Slab-On-Grade Construction - Technical Guide
Deciding to build your home with a slab-on-grade foundation instead of a conventional basement or raised crawlspace foundation can greatly reduce your environmental impact during construction, and has the potential to offer significant financial savings as well.
通过用高性能隔热材料等低影响、性能更好的建筑材料取代混凝土，你可以从你的建筑材料以及未来的房屋运营中消除许多吨的温室气体排放。
Slab-on-grade construction is a somewhat uncommon method of home building that replaces the conventional foundation wall and basement or crawl space with a concrete slab that rests directly on grade. The technique lends itself to most types of terrain, with the exception of heavily sloped sites, and increasing the performance of slab on grade floors is simply done by adding insulation - yep, we have a guide forhow to insulate slab on grade floors when building, here.
Why build on a slab instead of a basement?
节省资金和碳排放，拥有更健康、更耐用的房子。For a detailed guide onchoosing between a Slab on Grade or a Basement for a home foundation see here，但我们将在下面给出结论。
Typically, the construction of a single family home in Canada & North America starts with a poured concrete footing followed by an 8-inch thick foundation wall, generally 8 to 10 feet in height.
In a cold climate zone a basement foundation counts on being buried at depths of between four and five feet to protect the footing and basement floor from freezing temperatures. Since this creates additional floor area underground, it is a natural desire to claim that space, and so born is the basement rec room or man-cave - and it's important to understand如何选择爬行空间或板基础too.
无论你开始施工时使用的是平板还是地基，在没有基岩的情况下，两者都是在泥土上。因此，如果在周围适当地隔热，其中一种并不会比另一种更“稳定”，或者比另一种更容易受冻胀的影响。
In the case of a 'walk-out basement' you effectively have a slab, only with a very expensive and poorly insulated wall. Envision a slab-on-grade as a four-sided walk-out basement with much cheaper and better performing walls, though if you do need to build a basement to optimize sqft on your building plot, then learnbest practice for insulating when building a new basement here, or if you have a basement and need to learnhow to finish a basement & insulate correctly to avoid mold, see here.
在寒冷的气候中，只需简单地增加裙边保温材料，就可以很容易地避免冻胀。裙边保温材料保护基脚周边，使其永远不会受到冻融循环的影响，相反，它可以保持接近于地球上相对恒定的8 -10摄氏度的温度。You can find a step by stepdetailed guide to building a frost protected slab on grade foundation here.
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Skirt insulation around slabs and foundations prevents concrete from freezing © CMHC
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Skirt insulation is a very simple and cost-effective solution that could (and should) be applied to basement foundations as well, as it would help reduce heat loss by keeping basement walls at a much higher temperature.
In addition to significant cost savings during construction, a slab-on-grade will reduce the risk of problems caused by humidity and water infiltration, which are typical challenges faced by basements.
What's wrong with basements?
The costs - ecological and financial:
Concrete is very expensive to purchase and extremely energy intensive during manufacturing. The process of building a basement requires 3 costly visits from a team of concrete trucks; once to pour a footing, again to pour walls, and a third time to pour a basement floor. For every ton of concrete produced, one ton of greenhouse gases is released into the atmosphere.
一旦地下室地基完成，必须在顶部建底层。与准备建造的平板相比，这是另一项成本，目的是创建一个用于建造生活空间的表面。
* A home built on a slab-on-grade has a lower risk of flood damage, which is favourably looked upon by insurance companies and can be reflected in your premiums. Basements can also besusceptible to Radon gas infiltration, so to learnhow to prevent Radon gas levels being high in homes, see here- or to specifically find outhow to remove Radon gas form basements and crawl spaces, see here.
Health, durability and comfort:
Despite how common finished basements are, there is a general lack of understanding of the additional challenges posed by building underground. This can mean that in a lot of cases, the proper building techniques are not being followed, according to the principles of building science.
举个例子:墙壁至少需要在一个方向上干燥。在寒冷的气候中，地面以上的墙壁应设计成主要向外干燥。但是，由于土壤无论如何都是“水”，地下室的墙壁需要干燥到里面。
Common building practice does not account for this, and a disturbingly high number of homes have moisture damage and mold, which is in part blamed for an increase in respiratory illnesses.
This happens for a number of reasons, the first of which is that we finish basements too soon. Concrete is largely made up of water, and with soil on the exterior a foundation requires a minimum of 2 years to fully dry to the inside.
Secondly, as the National Building Code now requires basements to be insulated and new home buyers usually want the space finished, the cheapest way for developers to do this is to treat them as they do above ground walls. So basements are generally insulated on the inside, long before unwanted moisture has left, and in the same manner that we build above ground where walls can dry to the exterior.
通过密封潮湿敏感材料(木材和玻璃纤维保温)之间的湿混凝土墙和聚乙烯蒸汽屏障，我们正在邀请模具。而板上基础则完全避免了这一点。
Why we like slab-on-grade construction
Quality of life:
In comparison to a basement, building above ground has the advantage of providing more natural light. It also helps maintain clean interior air quality as it reduces the possibility of mold.
更重要的是，地板上的施工可以让您的生活空间更舒适。生活空间内的热质量具有吸收和储存热量的能力，大大有助于调节室内温度。在建筑围护结构内具有显著热质量的住宅在夏天也更容易保持凉爽。
Affordability:
Bringing a building project to the point where it is ready for main floor framing can be done much cheaper with a slab-on-grade than a basement. With a slab, the same milestone is reached without having to build an 8-foot concrete wall, nor do you have to build a wooden subfloor on top.
Comfort and efficiency:
在没有5英尺厚的泥土的情况下，在寒冷的气候地区，一个层合板需要额外的措施来避免冻胀，因此它包括了在地下室建设中似乎被忽略的隔热水平。用购买基础墙混凝土的几千美元就能买到隔热材料。
地板也很容易容纳辐射地板采暖，这提供了一个非常平衡和舒适的环境，把混凝土块变成一个大散热器。
One of the great advantages of radiant floor heat is that the further you get from anything radiating heat (imagine a woodstove), the cooler it gets. So heat is concentrated at ground level where we are rather than collecting in the highest points of our house, where we aren't. This facilitates an overall lower temperature, without sacrificing comfort. Warm feet are happy feet!
Reducing your environmental impact:
The slab-on-grade building method reduces your impact on the environment in two different ways: by greatly reducing the amount of CO2 produced in the manufacturing and transportation of materials, and by providing - dollar for dollar - a wall with much better insulation.
通过建造一套地面上的板房，你就选择了用地面上的墙来代替地基墙。换句话说，你正在用一种更实惠、更节能的墙体组件取代混凝土墙。
This is why Slab-on-Grade foundations are frequently chosen forPassive House certification in North America被动式太阳能住宅和LEED认证的住宅。
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Slab on Grade Foundation © Yanni Milon for Ecohome
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Sacrifices, challenges and solutions:
In order to be able to make an informed decision about this type of foundation, there are several precautionary steps that must be taken and challenges to be addressed.
Your state or municipality may require plans that have been approved by an engineer, and some may not be familiar with slab-on-grade homes. Be sure to check with your municipality or state before beginning construction, and even before getting too far into your building plans.
虽然我们坚定地支持板上施工作为一个概念，我们建议在进行任何计划之前仔细考虑您的选择。There are many legitimate reasons to begin construction with a basement foundation:
- A slab-on-grade will require more above ground space, so in order to have the same size of home you will need to build either out or up. You may run into height restrictions where you choose to build, meaning you may have to build out instead of up. This is not always possible, certainly if your site is an urban infill lot, leaving you two options: a smaller house or a basement.
- Despite their disadvantages, basements are often very practical since they provide a significant amount of storage space. Without a basement, everything that would have been down there must fit into the rest of the house or in the garage or shed.
- 地下室通常设有机械室。在设计阶段，如果你选择一个平板，请记住这一点，因为机械系统现在需要安置在主层。And don't be stingy with that space - think about everything that may potentially need to go there: a furnace, boiler, water heater, air exchanger, water softener, septic pump, sulphur tank, central vac, etc.
Slab-on-grade design:
考虑到你将主楼层的某一区域用于机械系统，这是一个很好的时间来规划一些存储，并最大化该房间的效率。除了一些存储空间，你可以考虑包括洗衣设施，甚至是一个食品储藏室。
With the amount of action going on in a mechanical room, it will be a bit noisy. In order to mitigate that, those walls should include sound reducing measures.
Plumbing systems are normally accessible from the basement or a crawl space, but not so with a slab. The nature of a slab-on-grade means plumbing systems will be permanently fixed in the concrete and not easily modified.
在这种情况下，在现有的排水管上安装第二个厕所几乎是不可能的，所以要提前计划。Worth investigating is the concept of 'flexible housing design' where future changes are anticipated so that the necessary infrastructure can be put in place at the time of initial construction.
Floating slab / Monolithic slab:
The term floating slab refers to a two-stage slab construction, where footings are individually
poured, and the centre floor of the slab is poured after footings have cured. The forms of a monolithic slab are designed so that both footing and slab floor are poured at the same time.
We have found no great advantage to support either method - the main reason for a pouring a monolithic slab would be to reduce the visits by the concrete trucks to one only.
What is the best way to run ventalation to all the rooms if I'm putting in slab heat? I was going to get an air to air exchanger put in and run a main line with trunk lines to all rooms should it be done in the attic or put pipes in the cement? Thanks JV
嗨，约翰，我们想在下面附和瑞安·弗莱彻的观点，不要把它放在平板上。
我不建议把通风装置放在平板上。在使用这种方法的过程中，你会遇到冷凝问题和潜在的空气质量问题。要么放在阁楼里温暖的那一边或者更理想的是放在内部空气屏障温暖的那一边的舱壁里。
I want to build a home on a slab on grade in a cold climate.
霜线颇深。4-6ft
我的问题是关于管道的。从井到化粪池系统的线应该在霜线以下运行?还有其他的排水管，比如淋浴器，水槽，洗衣机。在板下运行?还是低于霜线?
Your water line coming from your well should be below the frost line, if you are all all concerned that you aren't quite there then consider laying a sheet of EPS foam on top (not underneath, you want to warmth from below), and if its still a risk you can get a heated wire installed inside the well line. They draw a very small amount of power so it's not a major consumer of energy, its just enough to prevent it from freezing solid.
The rest of your plumbing would be below your slab as it won't freeze, but it will be cold so be sure to insulate your water lines, or embed them in the foam insulation. The septic pipe running from the house to the bed shouldn't freeze as long as its properly sloped. Everything you put through it is warm, so even if drops of water in the pipe freeze, they will melt the next time you flush a toilet or do a load of laundry.
I am building a slab on grade workshop with lots of insulation in the floor (I asked a related question in another article). In this article you suggest the use of an insulation skirt but you are providing no information on how we size it. What thickness or R value should we use. Is there a minimum depth below ground level in order to make this worthwhile? Is the span out from the slab decided by the depth or ? Is it laid horizontally or on an angle or does it matter? Does it matter at what point it comes off the slab...right at the bottom, halfway down...?
Thanks
Hi Richard,
The amount of skirting will depend on the climate, so you (or ideally your engineer) would need to decide that based on the AFI (Air Freezing Index). Homes built further north and at higher altitudes will need more robust skirting. So I can't really give you an accurate amount as it would depend very much on your location and altitude, even the site-specific soil conditions.
但一般来说，裙摆应该安装得足够深，这样以后用铲子挖的时候就不会损坏裙摆，裙摆应该在隔热板上方或与隔热板齐平。它也应该倾斜远离房子至少5%的等级。
Whether or not you heat the slab will also determine whether a skirt is needed, also whether or not you heat the building with some other source beyond radiant floors. An unheated garage may require skirting while the house it is attached to may not.
An alternative to a skirt can be a deep layer of 3/4" clean stone a few feet out from the slab edge, clean stone will not hold moisture so a proper amount of it will prevent frost heave. But how much stone is required is another caculation best done by professionals.
Here is a frost simulation video of a slab by a company called Legalett, as you will see here, there is no foam skirt as the AFI in this particular location did not require one, but you also see an increased amount of stone under the perimeter of the slab. So we unfortunately can't give you more specific advice as to how much skirting is required, that is a decision best made by an engineer.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK1vNMvP7R8
We would like to build slab on grade with south facing windows for solar gain. Can you recommend a place to find ready made plans for a home that is under 2000 square feet (including mechanical room etc.)
Thanks
The pipe from the well must be below the frost line. My frost line is seven feet. However it can go deeper where vehicle or foot traffic push it down so ensure styrofoam or some sort of cover in a vehicular area. Even a sheet of poly plastic under the driveway/above the water pipe will slow the frost. As for your under slab plumbing. It does not have to be deep. Frost travels down. It hardly moves horizontally. Dig trenches and do your plumbing then fill with sand. then seal a layer of poly and styrofoam. also a styrofoam skirting extending out from your slab will ensure everything under your slab will not freeze(obviously if you leave for the winter and turn the heat off it will). Always put styrofoam down between the plumbing/dirt and the slab in a cold climate. This is my personal opinion based on my area and experience.
通常我喜欢使用和平板下面一样的东西，延伸到你喜欢的地方。我向外划了两英尺，有一个角度，是水平的，以便把水流出去。我的泵房整个冬天都很暖和，一点毛病也没有。(4个月至少-20)Colby。
有没有人在现有的带有地下室的房屋上加了一块平板来扩建房屋?如果是，请告知它是否与现有住宅的共享墙相同。Is there a reference I can review
We have a slab-on-grade house in North Vancouver. The water pipes used to run under the slab but I guess that caused problems whenever there was a leak - you'd jackhammer up the floor. When we bought the house the pipes were re-routed through the attic. Trouble is, attic is not heated. The pipes have a little bit of insulation on top of them, but when it gets below -10 outside, the pipes freeze. Therefore we leave the water running at night - not very eco!!! What is the alternative? More insulation on the pipes? Anything else?
高温胶带。
yes, absolutely more insulation. If you used one single foam pipe wrap it likely wouldn't be enough, I'd triple it and see how it goes. Another idea may be running them through the conditioned space, perhaps building a bulkhead to hide them. Good luck, and let us know how it works out.
上面的帖子是我的…这是一个更新。最后，我在为石板挖洞的时候承包了一名岩土工程工程师，因为我以为我碰到了一种类似粘土的物质。虽然它不是粘土，但它确实导致需要更多的排水和防止霜冻。推荐一条裙子。它覆盖了从建筑底部到整个周边4英尺的范围。它设置在远离建筑的轻微角度，以排水。我在平板下面有两层4英寸的泡沫塑料，裙子从隔热层的边缘开始。一段垂直的泡沫聚苯乙烯放置在它的顶部，与基脚相对，距离楼板地面6英寸，一旦墙在今年春天到位，将用闪光罩盖住，以保护它免受太阳的照射。(现在，它和平板都被稻草覆盖着，并用防水布保护着)。裙子下面，在底部的泡沫塑料上，插着一块大o型的排水瓷砖，它会把水排到一个巨大的法国排水沟里。 The purpose of the skirt is to stop frost from getting under the slab due to moisture that is trapped in my soil type freezing in the winter. If the soil was of a type that would drain better then there would be no need for it at all. As it was the geotech engineer said that putting in the drainage tile was the most important addition and would probably be sufficient...that kind of vagueness on the future health of a slab I had invested almost $30K on was not going to cut it so I did both.
Given that everything is done correctly for both types of construction, are there any comparison figures in terms of average building cost per square foot between a slab on ground bungalow home and typical bungalow with a basement in a northern Ontario climate? .. or in any climate?
Hard to give you an accurate cost break down on that unfortunately, we have not yet done a comprehensive study of both. So much depends on design and materials. But simply think of the cost of digging a hole, filling it with concrete (very expensive) then pouring a slab on that floor and polishing it, then building a subfloor above, then needing a finished flooring product on top of that subfloor. Now compare that to pouring one floor one time, polishing it and being done.
And compare the cost of building below grade walls to above - concrete is more expensive than wood. So the cost of building two stories above ground compared to one above and below, slabs are cheaper.
我们现在正在建造我们的Demo House，抛光的混凝土地板为我们节省了数千美元，看看我们目前的进展。这取决于你是否喜欢抛光的混凝土，如果你打算在混凝土上再花1 - 1.5万美元买地板，那么你的成本就会上升。的问候。Take a look at a slab on grade construction here
I am looking to add an addition to an existing 800 sf.cottage in Muskoka, which is currently a slab on gravel- built in 1984 . Can I add a slab concrete addition to this of approximate 500 sf? I also want to add a winter water line which is coming in from the lake not a well. i am looking for a reputable contractor that can do this for me
Thanks PF
We are wanting to build a second floor onto our garage that has a slab on grade foundation. What concerns could I encounter? How thick should the foundation be to support the second level?
Hi Dean, I wish I could help more, that is really a question best for an engineer who can come look at your site. The only concern I could think of is if the existing footing isn't sufficient to support a second floor, I don't think that would be the case, but I'd still get it checked to be sure.
Hi PF
I don't know any contractors in that area unfortunately. slab additions are possible, you'd be down to ensuring it meets structural requirements and municipal setbacks, and whether it actually works on your site. Its tough for us to offer any advice on an individual basis, slabs and foundations should be designed by professionals who have looked at yours specifically. Wish I could help more!
I'm sold!
浮板法有一个很大的优势…在你倒足(又名。等级梁)你可以在它上面建造外部框架，扔在屋顶和房屋9krap上，现在你有一个基本不受天气影响的环境来准备和浇筑板，更不用说当它是时候框架内墙，你的木材将保持良好和干燥，所以它不会弯曲和扭曲。
99% chance you will wish you had the extra space of a basement, especially if you have kids and are building a true 'family home'. If not, then the slab makes sense. If you build a basement, make it 10' high so that you can have bigger basement windows above grade, and you may want to plan for a small wood pellet stove (wood pellets are made from waste wood products and are carbon-neutral) to heat the basement during the coldest months. In any case, be sure to plan your plumbing accordingly.
一层以上、一层以下或两层以上其实没有什么区别，除了后者建造成本更低，不会产生模具。If you design a house with too much or too little space in the first place, it doesn't matter whether or not you have a basement, you'll still be disappointed.
米any lots are not large enough for a large area floor plan and many lots will be high and dry enough such that, if you make your basement walls 10' instead of 8', then you can ventilate well enough that you don't get any mold. True story.
当然，有时地下室是必要的，如果你有一个填埋地和高度限制，例如，你可能需要空间。通风可以改善发霉地下室的空气，但这并不能解决真正的问题，也就是最初导致发霉的原因。这个问题源于地下室需要隔气屏障的误解。将敏感材料(木材和玻璃纤维绝缘材料)贴在混凝土墙上，然后用聚蒸汽屏障将其密封，这是一种滋生霉菌的方法。我们有一个关于地下室建设技术的页面，涵盖了这些问题以及如何正确地建造它们。欢呼。米ike建地下室防潮防霉的最好方法是什么?
快速的问题。在你的视频中，你的辐射管继续延伸到你的平板和整个平板的外围，你如何去固定框架到平板，而没有刺穿管的风险?
Hi Patrick,
一旦混凝土浇筑，但没有完全凝固，我们安装地脚螺栓，你只需用你的手把它们拧到混凝土中。之后我们没有钻到地板上，这可能是你想知道的，这绝对是一个冒险的举动，因为它可能会刺穿管道。
I also like slab-on-grade constructions but you're talking as if we had a choice, the last time I checked the construction code does not allow using this method for a house (please correct me if I'm wrong) It is allowed for small garages or sheds.
Hi Yve,
Yes you can build a slab no problem. It falls under part 4 of the building code and not part 9, and if you tell your municipal inspector that you want to buid a slab they will likely be fine with it as long as you provide stamped engineering documents.
Hi! thanks for all this info. I have a slightly different question. I already have a slab extension built off the west side of my house which has a very old crawl space built circa 1912. We are in Oka Québec.
石板是大约15年前建的(我去年买了这栋房子)。外面有一英寸的泡沫塑料，下面没有。我在地基周围挖掘，准备建一个石板天井，让地面远离离地4-5英寸的木头。顶部的泡沫塑料严重受损，最后我把它挖了出来。我正在想办法把它换掉。
I imagine 1-2 inches of vertical insulation would be better. There was no horizontal insulation. I was thinking of putting in some 3/4 inch gravel and 2' of horizontal insulation just to be rigorous. The slab seems to have shifted down by about 2 inches on one corner. Or was built that way. My inspector thought it should be ok. Also, what could I use to cover and protect the vertical insulation? and how could I install it? Outside of plastic tie wraps:) thanks for helping out. Cheers, SL.
Hi Steffen
不幸的是，平板下面没有绝缘材料。我有点惊讶，一个建筑检查员没有对一块不隔热、防冻能力差的板说更多的话，这似乎已经改变了，如果你是这样做法医工作的，你就不会上《CSI Miami》了。
To insulate the slab edge you could put vertical insulation first, then a cement board, it can be held at the bottom by backfilling it, and at the top you could put some long tap cons through it.
If it then protrudes beyond the house above, be sure to ad a drip edge to direct water to the outside of the cement board.
How is your house heated, is there radiant heat in the floor? If the floor is heated and uninsulated its unlikely it will freeze underneath, in fact it's likely quite warm. If you're floor isn't heated there is a much greater chance it could heave. Insulating the vertical edge as well as adding a horizontal skirt will help with heating as well as protecting against heaving.
For a hortizontal skirt I would propose 2 inches, and at least 2 feet out, but if it's not heated, even 4 feet out isn't a bad idea. the skirt needs to be on a slight slope (minimum 5 degree) away from the house, and ideally it would be a good six inches below the surface to protect it from damagein case anyone sticks a shovel into it. You could also put a protective membrane on top, a plastic mesh for example (like plastic snow fencing), that will further protect it.
To protect frost from going underneath the slab (and to prevent further heaving) I hope I read you right that you are doing exterior vertical insulation as well as a horizontal skirt.
你好Mike，谢谢你的快速回复!
地板上没有辐射热。楼板位于一处22英尺乘16英尺的扩建部分之下，该扩建部分位于一座20英尺乘24英尺的老房子上，带有爬行空间和碎石砂浆地基。我用电地板和一个烧木头的炉子(在有地板的房间里)给房子供暖。我在做外部垂直绝缘。
I was chatting with a builder friend today who recomended putting cement board over as well. I was moving towards 2 feet of horizontal insulation of 2 inches at the base of the vertical board which will be 12 inches below grade. Going to four feet seems practical, but a lot of digging! Also, Should the vertical and horizontal boards be taped together?
Another question! How can I best insulate and seal up the area at the top exterior edge of the slab at the plate. Because of the existing siding and wrap I can't really get up in there to overlap the plate. I was recommended the expanding urethane solution around the bottome of the plate, filling up between the vertical insulation and the exterior wall. Tidying it up and putting on the cement board over it covered with an aluminum drip. Not so ecological - but maybe the best of the worst? Thanks again for the help! Very appreciated. Cheers, sl.
Hi Steffen
如果做4英尺的裙子是一个更大的麻烦，那么2英尺就可以了。我问供暖的原因是——你能把地板和室内隔绝吗?我猜你的脚肯定一直冻着，因为地板没有加热，如果是我，我会在地板上铺上隔热材料，然后在上面铺上木头。这将为你节省大量的取暖费用，让你更舒适。
很久以前，我在一个没有隔热地板的木架店工作了3个冬天，那里总是冷得让人不舒服，所以我不知道把你的地板盖起来会有多少麻烦，但这肯定是我要做的事情之一。
The exterior skirt won't do a whole lot for heat savings and you would hardly notice it I imagine on a personal comfort level, that would be more to prevent heave. But currently being uninsulated, there would be a lot of heat loss through the slab that would have prevented any frost heave. If you insulate the floor then that skirting will really come in handy.
For your other question, it would be best if you can stick it in our advice column.//www.esb-agile.com/discussions/
We are building a modern home, slab on grade, in the NE. Because of permitting delays, we started in October. The foundation walls have been poured, but the weather is becoming an issue. Our builder would like to put the framing up first, before the slab. The slab will have radiant heat and all of the plumbing. The framing sits on the foundation walls and once the framing is done, then the slab will be poured. This is an unusual sequence, but my understanding is that it will save us the potential for heaving the slab since the weather is not cooperating. Thoughts?
Hi Wendy,
我想你说的基础墙是指基础吧?根据你描述的方式，我担心你会有一个框架墙在混凝土基础上，然后需要浇筑混凝土到框架墙来覆盖基础。他们有什么计划来隔离它?如果它在基座下面绝缘(询问是否绝缘)和基座外部绝缘，你将避免热桥接，我只是不确定他们计划如何做到这一点。Here is an article abouthome heat loss caused by thermal bridging. If you describe the build so far, and detail what they plan to do from here we may be able to help more.
With living in a slab on grad home are there physical health issues with join plan as you are walking on cement rather than on a sub floor. Asking as I have back problems already.
Hi Tina,
混凝土肯定会对关节造成损伤，尤其是在你已经有问题的时候。我也喜欢，所以对我来说，我想在我站的地方(厨房水槽、炉子等)安装橡胶垫，甚至在交通繁忙的地方安装跑步机。你也可以在上面铺上地板覆盖物，比如木头、竹子、强化地板。See our pages onchoosing eco-friendly flooring，但请记住，你会想要检查制造商，以确保他们的产品不会受到辐射地板的负面影响。We also did a cork floor in our last demonstration house, seen here in ourDIY cork floor installation video.
How do I find a certified installer for a slab on grade in southern Ontario Canada?
Hi Steve, there really aren't 'certified' slab installers, they are just like any foundation general contractor - some are good, some are sketchy. The only way to know for sure if word of mouth, and laying out conditions clearly in a contract in terms of the amount of insulation that is agreed upon, and perhaps a tolerance for how square it is, and how level as well.
This was our 2015 Demo house, in 2018 we did another and instead chose a slab on grade raft slab kit. It still requires a qualified installer, but at least they come fully engineered with installation instructions, as well as support during installation and a pre-pour inspection for warranty. You canread more about Legalett raft slabs and air heated floors here, they are available all across North America. You an see us installing it in the video at above at the bottom of the article.
I have a house in Wisconsin (temp drops to -20 at times) my ? Is I want to do an aditition could i use the slab on grade with skirt method to add to basement walls? Should I add sonitubes in corners?
嗨，特拉维斯，你可以在你的房子加一块石板，没有问题。To avoid needing to excavate and pour Sonatubes or a footing and frost wall, I would propose you check out theLegalett raft slab on grade prefab kits. depending on access it can sometimes be difficult to get machinery around an house, so this makes it a bit easier since you don't need to do any major excavation.See our page about building raft slabs on problem soilsto learn more, and you can see more in the video above, it is what we built with our last demo house.
Hello I need some assistance. I have already had a large area dozed and graded for a small cabin 16x24 that I plan to add on to eventually to make 1000 square feet. I live in an area where the frost level is 30-36". I would prefer to do a slab on grade after reading this as I am a Microbiologist and always trying to do things as green as possible. My cabin will be a one story so I believe this will be a viable option. Can you provide me with places to buy the forms or insallation to do this and whether rebar and what size, wire mesh, or fibers is used and what would the thickness of my pad be so I can calculate the concrete I will need?
Thank you so much,
Kaddie
Hi Kaddie, The slab on grade we built in this video series was a thickened edge footing, this not from a kit of any kind, it was designed by an engineer and we built it using standard building materials. The company you shouldcontact is Legalett for an engineered slab on grade prefab kitdesigned specifically for you house.
Hi there, we are building a slab on grade bungalow in the outaouais region and have young that the ground is clay. Do I need to add an enlarged footing and frost wall to 4 ft below grade With a floating slab? Or can I put a monolithic slab on 8" of insulation Styrofoam and 4 ft skirting of 4" Styrofoam? Can you recommend where I should find specs on building on clay soil. You also mentioned that a engineered stamped drawing is required for a building permit. Is that standard for Canada? Thanks
Building on expansive soils does change things quite a lot. Have you had a soil test done? And what are you building, is this a house? Unless you are building a shed or something without getting a permit, you'll need your plans stamped by an engineer. As for insulation levels, 8 inches in the Outaouais will serve you well in terms of return on investement, but I wouldn't go with any more than that. Between 6 and 8 inches is about perfect for the Outaouais region of Quebec.
Your bigger concern is the clay. regardless of insulation levels, you may be required to do soil remediation (remove it and replace it with compactable fill in order to improve the bearing capacity of the soil. One way around that is with aLegalett raft slab which distributes the weight evenly over the whole surface of the floor，所以你可以在有问题的土壤上建房。Our last demo house in Wakefield QC (see here)was built on a site with clay soil, we were able to do it with Legalett on the existing soil so we avoided the cost of remediation. you'll see a Legalett timelapse video on that page so you can see how it goes together.
I have to put in my vote for Slab on Grade foundations, i.m.o. basements are terrible in the average home. I have renovated many houses, worked with other renovation contractors and even reviewed new foundations and builds. They are simply a time bomb of problems waiting to go off. To do them properly requires everything to be done perfectly and to maintain them requires constant attention and maintenance.
Isolating the frost with a barrier rather than the actual foundation just seems like common sense to me. The problem is only in what people are use to. Show people that you can give them the simplicity of a large condo apartment in a house and I think more would choose slab.