Why do homes in Canada have basements?

The reason we have basements at all is because years ago people needed to have frost-free spaces before the days that heating systems kept homes above freezing all the time. Homes like these needed a basement to keep vegetables from freezing and spoiling.

Why do houses in cold climates have basements?

Building foundations need to be below the frost line to avoid freezing and cracking in pipes. In cooler climates, the frost line is several feet below the surface, which is why many Northern homes have basements.

Why do houses in Canada have cold rooms?

These basement rooms were designed for storing food and preserves, so they’re not insulated. Often they have a vent to the outside to allow cool air in and ventilate the space. Cold rooms provide an energy-efficient way to preserve food. It’s a lot cheaper than running a fridge, right?

Why were houses built with basements?

When Were Basements Invented? Underground cellars would store vegetables and other items that needed to be kept at lower temperatures. When industrialization took hold in the United States in the 1950s, it became much easier to dig underground structures, making the basement a much more approachable concept.

Do all houses have basements in Canada?

However, basements are considered standard on all but the smallest new buildings in many places with temperate continental climates such as the American Midwest and the Canadian Prairies where a concrete foundation below the frost line is needed in any case, to prevent a building from shifting during the freeze-thaw …

Why are houses built without basements?

In addition, fear of earthquakes was often cited as a reason for the dearth of basements in the Golden State. Building a basement to code upgrades your home to the safest level of protection for earthquakes, because you have a much stronger foundation for the whole house.

Why don t some places have basements?

Structurally, for houses, the basement walls typically form the foundation. In warmer climates, some houses do not have basements because they are not necessary (although many still prefer them). In colder climates, the foundation must be below the frost line.

When did houses start having basements?

It is unclear exactly when it originated, but during the industrialization of the United States in the 1950s, basements became more than a just concept.

Why don t houses have basements?

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.

Are basements a common thing in a cold climate?

Basements are a common thing in a cold climate. Where the frost depth is four feet or more. In fact, you will see the trend right from the borders of Pennsylvania and Maryland (by the Mason-Dixon Line) itself. Even though you see home both with and without basements in Maryland and Virginia.

Why do houses in rural Canada have basements?

Here, where I live, in rural Canada, there are still plenty of people who remember growing up in old farmhouses with an inch of ice on the water bucket every winter morning. Homes like these needed a basement to keep vegetables from freezing and spoiling.

Why do we have basements at all?

The reason we have basements at all is because years ago people needed to have frost-free spaces before the days that heating systems kept homes above freezing all the time. Here, where I live, in rural Canada, there are still plenty of people who remember growing up in old farmhouses with an inch of ice on the water bucket every winter morning.

Why are basements not built in southern states?

Reason for Not Having (and having) a Basement For not having a basement: The single biggest reason is this: Soil. Southern states tend to have damp soil and it is not easy to build a basement in the damp soil. If the soil has a high water table it is just too difficult to build a basement and keep the basement dry.