Growing up in Michigan, I am used to always having a basement. Most homes have them in our area unless they are close to a flooding zone. Otherwise, most of our dwellings, whether commercial or residential, have basements.
We get to utilize the space in a basement, which frees up valuable space on our home’s main level while keeping items organized and protected. Another benefit of having a basement is that it can provide additional protection in severe weather or natural disasters.
Thankfully, we never had a tornado touch down where I grew up in southeast Michigan, but I do remember all of the times we had to camp out in our basement when there was a tornado warning. My mom always made it fun and not scary at all.
Unfortunately, one summer, a tornado hit our area, and although it didn’t hit our neighborhood, it caused a lot of flooding. As a direct result of the flooding, water damage claimed our Michigan townhome and flooded our basement. We lost a lot of keepsakes, but thankfully, all of our most precious items were either on the main floor or the top floor in our bedrooms.
A basement is defined as one or more floors of a building that are either entirely or partly below the ground floor when approaching the front of a building.
History of basements
For its early history, a basement took one of two forms. It was a cellar on the bottom floor and generally used as utility space for a building, containing the furnace, water heater, breaker panel/fuse box, and first-floor ductwork. It is also the junction where utilities such as electrical, natural gas, and cable television enter a building.
Basements are also a portion of a commercial building containing rooms and spaces the same as the rest of the structure. In cities featuring high property prices, basements are often remodeled to a high standard and used as functional spaces, such as flats and offices.
Starting with the development of larger, mid-priced suburban homes in post-World War II, the basement gradually took hold as a desirable space in its own right. Initially, it was typically an ample, concrete-floored space, accessed by indoor stairs, with exposed posts and beams along the ceilings with poured concrete floors and cinder block walls.
Home remodelers now transform basements into varied practical spaces to meet each family’s specific needs. Many people use their basements as leisure spaces for entertaining. Some homeowners construct glorious media rooms with comfortable seating and state-of-the-art electronics, rivaling first-run movie theaters.
Finished basement ideas
Lower-level bars and family rooms provide other families ample entertainment and gaming space on par with neighborhood restaurants and bars. Still, others improve their basements for use as additional living quarters to give family members privacy and space. Still, others choose several different possibilities, including home gyms, wood workshops, home offices, and in-home daycare centers.
The use of basements depends largely on factors specific to a particular geographical area, such as climate, soil, seismic activity, building technology, and real estate economics. Basements in small buildings such as single-family detached houses are rare in wet climates where flooding can be a problem, though using a basement may be them on larger structures.
Before designing and remodeling this hidden oasis, prospective home buyers need to look in the basement to see if they are wasting valuable time, effort, and money without putting the necessary repairs in place. During a home inspection, have an inspector look for any of the following factors:
- Basement wall or ceiling stains could signify past or current leaks in the basement. Thoroughly inspect these stains and all the systems in the basement to ensure that there are potentially no leak problems. Cracks currently in the foundation are typically the cause of future basement leaks. If the basement is unfinished, it is much easier to spot them. Fresh Paint on basement walls, especially limited to one area, could mean someone is trying to hide some visible or repaired damage.
- Do-It-Yourself quality work to fix and install various solutions in their basements, such as sump pumps or even a drainage system, can be a concern. Check this work meticulously because it may not function properly. Then, consider hiring a professional to update these systems to ensure that everything runs properly.
- Many basement problems are related to Poor Drainage and Grading systems. Check the quality of the systems and ensure that they are running smoothly. Also, look out for puddles around the property’s exterior, overflowing gutters, and eaves troughs, resulting in cracks in the foundation.
- Most basement ceilings under six feet are usually against the building code and may not qualify for remodeling. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that the basement ceiling is up to code in any possible house of interest.
Where do people not have basements?
Basements are considered standard on all but the smallest of new buildings in places with temperate continental climates. A concrete foundation below the frost line is needed to prevent a building’s foundation from shifting during the freeze-thaw cycle.
In the Eastern and Central US, basements are generally the rule. Homeowners prefer them over structures that are built on concrete slabs. In several Southern and Western states, they are more the exception. Fear from earthquakes and entrapment below ground are reasons for the lack of basements in homes in California and the Pacific coast.
One state over, the main reason for Nevada’s lack of basements is caliche, an impermeable layer of sedimentary rock-like material that occurs in deserts and arid areas. Basements are, therefore, too expensive and difficult to dig in Las Vegas.
North Carolina homes do not have basements because of the water table, the soil, and the climate. The South, and specifically North Carolina, is known for its humidity and moisture. With moisture comes mold and wet earth, making basements in North Carolina tricky to manage and maintain.
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, preventing structural shifting.
Why are basements important?
A finished basement can add both value to one’s home and enjoyment to one’s leisure time. Have a vision for the concept and a plan in place to complete any remodeling project fully. With forethought and pre-planning, the finished project will be a cherished space for years to come.