Raised Wood Floors Now Can Compete

There’s good news for those who prefer raised wood floors over slabs. For the first time since 1983, raised wood floors are cost-competitive with slab floors, according to the Western Wood Products Assn.

Mike Hodgson, president of ConSol Inc., statewide contracting firm based in Stockton, explained that a new set of California Energy Commission regulations makes raised wood floors less expensive than they used to be because the same energy conservation features are now required for all types of housing. The new regulations took effect on July 1.

“Where in the past you might have been required to install high-efficiency air conditioning or other expensive features, today the raised floor house is on equal footing with the slab,” Hodgson said in an interview.

The Western Wood Products Assn. points out that the amount of flat, dry land available to build on in desirable areas of California is rapidly decreasing, causing slab foundations to increase in price. The old code required more conservation features for raised floor houses than for those built on slabs because it was based on passive solar concepts.

The board has done a turn-around and now recognizes that passive solar does not conserve energy as well as insulation features do. The new code requires the same conservation features for all types of housing.

A smaller increase in mandated conservation features is required for the raised floor house than for the slab floor home, according to the association.

Actually, the commission was previously biased toward the slab floor, according to Hodgson. “Now they are taking a more balanced point of view.”

Land availability will also play a significant part in the resurgence of raised wood floors in California, predicts Hodgson. Many new homes will necessarily be built on hilly terrain, on expansive soil sites or in areas with high water tables, he said.

Typically, a post-tensioned slab or a raised wood floor are required for these conditions. The raised wood floor is quicker and less expensive to install than the post-tensioned slab, many builders have learned.

Obviously, add-ons will be affected by the same requirements and conditions. In some areas, because of soils, seismic or moisture conditions, as many as 90% of building permits will require post-tensioned or raised floor type construction, the Western Wood Products Assn. points out.

And, the association adds, builders who prefer raised wood floors to slabs, will now be able to return to their floors of choice.