one of the best things about slab living is no need for heavy underlayment. a simple sheet of waterproof paper or plastic suffices thereby minimizing any flex in your flooring of choice.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yeah, but the downside is everything else about it.

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

yeah environmental factor play a more accurate part to slab care than a pier/beam setup. if you live in a waterbed zone with lots of clay and lots of rain, a slab can be a headache to maintain

[–] grue@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It also has serious downsides in terms of:

Lack of basement or crawlspace living/storage space
Difficult to modify plumbing & electrical
Have to run HVAC through the attic
Low finished floor height off the ground (bad for drainage)

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 month ago

had a basement in a previous house. a catchall that was a pain to clear out when i moved.
plumbing encased in concrete lasts longer than pvc above ground under your house. had that too.
ac was already here when i got here and it is an aftermarket setup consisting of a simple split system. costs about 8k new. approx 5 yrs old when i got it. 4's why we bulid on elevated ground where possible. and once there, dont have to worry about falling through the floor due to wet rot or insect damage.