Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 2/19/2009

Question
We bought a seasonal property which is built on posts.  The house is not level. We had one side shored up with a new beam last summer but the rest needs to be done.  The property is in Maine and we'd like to make it usable year round but without a basement, freezing pipes is a problem, although all pipes are inside.  We are wondering if a concrete wall around the perimeter of the house would be sufficient to a.) support the house and prevent constant movement due to the freezing and thawing and b.) enable us to insulate the crawl space we'd then have, and with heat on, be able to use the place in the winter without the pipes freezing.  Would it be a less expensive solution to having a basement, which we are not prepared to do...also, what would something like this cost? We are overwhelmed!

Answer
Hi Sherryl, in Maine the frost line for foundations is pretty deep, probably 3-4' which means that any foundation you install will have to be at least that far below the ground level.  If your house is two to three feet off the ground as it is then you might as well install a basement. Your foundation walls will be eight feet tall anyhow, might as well get some use out of the new space.  However digging around a house for a foundation isn't nearly as involved as digging out from underneath the entire house for a full basement.  There are ways to enclose the crawl space with insulated wood framed walls which alone may solve your pipe freezing problem but it sounds like you need some structural help also.  Personally I would probably try to fix up the existing piling foundation and then enclose the crawl space with insulated framed walls.  This would be the cheapest way to go.  I am not familiar with costs in Maine but I would guess a foundation wall with the proper footings would run at least 100-150 dollars a lineal foot or more.  So if your house is say thirty by forty that would be 140 lineal feet and cost anywhere from 15,000-25,000 dollars, a full basement would probably double that figure.  If there are other homes in your area that are similarly built you might look at how they deal with the cold and the freezing pipes.  There are also insulated pipe wraps available that have built in heating wires if freezing pipes is your biggest conceren.   I hope this information helps feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com