Discussions

We are looking at building a bungalow out in the country.  
Roughly 2200sqft.  
 
We are not sure yet if we want to do an insulated slab (with in-floor heat) or a crawlspace.  
What would be the more cost efficient way to go? what are the pros and cons?

This site offers a few pros and cons to each.  
https://www.fixr.com/comparisons/slab-vs-crawl-space#cQ  
 
I've never lived in a home on a slab however previous home had about a 5ft crawl space underneath and we loved it. HVAC was all installed below floor in crawl space so we gained that additional space. Also storage underneath was immense. Enough so that we never had any issues finding place to store items that were infrequently used. Eg xmas decorations/tree. Easy to access any duct work/water lines from underneath on the main floor.

I've personally installed over 5 In Floor Hydronic Heating systems in a crawl space type of basement, they work great ! as the other poster said, it's also great storage for seasonal and non-used items, would I ever do a slab on grade .... ONLY for a garage.... I have a copy of the IPEX Hydronic Heating Manual some 350 pages in PDF format, if you wish to review it yourself (It talks the pros and cons of both Slab and in wood floor systems) I would be happy to share it with the Original Poster of this thread. Cheers !

Both have pros and cons. to go wit a slab alone means the radiant heat is direct into the living space and feels warmer. You save a lot of money by not having floor joist and plywood floor and support beams. Big drawback is once it is done it is done, so if you want to move your tv and relocate cables/wiring you cant run it under the floor like you could with a crawl space. You have to plan everything out before hand and that is where it will be forever. all plumbing will be cemented into floor

with my website to get my contact info and give me a call. I have designed several homes this past year on a slab. There are energy efficiency and building code factors you need to consider. As well as the usability factors as the other responses suggest.