Many homes have been built with basements, however, as prefab homes can be a mystery to some they find themselves wondering about the most obvious of things, like whether or not prefab homes can have basements. Sometimes even though their next-door neighbor might be living in one.
The short answer is yes, prefab homes can have basements, just like any other home type. The basement can be part of the foundation of the prefab, serve as an extra room, storage space, or machinery room.
Either way, having a basement in a prefab home is very much possible, as prefab homes need a foundation the basement can definitely be part of it. Furthermore, a basement could be beneficial in many cases that more storage room is required.
However, these days basements in most places are being built less and less as they are an additional cost and require more time and effort during the land preparation stage.
With that said, basements, both in prefabs and traditional built homes are still somewhat common for different reasons which I will share here with you. Additionally, I will explore the reasons why this type of foundation is less likely to be seen in certain areas.
Why Build A Basement At All
Well, first and foremost basements have a role in the foundation of every building, as in many places in the US building codes require that the foundation would be built at or below frost line. As a result, many cold regions must dig deeper to reach the frost line, and building a basement helps reach that goal and comply with the building code.
So in many cases, the reason for building a basement isn’t related to the need for additional space but to the climate itself. However, some people still choose to have a basement just for the sake of having the additional usable space.
Furthermore, in the past basements have had a role as part of the insulation system of the homes as it creates an air pocket between the house and the ground. Air is the best insulation material as it isn’t efficient in transmitting heat through, which is why almost all insulation materials are using air in some form as the insulating medium.
Moreover, heating systems such as old water boilers were stored in the basements along with their fuel. Additionally, having those systems working in the basement space made the air hotter which helped with insulating the home better what made the basements a great choice for that matter.
Lastly, Many people have different hobbies and needs from their homes, basements give more storage space, work area, and even extra bad room or living room. This makes the basement a highly desirable fetcher to have if one needs more rooms.
Why Prefab Homes Can Have Basements
Prefab homes are different from stick-built homes (for most types) by being fabricated off-site and delivered in parts, sections, or fully built to the site. Once on-site, the prefab home is being assembled into the complete house which is done very quickly compared to traditional building.
Though prefabs have their pros over other types of construction methods, they are essentially very similar to stick-built homes after have been built on-site, With that said both types also have very similar local preparation stage.
At this stage, prefab homes will get their foundation created which might be a slab foundation for the most part, or a basement as part of the foundation for reasons mentioned above.
Most basements will be constructed from cement mixture after the contractor has dug the required depth to allow for the foundation and basement system to exist. For prefab homes finishing the foundation, work marks the possibility of starting delivery to the site. Kit homes might be the fastest to arrive as they have more time constructing on-site, while other prefab types could be delivered at any convenient time for all sides involved.
The basement is constructed on-site and will be part of the foundation of the building. It does increase the surface area of the house with the ground which can cause some trouble while helping those who must reach a certain depth.
In conclusion, prefab homes can have basements, they are strong and can be designed to be situated above the open space of the basements. All that is required is to plan the basement from the beginning of the process, ask the manufacturer to take it under consideration, and get a quote from your local available contractors.
Why Not All Homes Have Basements
According to researches done the basements in new homes are declining, most experts agree that it is related to climate change. So even though prefab homes have become more sustainable both during their construction and after, the environment still holds a great influence as to what fetchers the home must have and what’s not.
The researchers have shown that only 28 per-cent of new homes in the US in recent years were built with basements. However, this does not reflect all the areas as there is much difference between regions. For example, colder climate states had 96 per-cent of new homes built with basements while the opposite happens in hotter climate states which build only one percent of new homes with basements.
So not all houses must have a basement and if possible most new homeowners would prefer not to have it at all as it will take more time to build and cost more than a slab foundation. Building a slab foundation makes the process easier with pole foundations and on top of them casting the slab to accommodate the prefab home.
The slab foundation is now the most common foundation in the US and other parts of the world such as Europe and Australia, which is much faster and easier to build overall.
Why Basements Are In A Decline
Throughout the years the construction market has changed its building methods, material selection, and design preferences. But, physics has stayed the same and the same natural rules apply to homes today as they did in the past.
The need to insulate a prefab home just as a stick-built home stayed the same, as a result, the development of new, smarter, cheaper, more efficient, insulation technology provided with better materials. Those materials are transforming the way we insulate our homes and improve energy efficiency throughout their lifetime.
It started by improving the materials and followed with improved construction methods among them prefabrication.
Those materials are actually all part of larger systems such as the insulation system, which includes triple glazed windows, high-quality insulation beneath the house, and higher quality wall and roof insulation. Thus, reducing the need for heating systems, which were situated in the basement and now no longer required for either insulation purposes or for additional storage area.
All these technological advancements have made the basement an obsolete fetcher in any type of prefab homes and stick-built ones. As long as the homeowners don’t ask for a basement in their new prefab home.
One more reason for the decline in basements numbers all around the world is the fact that almost every home in the western world has a fridge and other storage solutions at home. In the past, many food items that required cooler temperatures were stored in the basements as naturally the environment in them was of cooler temperatures than the rest of the house.
So both construction and appliance advancements have made basements less desirable for most homeowners. And basements mainly stayed a fetcher required by those with the need for larger space at home.
Prefab Homes Can Have Basements
To conclude this issue, prefabricated homes can have basements, the on-site preparation work is the same as in other types of homes which makes no difference when building the foundation with or without a basement.
In some places having a basement is for compliance with local building codes while in others it just for convenience purposes. Either way, prefab homes can be built above an open basement space. And are reccomanded in areas prone to hurricanes or other natural disasters.
With that said, technology is minimizing the need for basements and its numbers are declining all over the world. Yet homeowners that do wish to have one can have a basement to their prefab home without any special problems along the way.
Hope this helps you understand better this topic and make a better decision regarding your prefab home.
Until next time
My Alternative House