BUILDING BASE STRUCTURES—WHAT IF YOU HAD TO START OVER?
Totally agree about crawlspaces being more forgiving. I did a sealed one last time, and yeah, it cost more upfront, but fixing a pipe later was a breeze. Slabs just feel too permanent for my taste—no room for mistakes or changes.
BUILDING BASE STRUCTURES—WHAT IF YOU HAD TO START OVER?
I get the appeal of crawlspaces, especially for future repairs. But I keep circling back to how much energy efficiency matters—sealed crawlspaces can be great, but only if they're done right. If I had to start over, I'd probably do a conditioned crawl with rigid foam on the walls, vapor barrier sealed tight, and maybe even a radon vent just in case. Slabs are tough to retrofit, but they do cut down on air leaks if you insulate the perimeter well. It's a trade-off... I guess it depends on how much flexibility you want versus long-term performance.
Slabs are tough to retrofit, but they do cut down on air leaks if you insulate the perimeter well.
I've actually lived in both types—conditioned crawl and insulated slab. The slab was great for airtightness, but it always felt a bit cold underfoot, even with perimeter insulation. The crawlspace made upgrades a lot simpler later on, though I did have to chase a couple moisture issues early. If I were starting over, I'd probably lean toward a really well-detailed conditioned crawl. The flexibility for mechanicals and repairs is just hard to beat.
Funny, I’ve had the opposite experience—my slab house always felt warmer, but maybe that’s just the climate here. Curious if you ever tried radiant heat in the slab? That’s one thing I wish more folks considered, especially for comfort. Crawlspaces definitely win for access, though... no contest there.
Curious if you ever tried radiant heat in the slab? That’s one thing I wish more folks considered, especially for comfort.
Radiant heat in slabs is a total game changer for comfort, especially in colder climates. I’m always surprised more people don’t go for it—energy efficiency plus warm toes? Hard to beat. Did you insulate under your slab at all, or just rely on the radiant? That’s where I see a lot of folks miss out on performance.
