Are Form 5495 Liabilities 2017-2023

Hi Eric here with 30 by 40 design workshop today we're gonna 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 frosted 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's 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 a basement than basement construction so here are the objections and solutions that I've heard most often so the first objection is I need the storage space...