House with a basement

[zmountaineer]

A good friend of mine and her husband had a modular home built for them. He is an engineer. So he figured out the size of steel I-beam he'd need to run the length of the entire house, and had the foundation built to support it. The entire basement is free of any posts! HUGE! Very nice thing to have. He coordinated delivery of the I-beam with delivery of the house, so the same crane set the beam and both halves of the house the same day. Worked out great!

Ours is 2 posts on 60 ft length. The entire time of building the house they only had one post on the 40ft joint. They only put it in when they put the concrete floor in towards the end. I'm half tempted to cut out the one at 20ft. I'd probably better consult an engineer before I do, though....haha.

I have another 12" beam in there as well and a couple of the wood ones in areas I didn't care about it being open.

 

[kcflhrc]

I have owned a Ranch with walkout, a 2 story without walkout, and my current home is a 2 story with a finished walkout basement. I would do a Ranch with walkout if I was you.

 

[TheMan419]

For me a basement is necessary as we live in the land of tornadoes. Need that as a storm shelter. So if that is a concern there is your answer.

Our current home was built in 1874, so we have a minimal basement. Could not be converted into living space of any sort. Just enough for a root cellar or protection from a tornado. I would love to have a full basement again. That is trade off to live out in the country though.

Also storage. We miss having the basement for storage.

 

[kcflhrc]

You wont find many homes built in Kansas without a basement, whether it's a ranch, 2 story or what. Now a home built in 1874, that's a different story. But most of those aren't standing anymore anyway. Ours was built in 1970 on our 10 acre tract. 2 story with main level master and full finished basement. Way more house than we need but the price was right. We rarely even go upstairs where there is a full bath and 4 bedrooms. Just the 2 of us now

 

[MossRoad]

For me a basement is necessary as we live in the land of tornadoes. Need that as a storm shelter. So if that is a concern there is your answer.

Our current home was built in 1874, so we have a minimal basement. Could not be converted into living space of any sort. Just enough for a root cellar or protection from a tornado. I would love to have a full basement again. That is trade off to live out in the country though.

Also storage. We miss having the basement for storage.

About 30 years ago I worked with a woman who's husband had a small business with his sons putting in full basements under houses that had only crawl spaces or Michigan basements. He'd knock a hole in the side of the foundation just big enough for him to crawl in, then start filling metal pails with dirt and handing them out to the sons. As he got more room under there, they'd shove a conveyor under there to load the dirt out and up into their little dump truck. Eventually, he's start putting in cribbing and bracing, jack up the house, dig more, put in forms, pour footings and foundations, and eventually let the house down on the new basement. It was brutal work. Towards the end of his career in his late 60's, she said she had to literally oil him up (liniment oil) to get his joints moving, then pull him up to sitting and then out of bed. Poor little dude retired and years later he was sitting next to her in church one Sunday, leaned over on her and died. However, he worked hard, provided a good home and work for his boys, was a good husband and father and anytime I'd see them together, at church, in a store, etc... they were holding hands and smiling.

 

[EddieWalker]

About 30 years ago I worked with a woman who's husband had a small business with his sons putting in full basements under houses that had only crawl spaces or Michigan basements. He'd knock a hole in the side of the foundation just big enough for him to crawl in, then start filling metal pails with dirt and handing them out to the sons.

About 20 years ago my brother had a small house in Salt Lake City with only one bedroom. He hired a contractor to dig out a basement under it with two more bedrooms and a bathroom. They dug down under the foundation with a skid steer, then they worked there way under it with the skid steer. I don't know all the details, just that they had a long ramp heading down, under the house. It seemed to go quickly, and my brother was very happy with the results.

 

[goeduck]

Need to get newer photos!! these are a couple years old...
View attachment 539625 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View attachment 539626

Oh man, I thought I had a lot of porch. Very nice.

 

[goeduck]

. Poor little dude retired and years later he was sitting next to her in church one Sunday, leaned over on her and died

Not a bad way go when your time is up.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Cant imagine not having a basement. Wife and i was discussing a retirement home the other day, she said no basement because of steps. I said it will have a basement, with walkout. My last house had a crawl space under half. What a waste, 4 more rows of block it would have been useable space. The while time i lived there i dreamed of digging it out. I would absolutely hate a house on a slab.
Make the basement 9' minimum.

 

[MossRoad]

Not a bad way go when your time is up.

Not at all, I suppose. She went to live with her daughter after that. She was in mid 60s when I met her. Her job was to record in a book items coming in and going out of an advertising department, back before things were electronic. She'd be sitting there writing and just nod off. We'd let her go and about 10 minutes later, she'd slowly open her eyes, look slowly to both sides to see if anybody saw her, then keep on writing. She kept a brick on her desk. I asked her what it was for. She said hopefully you'll never have to find out! :laughing: