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why are there no basements in arizona homes

by Oda Ritchie Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago

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.Oct 8, 2018

Full Answer

Why are houses so cheap in Arizona?

Why are houses so cheap in Arizona? The area is made up of other smaller cities such as Glendale, Mesa, Tempe, and many more. These small cities have their residential areas, thus offering more flexibility to the residents.

Do Phoenix homes have basements?

While you can find a basement home in the Phoenix area they are generally in short supply. The most common reason builders don't offer basements is because parts of Arizona and the Phoenix Valley have some pretty hard soil.

What is the most haunted house in Arizona?

Most Haunted Places in Arizona

  • St. Mary's Hospital. St. Mary's is apparently a very active haunting site. Numerous and varied claims of sightings have been reported.
  • Fred G. Acosta Job Corps Center. There are a variety of reports about the hauntings at the Job Corps center. ...
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Do prefab homes have basements?

Yes! A mobile home can have a basement and thankfully the HUD code provides carefully written guidelines for that. Thus ensuring a safe and structurally sound mobile home foundation. Ozark Homes in Missouri showcases a few mobile homes they’ve set up with basement and garage space underneath.

Do Arizona houses 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.

Are basements cooler in Arizona?

Basements tend to be the coolest area of the house, and in Arizona you can't put a price on a cool spot in the summer months! As everyone knows, heat rises, so by eliminating the second story and opting for a basement instead, ones electricity bill would be substantially lower.

How much does it cost to build a basement in Arizona?

That may be a sizable number considering the cost: about $80,000 to $100,000 on top of the sticker price for a typically sized basement, which come fully finished and with windows.

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.

Does Arizona have 2 time zones?

All of Arizona is in the Mountain Time Zone. Since 1968, most of the state—with exceptions noted below—does not observe daylight saving time and remains on Mountain Standard Time (MST) all year.

Which states don't have basements?

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. However, this has been changing through the years.

Do Phoenix homes have basements?

And let's face it: Pretty much no one in Phoenix has a basement. I do, but mine's the type that's referred to as "unfinished," which means that it has 61/2-foot ceilings and is open to the crawlspace under my house, which was built in the 1920s by a transplanted Midwesterner for whom a basement was de rigueur.

Why doesn't az do Daylight Savings?

Arizona was granted an exception to Daylight Saving Time in the late 1900s due to the extreme heat our state experiences. If the Grand Canyon State were to "spring forward," the sun wouldn't set until 9 p.m. during the summer. This would impede nighttime activities as well as push back bedtime for children.

Do Texas homes 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.

Are basements illegal in California?

Basements themselves are not illegal in California. 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 can't 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.

Why doesn't Texas have basements?

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.

How hot do basements get in the summer?

In the summer your basement will probably stay cooler than the rest of the house, but keeping it at 80 F or lower will help suppress humidity and mildew. Ideal Basement Temp: 55 F to 60 F in winter; less than 80 F in summer.

Do they use swamp coolers in Arizona?

In Arizona during the spring and fall, it isn't quite hot enough yet to justify turning on the central AC. These seasons are the perfect times to rely on a swamp cooler. Evaporative cooling will also add moisture to the air, which helps make the home more comfortable during these times of year.

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.

Do evaporative coolers work in Phoenix?

The reason that swamp coolers are a good match to low-humidity areas like Phoenix is because they work through the principle of cooling the outside air by moving the air across water-saturated pads. This causes the water on the pads to evaporate into the air, lowering the air temperature.

Frost Lines and How They Affect Basements

Another one of the largest contributing factors to the lack of basements in Arizona is the frost line. Simply put, the frost line is how deep the ground freezes during winter and affects the way buildings are constructed. The reason for this is that the ground shifts as it freezes, which can lead to structural damage.

Basement Alternatives

Not having a basement doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker! Although it can be daunting if you’re used to the extra space, there are plenty of alternatives. It’s not hard to make great use out of other areas in your home as well as looking into other storage options.

Few Basements in Arizona Due to Cost

Although you can find Arizona homes with full and half basements, it is not the norm. Now we know that these roadblocks are not insurmountable but are more dependent on how much you can invest.

Why Are There No Basements in Phoenix?

I have an aunt and uncle back home who spend every summer "down cellar," which in Ohio means that in June, when the temperatures soar into the 80s, they pretty much abandon their three-story house and retreat into their basement until late August, when their "hot" weather ceases.

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Actor Christopher Eccleston is scheduled to appear at Phoenix Fan Fusion in May. Super Festivals / CC BY 2.0 / Flickr Creative Commons

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