Why don't they build basements in Arkansas? (2023)

Why can't Arkansas have basements?

Also, building a basement can be dangerous in states with high concentrations of clay in the soil, such as Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Clay soils expand and contract as they collect and release moisture. As the seasons change, the amount of moisture in the soil changes accordingly.

Places with a lot of wetlands or swampland, like Louisiana and Florida, have too much water in the soil to build below ground. The water table, an underground boundary between the soil surface and groundwater, is usually less than a meter underground in these Southern states.

States that have a lot of swamp land or wetland territory, as well as those with significant amounts of coastline, simply have too much water in the ground to make most basements feasible.

To create a basement in an area where bedrock is prevalent, explosives would be required. The cost is too much for most people. Another problem is the damp soil and high water table in the state. Water seeping into basements could lead to dampness and mold, creating a safety hazard.

Are Basements Common In California? No, basements are not common in the state of California. This not only has to do with warmer temperatures, but it was cheaper to build homes on a basic foundation rather than over a basement.

A basement is the safest place to take cover during a tornado. Here's what you can do in advance so that your family is ready to shelter in place at a moment's notice. Tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air connecting a thunderstorm to the earth below, and they can occur at any time and anywhere.

Generally, homes in Tennessee do not have basements. This is due, in part, to the fact that most homes are built on crawl space foundations. Concrete slabs are also a common choice. This is due to the rising cost of construction.

According to Texas Monthly: In some parts of the state, the water table is too near the surface of the ground, making leaking and flooding an issue. Sometimes the bedrock is too close to the surface, making digging more difficult and costly. “Expansive” soils can make a basement unworkable.

In the United States, on average, finishing a basement will give you a return of 70 to 75% of your investment. For example, if you spent $1,000 on improvements, it would increase the value of the property by about $700. If you spent $10,000 on improvements, it would increase the value of the property by about $7,000.

Basement Storage Space

With this extra space, you can create an organized storage area where all of your precious items are easily located and accessed. Additionally, it is also a perfect place to store backup food storage and other canned goods that can become cluttered if kept in your normal living space.

Are basements illegal in Texas?

In still other areas, what's known as “expansive” soils—clay and/or shale that shifts around in excessively wet and excessively dry conditions, which is to say normal conditions in Texas—make a basement unworkable.

Any wooden or brick house will survive up to 100 miles per hour. But a well-constructed concrete house can take up to 200 miles per hour of winds. This is usually enough to withstand F1 to F3 categories of tornados.

Tornadoes are very common in the southern plains and southeast, yet basements are not. Why is that? ARKANSAS, USA — Tornadoes commonly strike the central and southern United States, however the Midwest and Great Lakes have many basements to shelter from tornadoes. The south does not.

Is there a "Tornado Alley" in Arkansas? A. Yes. Since 1950, counties with 35 or more tornadoes are mostly clustered along Interstate 30 and U.S. Highway 67/167.

Because the ground doesn't freeze in Phoenix, you only have to dig 18 inches below the surface to pour concrete footing for a house. If you want a basement, you'll have to go out of your way to dig deeper. That's complicated by a common soil phenomena in the state called caliche.

Florida has a large aquifer system that spans around 100,000 square miles and provides water for many large cities. The groundwater's very close to the surface in most parts of Florida and Southern Georgia. Because of the high water table and proximity to the ocean, it is impossible to dig out for a basement.

Most homes in Arizona are built without basements. Though they are not impossible to add onto Arizona homes, they are relatively cost prohibitive. This is partly due to the presence of caliche in Southwestern soil and the ground not freezing as deep as it does in the North and Midwest.