Homes without basements, or with partial basements, have a narrow "crawl space" between the ground and their first floor. Getting under a house and into the crawl space is not a favorite activity for most people. 

Whether the space is under a ranch-style home that is just one story high, a tri-level home (a home with basement and crawl combination), or a home of two or three stories, crawl spaces are typically dark, dirty, and filled with spiders and/or rats. Crawl spaces are not the favorite work environment for the crew of A-FFIX Retrofit, but we are very experienced with this style of home.

Homes with crawl spaces underneath are usually retrofit using a straightforward two-step process: A & C of the "ABCs of retrofit" (anchoring the foundation and connecting the flooring with metal clips). 

The crawl space may be accessible from the outside, from inside a closet inside the house, or from the garage. The biggest limitation of a crawl space is usually the vertical space between the ground and flooring system of the house. Homes with less clearance than is required by current building codes (16” between floor joists and soil; 12” between support beams and soil) may require special treatment. Other limitations, such as an infestation or the presence of ground water, may also complicate the retrofit.

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Homes built using a decking-type floor system can't be retrofit using the standard "ABC" retrofit system (anchoring, bracing, connecting). In decking construction, the house is built on a flooring platform made up of 2-ply decking material or 5/4” plywood panels over beams spaced at 32” or 48”. However, these homes can still be retrofit using a custom-engineered plan.