Home & Garden Why don't we have basements in Australia?

[Lethality]

Land is an expensive commodity at the moment, even in the suburbs, so why do we not normally have basements in Australian homes?

The basement takes up no additional space, and is useful for storage or for additional rooms, which would be very useful with today's intergenerational housing.

Furthermore each basements could be a crude or legitimate bomb shelter or panic room or virus shelter, etc.

There are concerns over radon gas, but one could limit these structures to low radon areas.

Thank you

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Land is an expensive commodity at the moment, even in the suburbs, so why do we not normally have basements in Australian homes?

The basement takes up no additional space, and is useful for storage or for additional rooms, which would be very useful with today's intergenerational housing.

Furthermore each basements could be a crude or legitimate bomb shelter or panic room or virus shelter, etc.

There are concerns over radon gas, but one could limit these structures to low radon areas.

Thank you

Construction of basements in Australia is crazy expensive is the main reason. Better off building a third storey and going up

 

[FrankGrimes]

Cost an absolute bomb is main reason

 

[Caesar]

Because we don’t live in a cold climate

Houses in cold climates require deeper foundations to withstand the pressure and movement of ground that is constantly thawing and freezing

If you’re digging down deep to put foundations in then you may as well build a basement

If you don’t need to dig down, a basement is just an extra cost (and a fairly expensive one, as others have noted)

 

[Taylor]

Caesar got it. Foundations above the frost line will suffer a frost heave in snowy weather. So you build the foundations and run the pipes under the frost line, where the ground is a block of ice, so the building doesn't move and your pipes don't block up.

It's why we would be absolutely stuffed in most Australian cities if we ever had a week long cold snap from the Antarctic that dumped snow and sub zero temperatures on suburbia.

It would look pretty and the kids would love having fun in the ten seconds before it turns muddy and gross, but the toilets and showers will freeze and crack the pipes.

 

[Kipz]

We don't have this happen too much either

 

[Milhouse2011]

We don't have basements because of the Freemasons.

You're welcome.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

Land is an expensive commodity at the moment, even in the suburbs, so why do we not normally have basements in Australian homes?

The basement takes up no additional space, and is useful for storage or for additional rooms, which would be very useful with today's intergenerational housing.

Furthermore each basements could be a crude or legitimate bomb shelter or panic room or virus shelter, etc.

There are concerns over radon gas, but one could limit these structures to low radon areas.

Thank you

Because of South Australians?

 

[Roobs321]

 

[moncon]

We don't have this happen too much either

View attachment 1177697

But there are nasty fires quite often. If you had a fire-proof basement/cellar, equipped with air and water tanks perhaps, you could nick down there when the fire goes over your house. Yes I’m an expert on physics, chemistry, heat, etc etc.

 

[dirty2]

Alot of the old houses in my town have basement/cellars. When I was buying my house I wanted one.. but we get alot of ground movement and unfortunately the older houses in my area are quite often buggered.

 

[Feraligatr]

Tornados

 

[brutus76]

who's gonna bomb us... like really?

 

[NMBB]

Any registered builders here?

1. Is there a universally enforced Australia wide reg. / code / standard for expansion joints in solid timber floors?


2. If so, what does the reg. / code / standard specify as the size of the expansion joint? Are tolerances permitted or is a specific measurement?

thanks in advance

 

[melbournemartin]

Must say I love my basement here in Ohio. All new level of storage that Aussies don't have.

 

[Feraligatr]

No tornadoes

 

[wayniac]

Lots of older houses in Mount Gambier have basements. Anything built before WW2 seems to have a basement. Good solid houses too.

https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-sa-mount+gambier-141941472

A few of the many extras on offer here include:-

• Heritage Listed property significant to the early history of Mount Gambier
• Offering a flexible floor plan for up to 6 bedrooms
• Refurbished wine cellar
• Beautiful leadlight windows throughout
• Remote controlled Velux skylights
• 2 separate & secure garages for excellent off-street parking
• Energy efficient 15kW solar system with 2 x 13.5kw Tesla PW2 Batteries
• Izone controlled reverse cycle ducted air conditioning
• Secure & private residence tucked behind solid stone fencing

 

[Pie eyed]

Because we don’t live in a cold climate

Houses in cold climates require deeper foundations to withstand the pressure and movement of ground that is constantly thawing and freezing

If you’re digging down deep to put foundations in then you may as well build a basement

If you don’t need to dig down, a basement is just an extra cost (and a fairly expensive one, as others have noted)

I have actually built and/or restored several basements in Australia. All in Kalgoorlie WA
They were popular in desert areas for storing food stuffs etc as the subterranean areas were cooler.
The new and renovated cellars I built were all for wealthy professionals in Heritage buildings and were all intended as wine cellars.

They are as many have said expensive, even in hot dry areas with very low, if any rainfall.
In areas subject to subsurface water or high rainfall they can be enormously expensive.