Going underground

[1930]

I’m curious why more people don’t build underground?
We are considering a root cellar for my wife’s canning.
We are in FL where it is dry, so dry that very little survives here with the exception of king leaf pines and sand oaks.
Very, very little rainfall throughout the year.
Why don’t we hear about more homes being built underground?
Wastewater would be a challenge but other than that?
Can anyone suggest good reference material?

 

[Eagle1]

I don't know your area but in many places around FL the ground water level is less than 4' deep. I know of places that if you dig foot down, it will fill with water. I would want to be sure that the ground water stays well below any level I want to build to during rain events.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I think underground construction is a great idea, but it depends on location. I looked into it when I built my place 45 years ago but most of my acreage sits on solid rock. The excavation costs would have been out of the question.

 

[IXLR8]

From what I have read, the sandy soil makes it prohibitively expensive. Not that it can't be done, but the excavation costs would be huge as you would need to dig a hole much larger than your foundation to keep the sand from running back into he hole before the foundation is complete. I have the same issue here on the sandy eastern shore of VA.

 

[RayIN]

This underground safe room is waterproof and equipped with all the comforts of home.
Below grade commodes are common, they have a macerator pump to lift sewage to the level of the city sewer or a septic tank.

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[caver]

You can always buy an old ICBM silo when they come on the market.

 

[4570Man]

The short and most obvious answer is cost. Just digging a hole is expensive but digging through rock, trucking away the excavated material, pumps to fix flooding and ventilation further drive up the price. The walls will need to be stronger than an above ground structure and you’ll need pump trucks to pour concrete which continues driving up the price. You’d probably need fire suppression since escaping would be limited.

 

[5030]

One of my friends built his home partially buried in a hillside and while it's nice, it always feels damp to me.

 

[grsthegreat]

Back in the late 1980’s i worked on a large cattle ranch in montana. One particular hot, humid summer day the foreman suggested we eat lunch in the root cellar. It was probably 20-30° cooler down there. They had everyone sit on boxes stored there among the root vegetables. I asked…whats in the boxes


Trenching dynamite

 

[CalG]

One very important aspect is ventilation!

IIRC a "comfortable minimum air turnover" is several complete exchanges PER HOUR. Typical houses BREATHE, and if they don't (super insulated, and underground etc) the air and spaces are just not comfortable. We sweat a lot!

Cooking, plants, pets, hygiene....it all adds up.

I keep the upstairs window open all winter!