There is a house in Denver built in 1890 that I restored some years back that had a tunnel extending to the curb for coal deliveries.It was lined with brick and had an arched ceiling.We made a wine cellar out of it
Why No Basements in Texas?
- Thread starter bluetopper
- Start date
DWalt
Member
Local clays create a problem even for houses built on slabs, and in some parts of town it can cause structural damage such as cracking and tilting of slabs. Clay shrinks when it dries (we sometimes have long-lasting droughts) and when it does rain, the clay swells. Slab leveling is a big business here. Areas where limestone is just below the surface are the best places to build in San Antonio. Fortunately my house is located in one of them. There are maps showing clay problem severity areas for building. I have a friend who bought an expensive house in a fairly exclusive gated community, and within two years he had to spend over $20K to get his slab leveled. In addition to being expensive, it is very disruptive and they had to move out while it was being done.
When Rock creek (Boulder/Louisville area) was still fairly new they were running into bentonite on random lots.The basement slabs were heaving and some sustained far more structural damage than that.Came across a few where they had built them with suspended,wood frame basement floors trying to get around that problem
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double-dipper
Member
Hydrostatic pressure. Clay material contracts when it looses moister and expands with force when wet (rain) cracking/breaking foundation walls. Parts of Texas have a low water table and could have a basement with drain tile around the foundation and sump pump. Rock is not a problem an Excavator with stinger bucked can break up the native stone when excavating. I have a basement and my house sits on top of a hill so no sump pump needed. I do wet the soil around the foundation in the summer time so that when the rains come it will reduce the Hydrostatic pressure on foundation walls.
Absalom
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Very interesting discussion.
I originally come from Europe, where building a house without a basement is unheard of and would be considered a criminal waste of space.
Then I’ve spent most of my life in the West, where hardly any house has a basement.
But every house out here has a garage, which rarely contains a car or space for one. Instead, it contains all the stuff that Europeans store in their basements. There is usually plenty of space to park multiple cars outside, not the case in Europe either.
So I always thought it’s simply a matter of space and cost. Americans go wide since land for building is plentiful and comparatively cheap. Europeans go down (and up) because the opposite is the case.
I originally come from Europe, where building a house without a basement is unheard of and would be considered a criminal waste of space.
Then I’ve spent most of my life in the West, where hardly any house has a basement.
But every house out here has a garage, which rarely contains a car or space for one. Instead, it contains all the stuff that Europeans store in their basements. There is usually plenty of space to park multiple cars outside, not the case in Europe either.
So I always thought it’s simply a matter of space and cost. Americans go wide since land for building is plentiful and comparatively cheap. Europeans go down (and up) because the opposite is the case.
ericrlarson
Member
Living in South Louisiana for most of my life, I’ve always assumed it was because of the low sea level. A basement would be a swimming pool lol.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
RobertJ.
Member
Perhaps to keep your grown kids from living at home?
Old TexMex
Member
My home town is on a sandbar and my water well point is 7’ deep, so.....
nachogrande
Member
BECOMING MORE COMMON
Closer to the Mexican border, it makes it easier for tunneling.
Closer to the Mexican border, it makes it easier for tunneling.
If I knew all you southern boys could take a joke, this thread is begging for it. Something about homes on wheels don't need basements. But I'll leave it alone.
muddocktor
Member
Down here in soggy bottom Louisiana the water table is way too high for any basement unless you spend some mega bucks on it.
Back around 1980, my older brother and bought some lots in St Martin parish and we dug our own holes for the septic tanks by hand. We got his put in the ground and filled and covered but with mine we just had time enough to drop the tank in the hole. We came back the next morning and my septic tank was sitting way out of the ground, floating like a channel marker and ground water had collapsed the hole sides and filled to within 6 inches of the surface level. We had to go rent a trash pump and pump the hole out, then remove all the mud to reset the tank. We did it, but damn it was tough.
Back around 1980, my older brother and bought some lots in St Martin parish and we dug our own holes for the septic tanks by hand. We got his put in the ground and filled and covered but with mine we just had time enough to drop the tank in the hole. We came back the next morning and my septic tank was sitting way out of the ground, floating like a channel marker and ground water had collapsed the hole sides and filled to within 6 inches of the surface level. We had to go rent a trash pump and pump the hole out, then remove all the mud to reset the tank. We did it, but damn it was tough.
I was about to say, up here, if it doesn’t have a basement it ain’t a house, it’s a trailer. Ohhh you’re all missing out! Basements are great! Finished or not! That’s where every man cave, ‘shop’, etc, resides. All your hunting/fishing gear. Secondary fridge and freezer space. Perfect rec rooms too. The world without windowsss.
Now attics .... they can give me the creeps.
Now attics .... they can give me the creeps.
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All houses I have lived in and most that I have visited all have basements. It a good place to bring in your utilities, put in your furnace/boiler, water tank, circut braker box, well tank and controller.
The way my house is laid out I have a 30X28 2 car garage under the house and the other side is our basement. My loading room is in the basement part and my work shop is in the garage area. I have another garage on site about 50' behind the house for other things.
One thing that I have said for many years you cannot have too big of a garage, attic, gun safe or basement!
The way my house is laid out I have a 30X28 2 car garage under the house and the other side is our basement. My loading room is in the basement part and my work shop is in the garage area. I have another garage on site about 50' behind the house for other things.
One thing that I have said for many years you cannot have too big of a garage, attic, gun safe or basement!
Well why, have one?
You can't shoot deer from a basement !!
You can't shoot deer from a basement !!
AZretired
Member
Well, I lived in New Mexico for 30 years at more than 5000 feet above sea level and NO Basements anywhere. I had a 300+ foot deep well! Same here in Arizona at 1300 feet. Water here also deep.
YET-- In New Jersey where I grew up, and still visit family, maybe a 100 feet above sea level and a high water table, basement are very common and almost all houses have them.
I was told long ago that due to rocks and Caliche in New Mexico that digging basements was just too expensive.
They're great for hydroponics.
DGM
Member
I though basements were used for fuel oil tanks or coal bins , neither of which we use in The Great State of Texas , plenty of natural gas .
Sistema1927
US Veteran
I was driving down to Houston many years ago, and near College Station I saw an outhouse with a TV antenna. This was strange enough that I pulled over, walked over to the outhouse, and actually knocked on the door. To my surprise an older gentleman opened the door. When I asked about the TV antenna he told me that he was a prof. at Texas A&M, and that the housing situation was so bad that this was the only place he could find.
Upon my return trip I noticed not one, but two TV antennas. I once again pulled over and knocked at the door. The same gentleman opened the door. I asked about the second antenna, and he told me that he had sublet the basement to a student.
Upon my return trip I noticed not one, but two TV antennas. I once again pulled over and knocked at the door. The same gentleman opened the door. I asked about the second antenna, and he told me that he had sublet the basement to a student.
Where do you Texicans hide the bodies?
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