Classic Style
Homebuyers are rediscovering the classic elegance that
a raised floor design adds to the look of the American
home. Drive through the older neighborhoods of your community.
The homes with ageless grace and beauty are usually raised.
Visually, the raised foundation functions as a pedestal,
enhancing curb appeal regardless of architectural style.
Cottage at the Point, 1750 sq. ft.
Looney Ricks Kiss Architects; Memphis, TN
Uplifting Comfort
Inside the raised floor home, there are special qualities
that nurture the body and soul. The feeling is warmer,
more intimate. Remember that special place when you were
a child, a tree house perhaps, where you felt cozy and
safe? Raise the floor above the ground and your perspective
changes. You feel more secure. An ordinary view from the
window becomes a vista. There is calm and quiet above
the din of street noise. The subtle "give" of a wood floor
system provides a more comfortable walking surface, putting
less stress on your back, legs, and feet.
Photo courtesy Arch Treatment Technologies
Extended Living Space
Enjoy your porch and deck. If it is not raised, a porch
is not really a porch. Porches and decks are natural amenities
for a raised floor system, adding usable living area to
your home outdoors. Consider the charm and hospitality
of a front porch, the pest-free privacy and comfort of
a screened back porch, or a spacious deck for outdoor
cooking, entertainment and relaxation. On slab, a "front
porch" is just a front patio. The special ambiance you
come to expect when gathering on a porch or deck can only
be experienced with the raised floor system.
Lifetime Foundation
The raised floor system has withstood the test of
time. Some of the oldest, most historic homes in
America are still standing proud with Southern Pine
floor assemblies. Southern Pine is the strongest
of all North American softwoods, so you can expect
a lifetime of strength, stability and durability
when framing with Southern Pine. And today, modern
pressure-treatment adds longlasting resistance to
decay and termite attack.
Pier-and-Beam Foundation
Simple Foundation
Any foundation can settle, but the use of piers with a raised floor system makes leveling or repairs simple. Repairing or leveling a cracked, damaged
concrete slab can be very expensive. With the raised
floor system, leveling is as easy as jacking up
the floor and adding shims. The raised floor is
also less susceptible to disruption from tree roots.
Easy Home Improvement
Installation, maintenance, and modification of utilities
such as water, sewer, and electrical are comparatively
simple with a raised floor. Remodeling? Plumbing fixture
modifications are easy with the raised floor system. If
you want to move the location of a toilet or bathtub on
a slab foundation, get the jackhammer! Routing and rerouting
of wiring for electrical, telephone, television, and computers
is relatively easy and less expensive. If the home is
raised high enough off the ground, air conditioning ducts
can be installed from below. This option allows floor
registers to direct air closer to the actual living area.
Natural Insulator
Why live on the cold, damp ground? Wood is a natural insulator. A properly constructed and insulated raised floor system isolates the home from potential moisture problems and provides a warm, comfortable walking surface.
Riverview Cottage, 2300 sq. ft.
Looney Ricks Kiss Architects; Memphis, TN
Reduced Flood Risk Flooding is a potential risk for many homeowners.
A raised floor system could be the solution to raising
your home's foundation at or above base flood elevation.
Considering other options — slab atop dirt
fill, slab on backfilled perimeter wall, or ring
levee — the raised floor may be the most practical
and cost effective way to protect your property
and meet local building ordinances in flood prone
areas.
Pest Control Most pests are ground dwellers. With a raised floor system, your home is up off the ground away from pests. For optimum protection
against termites, pressure-treated and kiln-dried after
treatment (KDAT) Southern Pine lumber is available.
Flexible Landscaping Landscaping looks best around the foundation of
the home. It helps "ground" the structure to the site.
However, the installation of built-up flowerbeds and other
landscaping against a slab foundation can invite termite
infestation and rot. With a raised floor, landscaping
can be located near the foundation without inviting this
risk. Furthermore, root-severing slab construction often
demands the removal of existing trees in close proximity
to the structure. Near a raised floor, these valuable,
beautiful and energy-saving shade trees can be preserved.
Footings of a raised pier and beam structure only penetrate
the root system, allowing trees to thrive.
