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dem in texas

(2,674 posts)
6. No basements
Tue May 21, 2013, 12:17 AM
May 2013

Basements are necessary for the water based heating systems. I lived in Alaska and we had to have a basement so the heating system (which ran under the first floor) could heat the pipes to keep them from freezing in cold weather. It doesn't get that cold in some of the states in tornado alley so you don't have as many problems with freezing pipes. Also, it gets very hot and humid in the summer and you do not want a basement that will get damp and moldy.

I live in Dallas and my house is an older 2 store home and is built on pier and beam. Many newer homes are built on concrete slabs. My furnace is in the attic. In most one story homes in this area, the furnace in a closet in the hall or laundry room.

I suspect it depends upon the geology of the region, tradition, the economics... NRaleighLiberal May 2013 #1
as others have pointed out, a lot of places there is limestone, or other rock. other areas, the niyad May 2013 #2
Oklahoma sits on an aquifer and has a high water table - basements flood! TheDebbieDee May 2013 #3
So we don't end up with out kids living in them and on Free Republic all the time! n/t brewens May 2013 #4
I'm trying to be serious. Western PA does get tornados from time to time. We are always diabeticman May 2013 #9
Frost. Or lack thereof. jeff47 May 2013 #5
thank you this is helpful for me to understand diabeticman May 2013 #10
No basements dem in texas May 2013 #6
Pacific Northwest has basements. grasswire May 2013 #7
many of which smell like mold and dry rot 0rganism May 2013 #16
The Weather Channel was wrong justcommenting May 2013 #20
Most houses like in Dallas/Houston are built on concrete slab foundations... Tx4obama May 2013 #8
Mostly slabs here, too GoCubsGo May 2013 #11
We have one. X_Digger May 2013 #12
No, because they're cheap to build. n/t Egalitarian Thug May 2013 #18
Why not at least a small storm shelter? Doesn't have to be a full TwilightGardener May 2013 #13
I live on the Texas Gulf Coast. Llewlladdwr May 2013 #14
Fatal tornados are extremely rare events. Average of 40 a year. n-t Logical May 2013 #15
Real estate developers and corrupt politicians. Egalitarian Thug May 2013 #17
Money Retrograde May 2013 #19
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