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Old 04-12-2013, 09:34 AM
 
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It's all about construction cost. It's a lot cheaper to build a house on a concrete slab than it is to dig a full basement, construct full height foundation walls, etc. In the North, where the frost line is much deeper, the cost difference is much less.....you have to dig much deeper for the foundation anyway...

Other areas in the South where basements are more common - Atlanta is a good example - are places where the terrain is much more hilly...requiring deeper, taller foundations anyway...

As for the leaky basements in midtown...you have to remember that most of those homes are close to a century old - some even older. Foundation wall waterproofing has come a long way in the last 100 years. Besides, most of those basements weren't originally intended to be living space anyway. The water leakage isn't from the water table....it's just from normal ground water (rain) finding it's way through the porous walls.
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Old 04-12-2013, 10:07 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeCartpath View Post
It's all about construction cost. It's a lot cheaper to build a house on a concrete slab than it is to dig a full basement, construct full height foundation walls, etc. In the North, where the frost line is much deeper, the cost difference is much less.....you have to dig much deeper for the foundation anyway...

Other areas in the South where basements are more common - Atlanta is a good example - are places where the terrain is much more hilly...requiring deeper, taller foundations anyway...

As for the leaky basements in midtown...you have to remember that most of those homes are close to a century old - some even older. Foundation wall waterproofing has come a long way in the last 100 years. Besides, most of those basements weren't originally intended to be living space anyway. The water leakage isn't from the water table....it's just from normal ground water (rain) finding it's way through the porous walls.
I see....
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Old 04-12-2013, 10:36 AM
 
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The answer is that builders take the least point of resistance....even if some of the lots could
easily accommodate the construction....also, there is little demand for unknown reasons...

Some of the property around say Cordova, Walnut Grove were naturals to consider building a
house with HUGE basements (full), or lots of partial "daylight type basements which are commonplace in new construction in Indianapolis, suburban Bham, Atlanta, Charlotte, etc...

Hell....Memphis is "flat" but it's not water-logged Florida property !...

Just look at all of the houses that could have had basements in shady Grove, Crestwood, Massey/Estate, Humphries/Kirby/Cottingham/Yates.....all of the houses that border Poplar in
Germantown past Kirby heading east all the way to Forest Hill....

It might be more complicated than that but I don't think so....I mentioned that to the builder
I hired, H. Hamilton, and he looked at me with disbelief....really
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Old 04-12-2013, 11:00 AM
 
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I imagine part of the reason builders around here avoid basements is that it's out of their comfort range....they've never built one and don't want to start now. Would you want a basement built by a first timer? Not me! When I look at new houses I see a lot of stuff that makes me cringe....I sure wouldn't want to depend on those same guys to waterproof a basement....
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Old 04-22-2013, 11:42 AM
 
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Originally Posted by characterRef View Post
The answer is that builders take the least point of resistance....even if some of the lots could
easily accommodate the construction....also, there is little demand for unknown reasons...
There is a company in Collierville that installs tornado shelters (below ground)...so weather is enough of a concern here that I think basements would be useful and probably a good selling point for newer construction. The issue is that in the northern areas, the foundations must extend at least 1' below the frost line. That could be as much as 5 to 6' below the surface. With that kind of constraint, you might as well hollow it out and build a basement.

In Memphis, we don't have that freeze/thaw cycle concern as much as they do just 100 miles north. Builders here build at least 1' into undisturbed soil for a foundation.

If you are are building up your lot or if you are building into a hill, it can easily be done without moisture issues. I've built basements in homes in Texas before in the Brazos river valley.....the technology and materials are available (and relatively cheap) to keep moisture out in all but the lowest areas. You just need to expect a drafty feel. It is a basement, after all.

As long as you are not right along the Wolf or Nonconnah rivers, it probably wouldn't be much of an issue. There's an elevation map around here somewhere if you are that concerned with it. I'm still arguing that the reasons they are not popular here has nothing to do with the water table and hydrolic pressure in the clay soil in most cases though.

I'd build a basement into my home if I were paying for custom construction in Shelby County, but that is a preference. They provide good storm shelters and great storage space and are relatively inexpensive to build. I'd much rather the mechanical and electrical down there than taking up space in my garage or in my attic (which is a bad place for a water heater, IMO)

It wouldn't be that difficult to install a tank, sump and pump to dry it out if something ever happened like a busted pipe or broken water heater.
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