HVAC slab or Pile cabin ????

[saltwater cowboy]

Looking for some info on my 1200 SqFt Buck lake cabin build HVAC. I was pretty sure I was going slab on grade with in floor heat but the couple quotes I got back were frightening.
Anyone have slab with regular furnace ? I would still be insulating under slab with rigid but would have to run HVAC in bulkheads below or above trusses.
OR build on screw piles..... can HVAC be run between joists ??
Thanks

[Dewey Cox]

Yes

[expedition]

I have seen older Homes with down draft furnaces and ducting under slab.

[Drewski Canuck]

It is easier to build up than down. That being said if you have a slope and a view, you will be better served with a walk out.

Piles and it will always be a "cabin".

Foundation, and it will be a "home".

No escaping the cost of concrete and 5K on piles is pretty easy to do, and you still have a crawl space to deal with.

Drewski

Drewski

[Mistagin]

If the lot is flat and you want to consider heated slabs, take a look at the Legalett geo-slab systems.
I'm considering such a system for the cottage / cabin I hope to build this year.

[saltwater cowboy]

No chance for walkout or crawl space. Water front with high water table.

I checked out the legalette system slab on grade. looks great but $22,000 quote and it only gets you engineer stamp, Styrofoam forms, air lines and fan system . You still need a heat source added on to that as well as concrete, rebar etc.

[Junglefisher]

How much is the scary quote for infloor? The tubes don't cost much, it's only the cost of the boiler. I would expect forced air to cost more with ducting, bulkheads etc.

[saltwater cowboy]

Just over $22,000 with GST. Approx $4000 of which was underfloor insulation which I would do myself.

[trophybook]

Seems steep.

[brendon444]

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

It is easier to build up than down. That being said if you have a slope and a view, you will be better served with a walk out.

Piles and it will always be a "cabin".

Foundation, and it will be a "home".

No escaping the cost of concrete and 5K on piles is pretty easy to do, and you still have a crawl space to deal with.

Drewski

Drewski

Why would you not consider piles as a proper foundation? Can use screw piles and close it in for a crawl space.
Also screw piles are quicker and hold more weight than a concrete pile. Can use screw piles incorporated in your grade beam.

Thinking of using screw piles for my cabin and because of the high water table are preferred over concrete. Less frost heave.