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travelinmatt76 t1_jds991j wrote

Reply to comment by Sufficient-Green-763 in ELI5 Why is there a a crawl space under houses? by PetertheRabbit321

Why don't you want the floor on soil? I've lived in plenty of houses with no crawl space with slab on grade.

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Sufficient-Green-763 t1_jdsba35 wrote

Slab on grade is fine. It's just more expensive than the typical foundation with a crawlspace

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PrionBacon t1_jdsjjfs wrote

Subterranean termites living in the soil will have instant access to the wood in your home.

Also the soil can get damp from rain/poor drainage and cause mold and mildew problems.

A slab adds a physical barrier to prevent this but it is very difficult to modify or repair anything built into the slab. For example the drain pipe.

The crawl space acts as an air barrier and allows for easier access to plumbing or HVAC systems. It also takes less concrete since you only pour in the perimeter of the house for the foundation.

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