2. Cost Effective

The real cost savings of Permanent Wood Foundations have been well documented by Federal agencies and National Associations across the country.

Smaller construction crews, easier scheduling, and fewer on-site labor hours coupled with lower financing costs because of the time saved combine to provide short-term project cost savings. A general rule of thumb is that construction of a Permanent Wood Foundation insulated to R-20 is about the same cost as an uninsulated concrete basement.

Finishing costs are also lower as the wall studding is already in place eliminating the need to construct a separate wall inside the foundation to accept the insulation.

A wood basement is ideally suited to today's growing demand for more affordable housing!

3. Energy Efficiency

So great is the insulating value of the system, some homeowners have experienced substantial savings in heating and cooling costs. Considering that the basement normally accounts for some 37% of the heat loss from a house, the increased insulating value of the Permanent Wood Foundation walls is indeed important in achieving long-term energy savings.

Wood's low thermal conductivity combined with thick, economical batt-type insulation provide a natural combination for below-grade applications.

The foundation's efficiency is further enhanced by allowing the choice of a number of heating systems providing an even heat throughout the lower floor with none of the common drafts found in conventional basements.

4. More Usable Floor Space

Permanent Wood foundations provide more actual living space in basements than houses constructed over masonry (concrete) foundations.

Below-grade living areas available are larger because the interior frame wall required with masonry foundations can be eliminated. For an average sized house, this means more than 100 square feet of additional warm, dry basement living area.

5. Environmentally Friendly

The pressure treating process permanently locks the preservative chemicals into the cellular structure of the wood. The chemicals actually bond with the cellulose of the wood, a process known as 'fixation', eliminating the food source upon which wood destroying organisms thrive.

As a result, treated wood products exhibit little or no out-gassing and do not leak out into the surrounding soils.

Modern chemicals used are water-born solutions of inorganic oxides that result in wood that is non-oily, clean, nontoxic and completely harmless to humans, animals and plants.