Satisfying the higher expectations of today's
homebuyer can present challenges to the design-build professional.
Meeting these challenges begins with a premium floor system.
Designers and builders who offer the raised floor option, framed
with strong, durable, renewable wood, create value for themselves
and their clients. In regions where raised floors are not common,
builders can establish a market niche by offering a distinctive
and affordable alternative. Clients who invest in this type
of home accrue lifelong benefits such as curb appeal, comfort,
practicality, and lasting value.
Raised floors are environmentally friendly.
Sustainable Construction
The raised floor is also the right choice for the environment
— it is a sustainable construction system. First, wood
is a renewable resource that takes far less energy to produce
than concrete or steel. Furthermore, future structural modifications,
additions, or repairs can be performed more easily, extending
the useful life of the structure. Builders can complete these
tasks with less environmental impact, consuming less energy
and avoiding expensive technologies. Finally, construction of
a pier-and-beam foundation in association with the raised floor
system is far less disruptive to the natural surroundings than
a slab-on-grade (slab-on-ground) foundation. With a pier-and-beam
foundation, less damage occurs to the root systems of neighboring
vegetation.
Value-Added Options
The raised floor system gives the builder and client an opportunity
to explore ideas that can expand the livability and appeal of
the home.
The raised floor takes full advantage of amenities such
as a front porch, a screened back porch, or a deck because
they are natural extensions of the structure's elevated
platform.
Inside the home, attractive wood flooring is a great upgrade
to offer the client, adding a dash of sophistication. A
wood floor installed over wood joists also makes for a very
comfortable, allergy-free walking surface.
Another value-added option becoming quite popular in coastal
areas of the United States, where decay and termite infestation
is a problem, is "whole-house" pressure-treated framing.
Pressure-treated lumber can readily be used throughout the
whole house or in the floor system alone. Today, a variety
of wood preservatives offer the homeowner and builder even
more choices.
Homeowners prefer the look and feel of a home on a raised
floor foundation.
Building to Higher Expectations
Homebuyers expect more from their home than ever before, and
more is not always measured in total square feet of living area.
After all, a home is often a person's largest investment, so
value is placed on both the tangible and intangible elements
that make a home livable, not merely functional.
A recent national survey1
asking consumers to define their American Dream House revealed
more interest in comfort and style than size. And almost half
the respondents — 49% — characterized their dream house
as a safe, comfortable haven instead of a designer show house.
So, homebuyers of today desire a living environment that nurtures
and protects. The home should nurture the spirit with amenities
that provide comfortable, special places for family gatherings,
personal retreat and self-expression. The home should offer
occupants protection from moisture and pests, providing a healthy
indoor environment and a structurally sound, long-lasting living
space.
Peace of Mind for Builder and Client
Although no system is perfect for all conditions, the raised
floor offers some real advantages when it comes to design reliability,
especially where moisture is an issue.
By design, the raised floor removes a structure from contact
with the ground, isolating the living space from ground
moisture. Therefore, a raised floor system is less susceptible
to foundation-related moisture problems.
Callbacks for foundation-related problems are much easier
to fix. For example, a plumbing leak below a slab is difficult
and costly to locate, access and repair. The leak may also
drive moisture into the living area. This is not a problem
with the raised floor.
The raised floor helps keep moisture and termites at bay.
Properly installed termite shields help repel these unwelcome
visitors and the crawlspace makes termite inspection simple
and infestation easier to spot. In slab construction, termite
infestation or moisture intrusion may not be apparent until
it is too late, and cracks in the slab can be expensive
to repair.
"A raised floor separates the living area from the
earth in the classic sense of distinguishing the sacred
from the profane. The home is sacred, and symbolically
you make it more suitable for living by removing it from
the ground. In so doing, you isolate the structure from
earthbound perils — the profane — such as animal
and insect pests, flooding and other moisture sources
that lead to illnesses, rot and decay."
