Oklahoma Republicans say NO to disaster relief and ask for a smaller government.

[justcommenting]

145. Bedrock not the real reason

I am only here because I was researching some information, and stumbled upon this discussion.

I believe it was not an Oklahoma meteorologist making those statements about Oklahoma and basements. Someone on some channel I was watching who was not from Oklahoma was discussing the hard bedrock in Oklahoma and explaining that dynamite is required to put in a basement. They were discussing how they must jackhammer through a basement floor and then blast underneath it in order to put in a shelter.

As an Oklahoman, I can tell you that I have never heard of such a thing.

A quick web search will show you that the true reason Oklahomans do not have basement is due to the red clay soil and the resulting water conditions underground. The water table is high, and as the clay absorbs water and then dries out, the ground expands and contracts, and basement walls eventually crack. Then, because of the high water table, leaks develop and mold grows in the walls and in the basement itself. Then it becomes a health hazard.

People sometimes purchase pre-fab fiberglass 'caves' that are buried in back yards or underneath basements in newly-built homes prior to the pouring of a basement floor. Those are made to withstand the effects of the expanding and contracting clay.

My grandparents' home had a basement, and any time it rained, she ended up with water standing in the basement. She had it worked on repeatedly but it simply could not be permanently sealed. It appears that there are a small number of builders (one or two) in the OKC area that will attempt the building of a basement today, but most builders do not want the liability, and from what I read earlier, realtors have a difficult time selling homes with basements because more often than not, those houses have mold problems.

I have not researched this, but I believe further south - in Dallas - the bedrock is an issue. Perhaps the talking head knew about the Texas issue and assumed Oklahoma had few basements for the same reason, but if so, I believe he was incorrect.