Not all manufactured homes have a crawl space, but most of them require one since it serves as a crucial foundation when installing the structure itself. It’s dependent on your geographic location and personal preference.
Houses that are installed with crawl space foundations are usually cheaper than concrete slab foundations too.
Factory-built housings usually install crawl space foundations to cost-effectively provide ventilation and accessibility for future maintenance. It allocates a buffer between the ground and the living space, which makes it easy for you to fix things when needed.
Factors Considered for Crawl Space Foundation
If you’re opting for prefabricated houses, you should know what to consider in choosing a suitable foundation for your home.
Engineers usually make these types of decisions, but it doesn’t hurt to try to understand how these choices came to be.
Geographical Location
A crawl space foundation system works well with lands that frequently absorb moisture.
Houses built over crawl spaces are usually more humid than those built over other foundation systems. This allows water vapor from the soil to flow inside the home.
This foundation doesn’t have that much use on dry, sandy grounds due to the lack of moisture.
Crawl spaces, being open and unattended, are highly susceptible to pest infestations. Intrusive pests, such as rodents and roaches, like the warmth and moisture of these areas.
If your community has uncontrollable pest infestation issues, then it won’t be a wise choice to go for crawl space foundations.
Finances
Mobile homes built for crawl spaces require less effort to transport. They also require fewer construction materials to set up, which makes them a cheaper option.
Homes with this type of foundation system are usually covered by real property financing. This opens a range of access to cheaper house insurance with minimal taxes.
Crawl spaces allow contractors and home builders to straightforwardly plan the plumbing and electrical system of a prefabricated house.
The buffer beneath the house makes it easy to install plumbing and electrical fixtures without compromising the structure’s floorings and walls. It’s also easier to maintain since the fixtures aren’t installed within the structure itself.
Structural Integrity
Unlike other types of foundation systems that transfer the load of the house directly to the ground, crawl spaces carry the weight of the house through support beams and columns fixed into concrete bases.
Crawl space foundations efficiently resist wind, gravitational and seismic forces, but they don’t hold that much force to withstand powerful hurricanes and earthquakes.
The buffer created by the crawl space foundation is susceptible to water damage since it allows a huge compartment for water to be stored too. This can easily compromise the integrity of the structure by slowly deteriorating the predetermined strength of the columns.
Unattended water stagnation can also induce unwanted mold growth, foul smell, and poor air circulation. This can drastically affect the cohesive strength of the foundation.
Personal Preference
While it’s important to account for numerous outside factors in choosing your manufactured home design, your personal preference should be taken into consideration as well.
Several different types of foundations can be installed in a modular house, but most companies usually offer crawl space foundation systems for prefabricated ones. That said, there isn’t a standard foundation system for manufactured homes.
Types of Crawl Space Foundation
There are two commonly used crawl space foundations in the US; each having its respective purpose contingent on the client’s demands.
Block and Base
A classic crawl space uses a block and base foundation made from stones, concrete blocks, bricks, or cinder blocks.
Manufactured homes with block and base foundations commonly have interior beams inside the actual floor area that runs through the center of the home.
Additionally, block and base homes have open spaces underneath with a depth ranging from 1 ft to 3 ft.
Pier and Beam
Prefabricated homes with a pier-and-beam foundation incorporate interior beams that run through the perimeter of the structure and are fixated into the ground.
Manufactured homes built on pier-and-beam foundation systems use concrete or bricks for their beams. Solid perimeter beams are used in this type of crawl space, which can restrict airflow.
Crawl space foundation systems allow manufactured homes to efficiently be installed. That’s why most construction companies build their prefabricated houses with crawl spaces.
Most people also prefer a crawl space foundation because of its strategic and cost-effective layout. However, your personal preferences should also play a huge bearing in deciding what to install.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and over 10 years of experience working in IT. As a homeowner, I love working on projects around the house, and as a father, I love investigating various ways to keep my family safe (whether or not this involves tech). I’ve also played guitar for almost 20 years and love writing music, although it’s hard to find the time these days.