Why is a basement called a basement?

basement (n.)

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

Where did the term basement come from?

Some basements are "finished," with carpeting and solid ceilings and walls, but more often they're very basic rooms used for storage. The word dates from 1730, most likely from the Italian basamento, "column base."

What does basement stand for?

1 : the part of a building that is wholly or partly below ground level. 2 : the ground floor facade or interior in Renaissance architecture. 3 : the lowest or fundamental part of something specifically : the rocks underlying stratified rocks.

What do British call basements?

Amongst the estate agents and property professionals in the UK, the term 'cellar' is often used to describe residential projects while the term 'basement' is used to describe new build and commercial projects alike. A cellar is often a smaller space than a basement.

Is basement an American word?

In American English, however, the floor at street level is usually called the first floor. Go up one floor and you are on the second floor (which, of course, is the first floor for the British). The floor below street level is called the basement, the same as in British English.

Why are There No Basements in the Southern US?

Why don t UK houses have basements?

Except for Britain, Australia and New Zealand, cellars are popular in most western countries. In the United Kingdom, almost all new homes built since the 1960s have no cellar or basement due to the extra cost of digging down further into the sub-soil and a requirement for much deeper foundations and waterproof tanking.

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.

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 do American houses have crawl spaces?

These space raise the building above the ground and provide access to instal and access maintain services such as electrical wiring, pipework and so on. They are particularly common in the USA.

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.

What states have basements in their homes?

Is basement a English word?

Meaning of basement in English. a part of a building consisting of rooms that are partly or completely below the level of the ground: Our kitchenware department is in the basement.

Why do houses in the 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 there no basements in Nashville?

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 are houses raised off the ground?

The two primary reasons homes have crawl spaces are cost and accessibility - since crawl spaces work by allowing outside air to circulate beneath the house. By building the floor of a home off the ground (as opposed to on a concrete slab-on-grade), there are several benefits, including: Cost-effectiveness.

Is an attic considered a crawl space?

What is an Attic Crawl Space? An attic crawl space, also called an attic access space or attic recess, is an area on the top level of a house that is not tall enough to be used as a living area.

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.

Why is it called a Michigan basement?

You might not know it by name, but you have probably seen a Michigan basement. A Michigan basement is a term used in and around Michigan for a crawlspace that was later excavated to the depth of a basement.

What is a half basement with windows called?

Only about half the space is below ground level. These are also called lookout basements, Benach says. They generally have windows that come down to about your chest, and the space is the same height as a standard floor in the home. These basements are also regularly finished to provide extra living space.

Why don t Arizona homes have basements?

Because the ground doesn't freeze in Phoenix, you only have to dig 18 inches below the surface to pour concrete footing for a house. If you want a basement, you'll have to go out of your way to dig deeper. That's complicated by a common soil phenomena in the state called caliche.

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.