What is a Texas basement?

A Texas Basement is floored attic space that is typically accessible via a hallway or closet on the second floor. In some homes, the Texas Basement is accessible via a separate stairways in the garage and the floored attic space is the space above the garage.

Can you build a house with a basement in Texas?

With the constant improvement in building technology and engineering, home builders in Texas are now able to construct basements in several areas where it was once considered impossible.

Why are basements rare in Texas?

According to Texas Monthly: In some parts of the state, the water table is too near the surface of the ground, making leaking and flooding an issue. Sometimes the bedrock is too close to the surface, making digging more difficult and costly. “Expansive” soils can make a basement unworkable.

What are the different types of basements?

What is a Yankee basement?

They call it a “Yankee basement” or, well, sometimes a “root cellar,” where basically you take the interior perimeter of the foundation wall, move in about 2½, 3 feet and then dig down there. So you leave this sort of berm of soil to support the foundation that's under the footing.

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Why is there no basements in California?

With no danger of frost in much of California, foundation footings don't have to be nearly that deep. As for getting extra storage space, it's generally cheaper to build at ground level, unless real-estate prices are extremely high where you want to build.

Why doesn't Dallas have basements?

Phil Crone, executive director for the Dallas Builders Association, said basements are also not as common in Texas because the frost line — the depth below the ground where the soil does not freeze in the winter — is much shallower in Texas than up north.

Why is a basement called a basement?

basement (n.)

"lowest story of a building, wholly or partly underground," 1730, from base (v.) + -ment.

Are there basements in Hawaii?

In general, homes in Hawaii do have basements as long as they meet the necessary safety and zoning requirements. Once the requirements are met, a basement can be installed into a home if desired, providing extra space and storage to your home.

Why are homes so cheap in Texas?

Texas houses are affordable because of the state's large availability of vacant land, low tax rates, relaxed building restrictions, and available building supplies. Texas also has one of the strongest economies in the world, and the cost of living is quite cheap, making housing prices even more accessible.

Why are there no basements in Austin?

“What we see in our area is that the land is really difficult and makes it cost-prohibitive to do basements,” she says, “because on the West Side, we deal with a lot of rock issues, and then on the East Side, we have expansive clay soils … basically, [there is] a lot more liability or potential for it to fail.”

Why do houses up north have basements?

Frost Lines

Building foundations need to be below the frost line in order to avoid freezing pipes. The frost line in northern states tends to be several feet below ground, so basements are a helpful addition.

Why are houses in Hawaii built off the ground?

Having a home built off the ground in Hawai'i serves many purposes. Traditionally, homes in the tropics were built off the ground to ensure airflow, passively cooling the house in a warm environment. It also helps with insect control, flooding and inhibiting mold growth.

Do islands have basements?

An Island basement foundation is similar to a crawl space only with a lot more headroom. Typically any home that is built near the shore line of a body of water is required by FEMA and insurance companies (and county codes) to be elevated to a specific height.

What is the purpose of basements?

Basements were originally designed as a storage space for water, wine and food. Being underground spaces, they were traditionally damp, musty places wherein whatever is stored should be protected in glass or tin.

What is a house without a basement called?

Slab homes are often built closer to the ground than homes with basements or crawl spaces, thus reducing the number of steps required to enter the home.

Why does Canada have basements?

The reason we have basements at all is because years ago people needed to have frost-free spaces before the days that heating systems kept homes above freezing all the time.

Why do midwest homes have basements?

When you build a home, the foundations need to be below the depth of the frost line. In the north of the country (and particularly in the midwest) this requires deep foundations, thus making a basement far more practical.

Which states have basements?

Do Florida homes have basements?

While you may still find a home or two with basements in the central or northern areas of Florida, most Florida homes do not have a basement. If you should stumble across a home in the southern region of Florida with a basement, we strongly urge against purchasing this style home.

Do houses in Arizona have basements?

Most homes in Arizona are built without basements. Though they are not impossible to add onto Arizona homes, they are relatively cost prohibitive. This is partly due to the presence of caliche in Southwestern soil and the ground not freezing as deep as it does in the North and Midwest.

Why are there no concrete houses in America?

There are a few reasons why US homes are made of wood and bricks instead of concrete. The first reason is availability. The USA has vast forests to supply building materials. Second, history plays a large role in how people build their homes, as does American culture and style.

Why are there no brick houses in California?

There are several reasons why brick isn't predominant: The climate: California's weather is pretty temperate-we don't get subzero temperatures like back East or in the Midwest, so we don't need the extra insulation. On top of that, in parts of California, it can get very hot, and brick holds heat in.

Do houses in Colorado have basements?

Well, here in Denver, roughly 60 percent of all homes, including condos, have some sort of basement, according to data from the Denver Assessor's Office. Side note: There actually is a difference between basements and garden level units, at least in terms of home assessments.

What is pier foundation?

A pier foundation is a collection of large diameter cylindrical columns to support the superstructure and transfer large super-imposed loads to the firm strata below. It stood several feet above the ground. It is also known as “post foundation”.