Basement question for N. Alabama (Huntsville, Florence: tornadoes, houses, construction)

[boomer]

We will be building our house in the Huntsville area soon. I am considering building a basement as I like the added space and for tornado protection. Do people in N. Alabama build basements? How low is the water table in the Huntsville area? Third, how much do basements cost?

[bamagirl924]

Yes, many people build basements in North Alabama. Don't know much about water tables. When we built our house in Florence 2-1/2 yrs ago, our builder said a finished basement would add about $20K to the cost of the house. Hope that is helpful.

[HSVmom]

We've found that builders rarely do basements now unless the lot is sloped and doesn't require much excavating. Most new construction that I've seen (in a wide range of price points, from entry level to $800k+) is built either on slab or on crawl space. We were recently told that an unfinished basement would add at least $40K to the total for a house that was estimated to cost $450K on crawl space, mainly because the builder would have to dig out and didn't know if he'd hit a lot of rock. Some builders offer a main level storm shelter, often in the garage or master closet, which is a reinforced room that can be used for storage as well as a shelter. We had one built in the master closet of a previous home that had a slab foundation.

[harry chickpea]

Basements have few redeeming qualities. In the hot humid months, they tend to condense moisture (sweat) and encourage mold. If there is radon, they may need to have positive ventilation. They are difficult to light sufficiently to use as living space, and manytimes they have insufficient headroom for standard sized rooms. If they are finished off, the access to water pipes is closed off. If there is a high water table or heavy rain, the basement is the first thing to flood. A basement also doesn't provide true tornado protection unless the flooring above is so firmly tied in that the winds and debris can't strip it off.

I don't trust above ground shelters, for the simple reason that a strong tornado can pelt it with debris as big as trees and cars. We are considering a single small underground bedroom where we can sleep in comfort and safety when severe weather is predicted. Otherwise, we would go the old "root cellar" route to try to get some ongoing use out of the space.

[zenjenn]

So how common is it for homes in the N. Alabama area to have basements or underground storm cellars of some kind?

[deesonic]

I'm blown away (no pun intended) by all the questions on this forum regarding tornados. It never occurred to me that our weather or potential for natural disaster was any scarier than any other part of the country.

[zenjenn]

I don't think its scarier. In fact I think its *less* scarey than California's disaster of choice. But anytime anyone moves into a new area, they might come in entirely ignorant as to how to prepare for that diaster, how often the disaster occurs, etc.

I don't give a second's thought to earthquakes, but I wouldn't think it odd for someone moving to California to ask questions about them.

[dentaigirl10]

Originally Posted by zenjenn

So how common is it for homes in the N. Alabama area to have basements or underground storm cellars of some kind?

We are from MI and when we moved here I really wanted a basement I am terrified of tornados. I couldnt find a house with a basement to save my life I have heard they are really exspensive, and as far as storm shelters we only found 2 houses with shelters. If you can afford one I would add one just for piece of mind if it was me. I dont know anyhting about the water table either but I do know it is really humid here. Hope this helps good luck to you .

[Keeper]

It isn't the water table as much as the rock in the ground that you have to worry about. Very few homes have shelters but you can have one put in for a couple of thousand dollars. I personally would not move to an area that has been struck by a tornado before, the thing about lightening not hitting in the same place twice doesn't apply to tornadoes. There are tornadoes in many states, FL has had some really bad ones in the central part of the state. The TV stations are really good about watching for possible rotation and while it can be scary when you first move here, you just need to have a weather radio just in case you don't hear the sirens. Even in Oklahoma most homes don't have tornado shelters anymore.
Consider this.. at least you know they are coming unlike an earthquake..

[MsMuir]

Originally Posted by zenjenn

I don't think its scarier. In fact I think its *less* scarey than California's disaster of choice. But anytime anyone moves into a new area, they might come in entirely ignorant as to how to prepare for that diaster, how often the disaster occurs, etc.

I don't give a second's thought to earthquakes, but I wouldn't think it odd for someone moving to California to ask questions about them.

I'm with you zenjenn....I never thought about earthquakes either, even after the Loma Prieta one which really hit SF hard as well as the area around us on the central coast of CA. Sure do understand why people from out of state might find the thought worrisome tho'.

Guess the thing is, there really isn't anything one can do to to prepare for a earthquake...some exceptions, but for other disasters
like hurricans/tornadoes, you can make some preparations. So, I'm
thinking it's a good idea to ask questons about such preparations...
ie; storm cellars and the like.