Should you Build your House without a Basement?

Basements are pretty much everywhere, in almost every house. The reason they exist is because of frost. Back when houses were built, the base of the house went below where the ground freezes in winter, but people didn't really use those spaces. Only recently have basements started being used as extra rooms where people live. In this video, we'll talk about why living in basements might not be a great idea, and why many people we build homes for are choosing to not have a basement that you can live in.
0:00 Intro
0:47 Less Concrete
1:24 Moisture Issues
1:55 Accessibility and Aging in Place
2:24 Significant Infill on Low Level Sights
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Videos produced by The Conscious Builder Inc. are provided for informational purposes only. The information contained in the videos is intended to give general guidance to simplify residential construction projects. Because tools, products, materials, equipment, techniques, building codes and local regulations are continually changing, The Conscious Builder Inc cannot and does not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy of the information contained therein. Further, The Conscious Builder will not accept any claim for liability related to, but not limited to, omissions, errors, injury, damage or the outcome of any project. It is the responsibility of the viewer to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, rules, codes and regulations for a project. The viewer must always take proper safety precautions and exercise caution when taking on any project. If there are any questions or doubts in regards to the element of a plan, please consult with a licensed professional.

[@yunus203]

Very informative

[@DeuceDeuceBravo]

All valid points, but what about overall cost per square foot? With building material pricing these days it's a lot cheaper to build a finished basement than to put all the square footage above grade (at least here in New England). I'd much rather have two stories above grade with a slab, but the cost difference is huge.

[@Theconsciousbuilder]

It would depend on the site conditions. If you're building on a lot in a rural area where we build, you would need to bring in a lot of fill to bring up the lot to acomodate a basement because of where the water table is. Or you may hit bedrock and pay a lot to chip the bedrock.

[@DeuceDeuceBravo]

@@Theconsciousbuilder Great points. A lot of the building lots around us are very rocky and might require blasting through ledge, which obviously gets very expensive.

[@agisler87]

Would uou say the same thing about a crawlspace? Having the mechanicals accessable especially plumbing is really appealing.

[@Theconsciousbuilder]

The only mechanicals we typically run in a concrete slab is the plumbing drainage and maybe a water line if there's no way to get to an area from the top (ie. an island with a sink in a kitchen). It's very rare for plumbing to fail so having a crawl space just for this is not worth the headache if you can avoid it. Crawl spaces create for volume that need to be conditioned and potential for moisture issues. It also makes it harder to keep the air barrier continuous and it adds more framing. Nobody ever likes to work in a crawl space either!

[@mohibquadri4053]

Sir could you suggest me how to get a job as fresher beginner after 4 yrs of gap due to family reasons, i am a hvac design engineer in Aec construction industry completed my studies then internship of 6 months also experience in 2019 but i haven't joined any company bcoz my mother was working alone here in my hometown so i helped her with domestic works etc but now i am free after this month to hunt for a job so i am anxious about how should i plan or approach the upcoming challenges now to get hired effectively without wasting time or coming across as unprofessional in any way infront of recruiters ? What books would be useful to read for around this topic to know more about getting selected faster in company ??

[@Theconsciousbuilder]

Hi, sounds like you may want to reach out to HVAC design companies. Best of luck with your job hunt!

[@Mountain-Man-3000]

I'm going to have 2 basements

[@Theconsciousbuilder]

Go you!