Why don't homes in florida have basements?
Damp soil is the major culprit in most cases of missing basements in the southern states. Most parts of Florida, Louisiana, and eastern Texas have swaths of wetland or swamps or significant coastlines. So, there's just too much water underground to make basement construction feasible.
Although it is legal to build a basement in Florida, the terrain makes it difficult because you cannot dig the mandated minimum of 8 feet. Even if you manage to build a basement, there is a significant risk of a sinkhole forming due to the digging or from one of Florida's frequent natural disasters.
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.
Are Basements Common In California? No, basements are not common in the state of California. This not only has to do with warmer temperatures, but it was cheaper to build homes on a basic foundation rather than over a basement.
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. In the South, the frost line is closer to the surface, so building deeper isn't necessary.
Houses in Florida are made of stucco because stucco is fairly inexpensive, creates a great finished look, and is easy to apply to homes constructed with concrete blocks. It is less popular in some regions because it can be damaged as a house shifts and settles over time.
A furnace is simply not needed if there are minimal cold weather days where you live. Florida is a rather large state, and the northern areas can be much colder than the areas in the south. Nonetheless, all of the areas in the state may be subject to cold and even freezing weather conditions from time to time.
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.
When space is limited (with total footprint and height restrictions) a basement foundation may be the best option, but if space allows there is a strong case for avoiding basements altogether and choosing to build a slab-on-grade instead.
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.
What is the point of a basement?
Originally, root cellars almost exclusively stored items that needed to be kept cooler before the invention of the refrigerator. However, the modern basement tends to have a more expansive purpose. The move toward a larger, more furnished basement probably speaks to its usage as an additional living and storage space.
Florida has a large aquifer system that spans around 100,000 square miles and provides water for many large cities. The groundwater's very close to the surface in most parts of Florida and Southern Georgia. Because of the high water table and proximity to the ocean, it is impossible to dig out for a basement.
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.
Basements themselves are not illegal in California.
Previous owners may have retrofitted basements into their property. If the basement was built without permits and approval (or even finished without a permit), you might find that yourself with an illegal basement.
Easier to Cool: We all know that heat rises, and that means that a second story is a repository for a lot of hot Florida air. Your air conditioner has to work even harder to cool a second story in the hottest months, which costs you more in energy costs and wear and tear on your A/C unit.
Most of Florida's residential exteriors are built using one of two structural methods. One method is engineered frame wood construction and the other method is concrete block construction or CMU construction (short for concrete masonry unit). The exterior walls are constructed with 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 dimensional lumber.
While there is no such thing as a hurricane-proof home, there are varying levels of resistance and investment. Florida imposed new mandatory building codes after Hurricane Andrew in 1992, at first locally and then statewide in 2002. They have improved hurricane resistance dramatically in new construction there.
Most homes in Florida use heat pumps that provide both heating and cooling.
In Florida, the most common heating systems use electricity. 81% of Florida residents have either an electric resistance heating system or a heat pump. By contrast, propane and natural gas heating systems take only a tiny piece of the proverbial pie.
Because of the heat and humidity, most Florida residents today rely on air conditioning systems to maintain not only reasonable comfort levels, but lower humidity levels as well. The size, efficiency, and placement of an air conditioning system, therefore, are all important.
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.
The Triangle does have homes with basements. But they aren't particularly common. Unlike the Midwest, where the soil is conducive to digging basements, North Carolina soil is largely heavy and hard to dig into. Most basements in the area are built into slopes and can provide walk-out convenience for homeowners.
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.
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.
No basements
Florida's water table is about 6 feet below the surface, making it virtually impossible for homes in Florida to have a proper basement. So, where do you hide all the stuff you can't fit in your house? That's easy.
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.
basement (n.)
"lowest story of a building, wholly or partly underground," 1730, from base (v.) + -ment.
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.
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.
Basements themselves are not illegal in California.
Previous owners may have retrofitted basements into their property. If the basement was built without permits and approval (or even finished without a permit), you might find that yourself with an illegal basement.
Why don t Florida houses have garages?
In PR, why do most of the houses have carports instead of enclosed garages? It cant be only because there is no snow, because even in Florida most houses where they also don't get snow, Florida houses have garages. Heat accumulation, breeze when possible, parties.
However, a huge portion of homes still have little to no guttering. The fact that Florida has a sandy soil and most moisture is absorbed quickly without homeowners seeing the ponding may be the reason for this. Or, it may be that builders are trying to save on costs and decided that gutters are not important.
Tile floors in Florida
For one, tile flooring is a great choice for the Florida environment that sweats through high humidity levels. Tiles are tough and water-resistant, which enables them to take on the excessive moisture in the Florida atmosphere without taking it in and harboring mold or mildew.
A basement is the safest place to take cover during a tornado. Here's what you can do in advance so that your family is ready to shelter in place at a moment's notice. Tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air connecting a thunderstorm to the earth below, and they can occur at any time and anywhere.
When space is limited (with total footprint and height restrictions) a basement foundation may be the best option, but if space allows there is a strong case for avoiding basements altogether and choosing to build a slab-on-grade instead.
Originally, root cellars almost exclusively stored items that needed to be kept cooler before the invention of the refrigerator. However, the modern basement tends to have a more expansive purpose. The move toward a larger, more furnished basement probably speaks to its usage as an additional living and storage space.
A Yankee basement is a root cellar. The name for the space comes from the dugout in baseball, which is the area where teams have their benches located in foul territory.
But over the course of the 20th century, government policy, the invention of cheaper, mass-produced building materials, marketing by home builders, and a shift in how people regarded their houses—not just as homes, but as financial assets—encouraged ever larger houses.
Various materials can be used when building a basement, however there are three main types of basement construction: poured concrete, block or masonry walls, and precast panels.