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**Coastarine** · 03-01-2009, 11:59 PM

I'm from PA and I live in Florida now. I really miss basements.

hcarter · 03-02-2009, 12:02 AM

When I lived in New Orleans, no basement, seeing as NOLA is below sea level. Here in Ohio, I have a basement. I also have a screened -in back porch so that's where I brew, or will when it gets a little warmer.

Duckfoot · 03-02-2009, 12:08 AM

I have a pseudo basement here in Georgia...

It is a ranch w/ a partial basement... I have a three car garage and two rooms + a bathroom that are essentially below ground level... I love it since Florida doesn't have a lot of basements...

**zac** · 03-02-2009, 12:11 AM

I have a basement.

Why don't I have a bar? Well, my house was built before ammenties like plumbing & electricity, so long story short:

The guy who built the place was just over 5' tall. He dug the basement with the help of a mule & a shovel. He put the floor joists a few inches above his head. Fast forward to plumbing & wires & a simple duct system, and I bash my head in everytime I go down there.

I'd love to dig 2 more feet down & have a real 4th floor to the house, but it ain't in the cards right now. But it does might fine for bottle conditiong.

flyangler18 · 03-02-2009, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zac

I have a basement.

Why don't I have a bar? Well, my house was built before ammenties like plumbing & electricity, so long story short:

The guy who built the place was just over 5' tall. He dug the basement with the help of a mule & a shovel. He put the floor joists a few inches above his head. Fast forward to plumbing & wires & a simple duct system, and I bash my head in everytime I go down there.

I'd love to dig 2 more feet down & have a real 4th floor to the house, but it ain't in the cards right now. But it does might fine for bottle conditiong.

I love houses with history like that, Zac! How about a pic or two?

enderwig · 03-02-2009, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drunkatuw

It's all about the frost line. I don't think it has anything do with the water table. You can install a sump pump if the water table is too high. But if you build a host and the basement doesn't go below the frost line, then your house will shift every winter when the ground freezes and again when it thaws in spring.

I've lived in Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota and have always had a basement.

I live in southern texas, 1 mile from the gulf of mexico, what is this frost you speak of? We don't have basements because putting a shovel into the ground causes water to come out. For us, it's all about the water table.

**Bernie Brewer** · 03-02-2009, 12:16 AM

Here in WI just about everybody has a basement. Maybe 5% or less homes are without.

enderwig · 03-02-2009, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bernie Brewer

Here in WI just about everybody has a basement. Maybe 5% or less homes are without.

I grew up in wisconsin, and I never met anyone who didn't have a basement there.

**Bernie Brewer** · 03-02-2009, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enderwig

I grew up in wisconsin, and I never met anyone who didn't have a basement there.

Ok, I overestimated. Maybe it's more like 1%. I can think of two houses in my town off the top of my head that don't have basements. But they are rare.

menschmaschine · 03-02-2009, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drunkatuw

I don't think it has anything do with the water table. You can install a sump pump if the water table is too high.

Actually, around here it's all about the water table. Not many people have basements. Water tables are variable in each location. There are locations around here where one day it might be 15 ft and a few weeks later it could be 3 ft, depending on precipitation and soil geology.

Most builders here won't build them due to the liability. Sump pumps are too risky and can't handle the load in a lot of places. You have to waterproof the crap out of the foundation walls and even then they might leak because of the high water table. Plus a 1500 sf (footprint) house will add about $10-$12K just on builder cost over a 4 ft crawlspace. So, unless it's a custom home on soil with a low water table, basements just aren't done around here.