Are Form 5495 Liabilities 2017-2023

Hi Eric here with 30 by 40 design workshop. Today, we're going to be talking about whether it's time to let basements become extinct. Should we build basements at all in light of our evolving energy codes and a genuine interest in doing the right thing environmentally? It's a question that architects are frequently asking themselves and their clients. To properly answer the question, it helps to understand the true purpose of a home's foundation. Fundamentally, the foundation is there to support the building and transfer the structural loads from above the ground to the earth. In northern climates where frost is a concern, we have to protect the building from heaving. In more temperate locations, it's the soils or lateral load concerns (wind, seismic, etc.) that determine the foundation type. Just as frost creates conditions of movement, clay and expansive soils can present problems. Where I practice in Maine, to get below frost depth requires digging four feet below ground. Building convention has added to that an additional four feet to create the traditional full-height foundation and basement space. But it's not necessary. We can support and transfer building loads by pouring a reinforced concrete slab on grade and protect it from frost and heaving by properly insulating it. If an alternative foundation can accomplish all that we need a foundation to do, then the question becomes, do we actually need the space a full basement provides? Of course, there are plenty of objections to the notion of getting rid of basements, but I argue that there are an equal number of solutions to these objections. And they can actually cost less than basement construction. So here are the objections and solutions that I've heard most often. The first objection is, "I need the storage space." We're so accustomed to basements that we're...