Why are there no basements in Arkansas?

Also, building a basement can be dangerous in states with high concentrations of clay in the soil, such as Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Clay soils expand and contract as they collect and release moisture.

Why do Southern states not have basements?

Places with a lot of wetlands or swampland, like Louisiana and Florida, have too much water in the soil to build below ground. The water table, an underground boundary between the soil surface and groundwater, is usually less than a meter underground in these Southern states.

Which US states don't have basements?

In many parts of the south, this means that there is swampland or wetlands. Where the water table is high, it is simply not feasible to dig too deep underground. In Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Eastern Texas, the soil is particularly damp, which explains the minimal number of basements there.

Why do some areas not have basements?

“It's easier to build without a basement if you were doing assembly-line construction.” In addition, fear of earthquakes was often cited as a reason for the dearth of basements in the Golden State.

Why can't Oklahoma build basements?

The answer Keva found is that the soil is too moist and the water table is too high. So Oklahoma basements would be prone to mold and smelliness and flooding and also cracking as wet soil can expand.

Why are There No Basements in the Southern US?

Why are there no basements 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.

Are walkout basements safe in a tornado?

If you don't have a basement, the safest place to be is in a small, interior room, a closet bathroom or an interior hallway on the lowest floor of your house. It's also important to realize that not all basements are safe, especially walkout basements with sliding glass doors.

What state has the most basements?

On average, in the United States, basements are most commonly found in the Midwest. This includes states such as Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri.

Does Texas have basements?

In fact, almost all the big Texas buildings the Texanist can think of, both historic and new, have basements. But you are absolutely right that few houses in Texas are similarly equipped.

Why does the Midwest have basements?

Cold weather above ground translates to freezing soil below the surface and the colder the air, the deeper the frozen ground. The freeze thaw cycle that take pace in that frost region can crack a concrete building foundation so its important to dig the foundation for any building down below the typical frost line.

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 I build a basement in Texas?

While it is possible to build a basement on clay soil up north, the type of clay soil in the Texas area is easily susceptible to shifting and flexing during the rainy season. Due to the high clay content in the state, the soil surface beneath and around the foundation of homes can expand up to 30 percent when wet.

What is the purpose of a basement?

A basement is a useful place to live, work or store items, even today. Some people choose to have a fully furnished basement that functions as a bedroom, while some leave it mostly unfurnished and choose to look at it as more of an additional storage space.

Do homes in Tennessee have basements?

Generally, homes in Tennessee do not have basements. This is due, in part, to the fact that most homes are built on crawl space foundations. Concrete slabs are also a common choice. This is due to the rising cost of construction.

Why do Canadian homes have basements?

Here, where I live, in rural Canada, there are still plenty of people who remember growing up in old farmhouses with an inch of ice on the water bucket every winter morning. Homes like these needed a basement to keep vegetables from freezing and spoiling.

Are there any basements in Florida?

Generally, homes in Florida do not have basements. Occasionally, they can be found in the hills of Northern and Central Florida, but it is rare. It is not recommended to build or purchase a house with a basement in Florida. In the United States, basements are considerably more popular in the North than the South.

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.

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.

Why is a basement called a basement?

basement (n.)

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

Are basements safe for earthquakes?

While a powerful earthquake could be catastrophic, it's important to note that it's falling debris, and not the ground's movement, that causes most injuries and deaths. Basements are safe during an earthquake, but you shouldn't try to get there once the shaking starts.

Why are there no basements in the West?

Basements built in California are often below sea level, so extra measures must be taken to prevent flooding and other water-related issues. Most contractors working in California try to reduce expenses wherever possible, and excluding basements from homes fulfills this goal.

Do they have basements in Vegas?

According to the late, great Las Vegas historian Hal Rothman, the absence of basements in Las Vegas — and their accompanying storage space — made the three-car garage a coveted status symbol.

Why do tornadoes never hit cities?

A tornado is not magically diverted by a building or even a mountain. Tornado strikes in major metropolitan areas are only less common because the vast amount of rural landscape in the U.S. far surpasses the nation's limited urban footprint.

Can you survive an f5 tornado in a basement?

EF5. Barring a storm cellar or a specially constructed, reinforced room, a basement is the place where you're likeliest to survive a direct hit from a tornado. It's a pretty good bet, but it's not failsafe.

Is a brick house safer in a tornado?

For centuries, buildings constructed of brick have withstood the ravages of hurricanes, tornadoes, high winds, hail and punishing rain.