Basements? (Howe: buying a home, buying, gated)

[mkmccauley]

As I look at buying a home in OKC area, I can't help but wonder why no one has a basement. My husband and I are from Maryland and Indiana, respectively, and almost everyone has a basement where we are from. I know in Florida most places are too far below sea level...but what is the case in Oklahoma?

[cindycat]

Go to the Oklahoma forum and search the word Basement. There's a long discussion titled something like "Why no basements in Oklahoma."

We had one in the house where I grew up in Oklahoma but the house was built in the 1930's or before. Not too many new ones have them.

[Cali_Okie_Girl]

my house in OKC doesnt have a basement..im not sure why....my grandma and grandpa are putting in a safe room...just not many houses out here have him. sry that i couldnt answer ur question

[Nameless]

Simple answer: The water table is too high.

I can't elaborate anymore than that, but that's it in a nutshell.

[Goodpasture]

Four reasons. 1) too much rock below the surface in much of Oklahoma. It simply is not economically feasible to blast a hole in the ground to create an underhouse pond. 2) We only go down 2' for footings. If we were going down 4' and 6' like many areas, it might be prudent to excavate that area for added living area, but we don't go down that far so we don't excavate. 3) In many areas the water table IS high. 4) There is a lot of land at a relatively low cost. For the price of excavation (particularly if you have major subsurface rock formations) you can buy the adjacent acre and build out, rather than up or down.

[flintysooner]

Besides what Goodpasture wrote soil type and subsequent stability is also a factor.

However, it is possible to build a basement if all the issues can be mitigated. But it does take some serious planning and it is not inexpensive.

[happytown]

If you want a basement then you will have to buy a house in the older parts of OKC. Every old home my family has lived in has had a basement. Its rare for a home built before 1940 in OKC to not have a basement.

[peggydavis]

The first house we lived in Oklahoma had a basement, and it stayed dry. It was on NW 17th, probably built in the 20s or 30s.

[happytown]

Originally Posted by peggydavis

The first house we lived in Oklahoma had a basement, and it stayed dry. It was on NW 17th, probably built in the 20s or 30s.

The basements in the older homes in OKC will usually have a small 'water well' to collect the water and an automatic water pump to distribute it outside or some kind of drain hole that will do the same thing.

[mkmccauley]

Interesting...thanks for the responses.