Basements
Basements: a definition
A basement is one or more floors of a building that is either completely or partially below the ground floor. Most basements house the furnace, water heater, HVAC and other utilities. In some regions, the word “cellar” may be more common. Slab-on-grade homes and buildings do not have basements.
Types of basements
A basement is always a below-ground space, but there are a surprising number of variations:
- Full basement: A full basement is typically the same length of the house with the same square footage as the first floor. The ceiling height of a full basement may vary by the age of the home.
- Walkout basement or Daylight basement: A walkout basement usually has a separate entrance accessible from the outside of the house and may have windows and patio doors that are full size. Often a walkout basement is built into a hill or sloping part of the yard.
- Michigan basement: In the state of Michigan, a crawl space that has been expanded to create a space that is five to seven feet high is called a Michigan basement. A Michigan basement is more accessible and useful than a crawl space but with the same rock walls and dirt floors of a crawl space, it is subject to the same moisture, pest, and environmental problems.
- Subbasement: A subbasement refers to a lower level below the basement and is more common in commercial buildings.
Learn more
The Basement Learning Center here at basementsystems.com covers everything you need to know about how and why basements are prone to dampness, leaks, and flooding and the range of solutions for ensuring a safe, usable basement environment.
