Ground To Soil Clearance

[Doug Walters]

Ben & Lee Ann:

Have completed FHA appraisals on new construction of homes with wood foundations (not pilings). They are located in the mid-Atlantic area (Maryland) and meet MPS for HUD and local code requirements for new homes. Any such creatures in your neck of the woods?

Doug

 

[Farm Gal]

Doug:

No EWC (Earth Wood Contact) homes in my central mid-west neck of the woods (of which I am aware) although Frank Lloyd Wright did reportedly build a few with pea-gravel/wood foundations.

Round here about the only wood termites won't have a picnic on is Osage Orange aka Hedge Latin name I do not know... I suspect this wood would survive the tiny mauraders nicely I have seen hundred year old fenceposts that when pulled look pretty much the same as a new post planted yesterday...

I would like to experiment with this wood on pea gravel... I think FLW had the right idea!

In the SF Bay Area of California I did see some homes with Redwood foundations (laid right on or posts into the ground)... many of which are a century or more old and in apparently good condition.