Why do most Irish gaff not have basements?

JohnnyFlash

Always presumed some of the AH regulars were basement dwellers. Ineffectual and overweight sorts with BO giving out about things they don’t really understand and certainly can’t change.

ILoveYourVibes

THE QUINTESSENTIAL BASEMENT SONG

ILoveYourVibes

Bobblehats wrote: »

And what would you do down there recant pages from the negronomicon?

Sefer Yetzirah, followed by the key of solomon and the sixth and seventh books of moses!

I like my grimoires so i do!

Glass fused light

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

In the US it was probably about avoiding bears and natives.

Who knows.

It would also be about heat conservation and manpower.
The dugout home taking account of a natural hollow and roofing it with wood rafters and sod would be a quicker solution than cutting down trees and milling it into logs.

MrMusician18

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

^one of the main reasons the Brits never started their plans for Dublin’s tube subway system. And a problem that still lies ahead for when we do that and try build up

You generally don't get groundwater flow in Dublin soil because the clay is almost rock hard and impermeable. It's extremely difficult stuff to dig, being two or three times harder than London clay.

branie2

We're not 30-year-old sci-fi obsessed fans living with their parents

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Twenty Grand wrote: »

You only really find basements in areas which suffer harsh winters. Northern US and Canada.

Reason being the house foundations need to go deep to get below the frost layer. You're digging so deep you may as well build a basement.
If you don't dig deep the groundwater beneath your house will freeze in winter and shift and crack your foundations.

No one in Ireland or UK does basements because there's no need really. Cheaper to build a bigger house or add another floor than excavate a basement and pour concrete.

I remember watching a Grand Designs episode in which the planned house was going to have a basement. Christ, it was a lot of work waterproofing the basement and for what, I don’t know. It was a dreary room. Not worth the effort.

kneemos

A lot of country houses have garages bigger than many terrace houses.
Better option than a basement.

ILoveYourVibes

branie2 wrote: »

We're not 30-year-old sci-fi obsessed fans living with their parents

we can only dream!

NSAman

branie2 wrote: »

We're not 30-year-old sci-fi obsessed fans living with their parents

Of course we are not, yet here I am in my basement watching tv, on the couch, the fire on, looking across the valley at the lights on the far hills...

Neon_Lights

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

Someone please put Maria Bailey on a swing in a tornado.

She would sue god.

Her 10k time is hardly godlike, d4 tw4t

Irish Guitarist

Why do Americans say "you're still living in your moms basement" as an insult? Why does the basement belong to 'mom' and not the father?

Sky King

iamstop wrote: »

a lot have a full rooms and even jacks down in them.

Basement Jacks?

Tuco88

Sky King wrote: »

iamstop wrote: »

a lot have a full rooms and even jacks down in them.

Basement Jacks?

Where's your head at???

tjhook

Building houses with basements in Ireland? It would make sense when we're told the price of land is largely what makes houses expensive. But never going to happen. It would interfere with the common practice of quickly throwing up shíte houses made mostly of plasterboard, and flogging them for a fortune.

arctictree

I'd say that a basement build here would require the services of a rockbreaker which is very expensive.

Sure what would you even use a basement for? It wouldn't work for a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen. No windows, creepy vibe.

Better question is what have those Canadians got in their basements. Very suspicious.

kneemos

true-or-false wrote: »

Sure what would you even use a basement for? It wouldn't work for a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen. No windows, creepy vibe.

Better question is what have those Canadians got in their basements. Very suspicious.

Storage. Ancillaries,boilers,pumps,etc.

Always think of wine when I hear basement.

Cryptopagan

kneemos wrote: »

Storage. Ancillaries,boilers,pumps,etc.

Always think of wine when I hear basement.

Isn’t that more a cellar?

Cryptopagan

The thing I’d like more that US houses seem to have is walk in wardrobes.

jester77

I have a basement in my house. It's awesome for putting things that are loud, or things that don't really belong elsewhere in the house. Really keeps the rest of the house in order.

I've a room with washer and dryer, so no noise from that in the rest of the house. All the electrics, ventilation system, underfloor heating pumps, satellite multiswitch, etc are in another room. Have my server rack in another room. A room with proper floor to ceiling shelves for storage. I've a deep freezer in there as well and I've another room that is my gym with my power rack, weights, bike, etc.

Would hate to hate to have to put any of that stuff throughout the house.

kneemos

Cryptopagan wrote: »

Isn’t that more a cellar?

Not fussy.

sbsquarepants

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Not as many serial killers here.

Well yea, but if we provided the infrastructure, i.e. the basements, I'm sure they'd come.

More half arsery by this stupid government!:mad:

Bigbagofcans

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

Why do Americans say "you're still living in your moms basement" as an insult? Why does the basement belong to 'mom' and not the father?

Just to insult further by saying they're a mommy's boy.

L1011

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

Why do Americans say "you're still living in your moms basement" as an insult? Why does the basement belong to 'mom' and not the father?

More than half of US marriages end in divorce and the median length of a marriage is about ten years - not that many adults living at home are living with both parents.

As an aside, their divorce rate is falling as people wait longer to get married and don't get bounced in to it young and unprepared.

BobMc

I've loads of relatives and friends in Ontario, some of their basements are just fabulous, couple posters here seem to think completely like a cave underground, generally most arent, they are just low enough and usually have smallish 18inch deep windows. Like others have said, usually hosts the laundry, boilers for heat and water etc., then rest used for whatever, games rooms, tv rooms etc etc.

My uncle had a multi layered basement, one level was at the above depth with the small windows, huge bar and tv area large L shaped seating with fireplace, lower level had office, spare bedroom, then service room,

Most would have sump pumps to help keep them dry, also they are great places in summer humid heat to retreat too

SEPT 23 1989

we call it the kitchen and servant's quarters

LirW

When I first visited my now-husband -it was also my first time in Ireland - I walked into his parents house since it was so close to the airport and looked at him and asked "Where's the basement?"......
I just got something back along the lines of Austrians and their basement obsession.

goose2005

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Always presumed some of the AH regulars were basement dwellers. Ineffectual and overweight sorts with BO giving out about things they don’t really understand and certainly can’t change.

in Ireland such people live in their childhood bedrooms with sun-faded Green Day posters stuck on the wall with blu-tac

James Brown

Cryptopagan wrote: »

The thing I’d like more that US houses seem to have is walk in wardrobes.

Get back to Dynasty with you Blake Carrington.