Why don't all houses have basements?

[Noahma]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

How is that structurally sound? I thought that was a big no-no in freezing climates and especially in Colorado's clay soils.

the frost line is 2'-6" below grade (soil) we typically place our crawl space's at 3'-0" or 3'-6" to be safe, Basements can be expensive, and in some areas bedrock is so close to grade it cannot be done.

Originally Posted by livecontent

Where I grew up near the Great Lakes, everybody that I knew had a basement. It was smelly, always very humid, had sump pumps running all the time. Clothes that were stored there took on a smell; shoes got moldy.

Now I live in Colorado and every house I have had basements. Most of my relatives here have basements. They are all dry, no smells, no odors and you can store items there and they would be fine. In the summer they are great places to get away from the heat and keep your house cooler. In the winter, they keep your house warmer. Additional rooms fit nicely there with consistent temperature.

Yet in this area which is much better for basements--there are fewer basements. I have seen some basements here with sump pumps but mostly all basements would be dry. It is a curious fact why there are few basements. In a hot dry climate like here, and if the soil is easily dug, then basements and underground homes should be the norm. Certainly an underground home would be tornado proof and easier to heat and cool.

Maybe because basements were not needed for frost upheaval like New York. So, they made the houses cheaper and forgo the advantages of basements.

Livecontent

some of it is cost, some of it is location, some of it is soils conditions. We have some horrible soils in Colorado.

Originally Posted by tfox

Basements are not necessary for reasons of the frost line, at least not in Metro Denver. Crawlspaces or slabs work just fine. In fact, even when you have a basement the garages are going to always be on a slab. It is true that the slabs do have to extended further into the ground here than in a warm climate, but there are also newer construction methods to mitigate that problem as well. More and more, builders are opting for slab construction.

However, a basement is a relatively cheap way to get lots of living or storage area; its cost as a percentage of the house is small, so for me it's be a fairly easy decision. The problems of dampness, etc are generally not a concern in Denver.

the typical slab thickness in Colorado is minimum of 4" to max of 6", on bad soils we use structural slab, which contains some welded wire mesh, and lots of #4 rebar.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by tfox

...In fact, even when you have a basement the garages are going to always be on a slab. ....

Careful with FACTS and ALWAYS Some of us REALLY like our "suspended '2 - story' Garages". I have cars on two levels, very handy on sloped lots (like in mountains...). I built some in Colo (circa 1970), and now a few in WA, both my neighbors liked it so well they did too, and several 'engineer' friends in CO and WA.

For most it is an issue of economics, basements costs ~ $10-$15k extra, but is very cheap and usable sq ft. and with the high prices of lots it should be done more often. I've not found too many contractors keen on doing basements as they make their $$ on 'quick turn's and basements can add a whole week to the process That is why I usually end up building my own places. $200 sf via contractor, or $70-$90 DIY, without lifting a hammer (too often....usually just to get subs moving ) Each of our kids had to build a home as a 'home school' project, (with suspended garages + basements ), they had to do septic systems (had to pass a 'self-install' test for that), and draw their own plans. They hated every minute... too bad , (it gave them an incentive to complete college

'slab-on-grade' is very fast and cheap, and great if you get the home you want. Extremely popular in NM, AZ, CA, you can be from bare lot to framing in less than a week. In frost areas you need to insulate perimeter of slab as per local code. You can use fibered concrete instead of mesh and rebar. (I do prefer some perimeter Rebar if Soil has tenancy to move, and sections are varied thickness due to terrain)

I love my basements as cheap and cool and EZ to heat during power outages, and comfortable in 80 mph winds. I often make each level self sufficient with laundry and kitchen, that way you have one level to recover from surgery, or a potential "in-law" apartment, or can rent out to pay taxes. (to "boarder's" of course... not as multi family unit...)

I did have to blast a few basements in CO, but with current trackhoes equipped with 'hydraulic breakers', you can get pretty inventive on basements (make Your own 'Casa Bonita' cavern complete with 'window seat benches)

Basements can be a problem with hydraulic soils, underground springs, (high water tables) and areas with high concentrations of radon gas. With the later, you can add ventilation under basement floors, (4" perfed pipe + 2" gravel bed) and pump in hot summer air for utilizing 'annualized' solar gain. Just insulate 4' out from vent pipes so Aug temps show up at the floor surface in Jan.

[Noahma]

we also do basements under garage floors if you can believe it, It is EXTREMELY expensive, but amazingly enough can be done, and has been done quite a few times in the past year in some of our clients homes.