The Benefits Of Slab On Grade Foundations
Foundations are one of the most essential stages of a building construction. Without a foundation, a building cannot be constructed or any other type of construction that is set to go higher above the ground. Foundations are known to be the anchor of the buildings and for this reason, a strong foundation is usually constructed. There are several types of foundations available in the construction industry but the outstanding one is the slab on grade foundation. This is the most ventured type of foundation in many constructions taking place.
The other name of slab on grade foundations is simply a slab foundation and this is what is widely known. A slab foundation is a type of foundation formed by using a mold that is set on the ground. The unique thing about it is that there is no digging of the basement at all and that there is no space in between the ground and the poured concrete. Slab foundations can only be applied in some cases like mostly in the warmer places. Slab foundations are best for those people who live in warmer climates due to the heat ducts under the floor.
They are also common in areas where the ground is of clay soil. Digging clay soil can sometimes be hard making the construction of a foundation very difficult. Slab foundation would therefore be the best in such places. Another use of slab foundation is that they are best for sheds, garages and barns to give a simple floor without consuming a lot of money. If you are stuck on the type of foundation to construct, here are some benefits that you may get by considering slab foundation over the other types of foundations.
One of the benefits of slab foundation is that it is cost effective. Construction of slab foundation consumes quite small amount of money as you do not have to do the full basement which can consume a lot of money. It is more suitable for people who have little money and would wish to have a standard foundation for their construction. The other benefit slab foundation is that they do not attract termites. Termites are known to cause damage on the foundations weakening the strength of the building or the construction. With slab foundation, the concrete slab covers the ground and the termites will not have the access to the wood since the wood does not touch the ground. Otherwise it would have been exposed to the termites and hence being destroyed.
The other good thing about slab foundation is that you don’t have to incur the high cost of excavation and labor cost making it cost effective. You only have to pour the concrete on the grade rather than doing a lot of excavations. It also saves much on time. If you want your project to be complete within the shortest time, slab foundation contributes much as it is just a simple procedure and it shall be done. The other benefit of slab on grade foundation is that whenever there is leakage on plumbing, it will not have any effect on the foundation. Unlike foundations made of maybe wood, whenever there is plumbing leakage, the foundation is damaged. A slab made of concrete cannot be affected at all by leaking water compared to wood which can be easily destroyed.