Your home’s foundation is mostly invisible after the home is built, but it serves a vital role. The foundation carries the weight of the entire building and provides a lifetime of structural support. It also meets the needs of your climate, site, design style, budget, and more.
However, when it comes to the foundation of a home, you do have a few options to consider. Which option is right for you will depend on your location (and the ground it sits on), but ultimately, your budget will guide this decision.
Types of Foundations
First, let’s look at the main types of foundations available for today’s new home builds.
Slab
A poured concrete slab is one of the most common foundation choices in North America. For our slab concrete foundations, we pour a solid footing 24” below the finish grade 2’ wide by 1’ deep with continuous rebar all around.
We then use block to form a header and pour the 4” slab to that height. A minimum of 6” of compacted rock and a 10-year termite spray is used for all of our slab foundations.
As we mentioned, the slab foundation is reinforced with metal rebar, and drainage pipes are built right into the structure. After the slab fully cures, it’s quite durable under normal conditions.
Crawl Space
A crawl space design creates a slightly elevated platform where the home rests on strong wall footings. Underneath, there is a narrow space to reach pipes, wires, and access panels. Crawl space foundations are the most popular choice in our region.
Many people prefer these foundations because they make it easy to work on the home from the crawl space. Certain types of crawl space foundations also have better earthquake resistance than other foundations.
However, crawl spaces aren’t always ideal, depending on the location.
Full Basement
In a full basement foundation, tall concrete walls provide an underground living area. We pour our walls at least 10′ tall and 10″ wide to create a large, quiet space — plus a refuge during destructive storms.
The primary drawback of a basement foundation is its impact on the budget. By some estimates, a basement foundation can cost quite a bit more than a basic concrete slab foundation. This may be well worth it to you because a basement can double the square footage of your home and increase its value, if you finish out the same square footage of the main level.
Choosing the Right Foundation for Your Home
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to selecting your home’s foundation. Every build is unique. A home built on one of Western Kentucky’s beautiful rolling hillsides may need a different foundation from one built on a flat lakefront property.
Consider the area’s degree of slope, soil type, soil conditions, and the local water table. Does your site have extremely hard-packed clay soil? Is there a risk of flooding or tornadoes?
The climate will also play a role. Concrete slab homes are common in year-round warm zones, while basement foundations are popular in colder climates. Here in Kentucky, we see a mix.
The design style and size of your home will have a major impact on the foundation you choose. When a home is very large and heavy, a poured concrete slab foundation offers excellent strength and durability. If a basement is a must, you may need an insulated concrete basement foundation to get the high-quality results you expect.
It All Starts With the Right Foundation
Your successful home-building project begins with hiring the right home builder. The MC Homes team knows what it takes to create luxury homes in Kentucky Lake, Paducah, and beyond.
Connect with us to learn more about choosing the perfect foundation for your dream home. We’ll discuss your needs, answer your questions, and empower you to build with confidence.
MC Homes: Reflecting you in every build.
