a beautiful house the concerns is what maintenence needs to be done to maintain it. I have been ready on it and I like the idea of it but as when your not use to something your hesitant. So if there is anything that needs to be done I would want to know. Plus the resale value of the house as well. There seems a real disconnect between regular housing and a slab which kinda worries me. So if you could kinda help really torn.
A slab on grade foundation is more durable than a basement foundation, and so it would typically have less maintenance issues. The only real difference with a slab over a basement foundation is the lack of dirt up against exterior walls. A slab on grade shallow foundation may have a radiant floor heating system that might have maintenance needs, but a basement may as well. This page here covers it pretty well –
Choosing a slab on grade instead of a basement – the pros and cons
Above grade walls can dry to the exterior, while a below grade foundation cannot, so when we build basements with vapor barriers they get moldy in really a matter of years. Building above grade eliminates the risk of mold forming in walls (assuming they are built well), it eliminates the risk of flooding, so it is better protected in that way, and has no need for a sump pump, which a basement should have – which can require maintenance. So really, the short answer is that if anything there is less maintenance as they are inherently more durable.