On 2/15/2019 7:38 PM, Leonard Blaisdell wrote:
> In article >, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> Maybe it is a regional thing. I live on about the same latitude as
>> Sheldon and it is really rare to find a house without basement anywhere
>> around hear. That's where people have their work shops, laundry rooms,
>> rec rooms and storage. It would be a hard sell to work on a real estate
>> development of homes without basements unless they were geared to old
>> people who can't do stairs.
>
> It "is" a regional thing. The further you go west in the US, the
> scarcer basements become. Of course, there are basements available if
> you look hard enough. I suppose some homes might even run off of
> heating oil. What is that?
> Being a provincial guy, I'm sure that there are hotbeds of basements
> and heating oil homes somewhere in the west. I just don't know where.
>
> leo
>
In the southern (east coast) states you won't find a lot of basements,
either.

Jill

In article >, Ed Pawlowski
> wrote:


> Sheldon mentioned how it can be done, but it is not a dug basement, just
> a slab and foundation with dirt piled around it. Steps are added for
> access to the first living floor. We don't want steps.

Way out West, we'd call that described basement as a windowless, no
access from the outside, first story with walk-in access from the
second story. Sounds complicated. Or I'm missing something as usual.

leo

On 2/15/2019 5:40 PM, U.S. Janet B. wrote:

> there are parts of the country that you would have to use dynamite in
> order to make a hole for a basement. There are other parts of the
> country where the water table is too high.
>
Our place in the north of Scotland has a crawl space over a slab.
A basement would have required explosives - that's what they had to do
to make the driveway. My son's place in NJ has a slab, with heating and
other services embedded in it - there's a very high water table, and
lots of rock, so a basement wouldn't have been a good idea.

On Friday, February 15, 2019 at 2:38:05 PM UTC-10, Leonard Blaisdell wrote:
> In article >, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
> > Maybe it is a regional thing. I live on about the same latitude as
> > Sheldon and it is really rare to find a house without basement anywhere
> > around hear. That's where people have their work shops, laundry rooms,
> > rec rooms and storage. It would be a hard sell to work on a real estate
> > development of homes without basements unless they were geared to old
> > people who can't do stairs.
>
> It "is" a regional thing. The further you go west in the US, the
> scarcer basements become. Of course, there are basements available if
> you look hard enough. I suppose some homes might even run off of
> heating oil. What is that?
> Being a provincial guy, I'm sure that there are hotbeds of basements
> and heating oil homes somewhere in the west. I just don't know where.
>
> leo

I've never seen a basement before. Beats the heck out of me why anybody would want one. The only thing that happens down there is horrible stuff. Nothing good ever happens in a basement.

On Friday, February 15, 2019 at 10:39:40 PM UTC-6, dsi1 wrote:
>
> I've never seen a basement before. Beats the heck out of me why anybody would want one. The only thing that happens down there is horrible stuff. Nothing good ever happens in a basement.
>
Too many times the basement becomes the place to hoard junk people don't need
but can't seem to part with. Others use their basement for a work shop and this
is especially handy if that area is a walk-out subterranean space. Yet others
turn their basement into a play/game/media/craft room.

In article >,
"> wrote:

> On Friday, February 15, 2019 at 10:39:40 PM UTC-6, dsi1 wrote:
> >
> > I've never seen a basement before. Beats the heck out of me why anybody
> > would want one. The only thing that happens down there is horrible stuff.
> > Nothing good ever happens in a basement.
> >
> Too many times the basement becomes the place to hoard junk people don't need
> but can't seem to part with. Others use their basement for a work shop and
> this
> is especially handy if that area is a walk-out subterranean space. Yet others
> turn their basement into a play/game/media/craft room.

I have to agree with ds1. When I was five, my mom dragged me from my
only known home to Kansas to take care of Grandma for about six months.
Grandma had a basement. I was told not to go down there.
Now, I was a little guy and wanted to explore her house. There was a
door that I opened and some rickety stairs leading down into the
flickering darkness. I ventured down.
The source of light down there was from a rectangular coal chute and a
furnace that looked like a huge pulsing jack-o'-lantern. Only evil
could flourish there.
So that was enough. I've been in one or two better basements, but I
only think of that one.

leo

On Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 12:06:26 AM UTC-6, Leonard Blaisdell wrote:
>
> I have to agree with ds1. When I was five, my mom dragged me from my
> only known home to Kansas to take care of Grandma for about six months.
> Grandma had a basement. I was told not to go down there.
> Now, I was a little guy and wanted to explore her house. There was a
> door that I opened and some rickety stairs leading down into the
> flickering darkness. I ventured down.
> The source of light down there was from a rectangular coal chute and a
> furnace that looked like a huge pulsing jack-o'-lantern. Only evil
> could flourish there.
> So that was enough. I've been in one or two better basements, but I
> only think of that one.
>
> leo
>
I'm not fond of them myself and I only go down to my basement about once a year.
When I lived in a duplex before I bought this house it had a full basement with
room to park a car. My neighbor on the other side decided that was the best
place to end his life and his father and I found him. I've abhorred them ever
since.

On Fri, 15 Feb 2019 22:06:20 -0800, Leonard Blaisdell
> wrote:

>In article >,
"> wrote:
>
>> On Friday, February 15, 2019 at 10:39:40 PM UTC-6, dsi1 wrote:
>> >
>> > I've never seen a basement before. Beats the heck out of me why anybody
>> > would want one. The only thing that happens down there is horrible stuff.
>> > Nothing good ever happens in a basement.
>> >
>> Too many times the basement becomes the place to hoard junk people don't need
>> but can't seem to part with. Others use their basement for a work shop and
>> this
>> is especially handy if that area is a walk-out subterranean space. Yet others
>> turn their basement into a play/game/media/craft room.
>
>I have to agree with ds1. When I was five, my mom dragged me from my
>only known home to Kansas to take care of Grandma for about six months.
>Grandma had a basement. I was told not to go down there.
>Now, I was a little guy and wanted to explore her house. There was a
>door that I opened and some rickety stairs leading down into the
>flickering darkness. I ventured down.
>The source of light down there was from a rectangular coal chute and a
>furnace that looked like a huge pulsing jack-o'-lantern. Only evil
>could flourish there.
>So that was enough. I've been in one or two better basements, but I
>only think of that one.

It's time for a sociological study: "Basements And The American
Psyche", by Leonard Blaisdell.

On Friday, February 15, 2019 at 4:46:24 PM UTC-5, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2019-02-15 11:49 a.m., jmcquown wrote:
> > On 2/15/2019 8:29 AM, Julie Bove wrote:
> >> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >>>
> >>> I truly don't understand Sheldon's insistance everyone needs a
> >>> basement. Along with all the other cabinets, I have a pantry in the
> >>> kitchen.Â* I have extra shelving in the laundry room off the kitchen.
> >>> Why the heck would I want a basement? (That was a rhetorical question..)
> >>
> >> I don't want a basement. Stairs kill me!
> >
> > I can handle stairs but why should I if I don't have to?Â* I certainly
> > don't have a need for a basement.Â* I've never deemed a basement essential.
> >
>
> Maybe it is a regional thing. I live on about the same latitude as
> Sheldon and it is really rare to find a house without basement anywhere
> around hear. That's where people have their work shops, laundry rooms,
> rec rooms and storage. It would be a hard sell to work on a real estate
> development of homes without basements unless they were geared to old
> people who can't do stairs.

Here, houses typically have basements unless the water table is really
high. I had a house on a crawlspace when I lived a few miles west
of Lake Erie.

We moved the laundry up out of the basement of our current house when
I wrenched my knee in 2013. It's in what used to be a three-season
porch that we fitted with ductwork for heating. A little Ma and Pa
Kettle, to be sure, but it's a boon for my disabled and retired
husband, who has taken over the laundry chores except for the
clothes that I wear to work.

Cindy Hamilton

On Friday, February 15, 2019 at 11:39:40 PM UTC-5, dsi1 wrote:
> On Friday, February 15, 2019 at 2:38:05 PM UTC-10, Leonard Blaisdell wrote:
> > In article >, Dave Smith
> > > wrote:
> >
> > > Maybe it is a regional thing. I live on about the same latitude as
> > > Sheldon and it is really rare to find a house without basement anywhere
> > > around hear. That's where people have their work shops, laundry rooms,
> > > rec rooms and storage. It would be a hard sell to work on a real estate
> > > development of homes without basements unless they were geared to old
> > > people who can't do stairs.
> >
> > It "is" a regional thing. The further you go west in the US, the
> > scarcer basements become. Of course, there are basements available if
> > you look hard enough. I suppose some homes might even run off of
> > heating oil. What is that?
> > Being a provincial guy, I'm sure that there are hotbeds of basements
> > and heating oil homes somewhere in the west. I just don't know where.
> >
> > leo
>
> I've never seen a basement before. Beats the heck out of me why anybody would want one. The only thing that happens down there is horrible stuff. Nothing good ever happens in a basement.

It's where we put the beer fridge. My father-in-law had his plumbed
with a tap through the side, but most people content themselves with
cases of bottled or canned beer.

Cindy Hamilton

On 2/16/2019 1:06 AM, Leonard Blaisdell wrote:
> In article >,
> "> wrote:
>
>> On Friday, February 15, 2019 at 10:39:40 PM UTC-6, dsi1 wrote:
>>>
>>> I've never seen a basement before. Beats the heck out of me why anybody
>>> would want one. The only thing that happens down there is horrible stuff.
>>> Nothing good ever happens in a basement.
>>>
>> Too many times the basement becomes the place to hoard junk people don't need
>> but can't seem to part with. Others use their basement for a work shop and
>> this
>> is especially handy if that area is a walk-out subterranean space. Yet others
>> turn their basement into a play/game/media/craft room.
>
> I have to agree with ds1. When I was five, my mom dragged me from my
> only known home to Kansas to take care of Grandma for about six months.
> Grandma had a basement. I was told not to go down there.
> Now, I was a little guy and wanted to explore her house. There was a
> door that I opened and some rickety stairs leading down into the
> flickering darkness. I ventured down.
> The source of light down there was from a rectangular coal chute and a
> furnace that looked like a huge pulsing jack-o'-lantern. Only evil
> could flourish there.
> So that was enough. I've been in one or two better basements, but I
> only think of that one.
>
> leo
>
LOL Sounds like my maternal grandma's basement right down to the old
coal chute. The furnace had, by then, been converted to natural gas so
I couldn't see any flames but it was a huge monstrosity, like a giant
squid with lots of tentacles reaching up to the first floor.

Jill

On 2019-02-15 11:39 p.m., dsi1 wrote:
> On Friday, February 15, 2019 at 2:38:05 PM UTC-10, Leonard Blaisdell

>> It "is" a regional thing. The further you go west in the US, the
>> scarcer basements become. Of course, there are basements available
>> if you look hard enough. I suppose some homes might even run off
>> of heating oil. What is that? Being a provincial guy, I'm sure that
>> there are hotbeds of basements and heating oil homes somewhere in
>> the west. I just don't know where.
>>
>> leo
>
> I've never seen a basement before. Beats the heck out of me why
> anybody would want one. The only thing that happens down there is
> horrible stuff. Nothing good ever happens in a basement.

It is a lot of extra space in the house, a place for a furnace, AC,
water pressure system, laundry room, work shop and storage, without
increasing the square footage that has to be roofed.

On 2/16/2019 10:28 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2019-02-15 11:39 p.m., dsi1 wrote:
>> On Friday, February 15, 2019 at 2:38:05 PM UTC-10, Leonard Blaisdell
>
>>> It "is" a regional thing. The further you go west in the US, the
>>> scarcer basements become. Of course, there are basements available
>>> if you look hard enough. I suppose some homes might even run off
>>> of heating oil. What is that? Being a provincial guy, I'm sure that
>>> there are hotbeds of basements and heating oil homes somewhere in
>>> the west. I just don't know where.
>>>
>>> leo
>>
>> I've never seen a basement before. Beats the heck out of me why
>> anybody would want one. The only thing that happens down there is
>> horrible stuff. Nothing good ever happens in a basement.
>
> It is a lot of extra space in the house, a place for a furnace, AC,
> water pressure system, laundry room, work shop and storage,Â* without
> increasing the square footage that has to be roofed.
>
>
Basements only make sense in some areas. IMHO, that would be up north
or in midwestern US States. I lived in a couple of houses in Virginia
(as a kid) that had basements. They were finished basements; extra
living space. One of those houses had a bar in the basement with the
proverbial 'Dogs Playing Poker' mural on the wall behind the bar. That
was also our TV room. There was ingress/egress from the outside as well
as from the first floor of the house off the kitchen.


Basements aren't common in the Southern US or even in the mid-south
(Memphis, TN area). I don't miss having one.

Jill

wrote:

> On Friday, February 15, 2019 at 10:39:40 PM UTC-6, dsi1 wrote:
> >
> > I've never seen a basement before. Beats the heck out of me why
> > anybody would want one. The only thing that happens down there is
> > horrible stuff. Nothing good ever happens in a basement.
> >
> Too many times the basement becomes the place to hoard junk people
> don't need but can't seem to part with. Others use their basement
> for a work shop and this is especially handy if that area is a
> walk-out subterranean space. Yet others turn their basement into a
> play/game/media/craft room.

We had a house in Charlottesville VA. At the front, it was level to
the ground but at the back it dropped sharply so we had a walk in
basement there, and a stairwell inside to the basement.

We refinished most of the basement to make a large storage area,
laundry room, pool table room, family room.

On 2019-02-16 10:51 a.m., jmcquown wrote:
> On 2/16/2019 10:28 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
>> On 2019-02-15 11:39 p.m., dsi1 wrote:
>>> On Friday, February 15, 2019 at 2:38:05 PM UTC-10, Leonard Blaisdell
>>
>>>> It "is" a regional thing. The further you go west in the US, the
>>>> scarcer basements become. Of course, there are basements available
>>>> if you look hard enough. I suppose some homes might even run off
>>>> of heating oil. What is that? Being a provincial guy, I'm sure that
>>>> there are hotbeds of basements and heating oil homes somewhere in
>>>> the west. I just don't know where.
>>>>
>>>> leo
>>>
>>> I've never seen a basement before. Beats the heck out of me why
>>> anybody would want one. The only thing that happens down there is
>>> horrible stuff. Nothing good ever happens in a basement.
>>
>> It is a lot of extra space in the house, a place for a furnace, AC,
>> water pressure system, laundry room, work shop and storage,Â* without
>> increasing the square footage that has to be roofed.
>>
>>
> Basements only make sense in some areas.

I can't disagree with that. They certainly make sense in this area. They
help to prevent frost heaving. A fact of live at this latitude is that
the ground freezes in the winter, and then it thaws and sometimes will
cycle through freezing and thawing several times in a winter, causing
the ground to heave up and down. Footing for structures should be
sunken at least three feet into the ground. Having a basement that is
roughly five feet below ground level helps to provide a firm base for
the the building.

They don't make much sense in an area that is prone to flooding or one
with conditions that would make waterproofing difficult.



Â* IMHO, that would be up north
> or in midwestern US States.Â* I lived in a couple of houses in Virginia
> (as a kid) that had basements.Â* They were finished basements; extra
> living space.Â* One of those houses had a bar in the basement with the
> proverbial 'Dogs Playing Poker' mural on the wall behind the bar.Â* That
> was also our TV room.Â* There was ingress/egress from the outside as well
> as from the first floor of the house off the kitchen.

For a single story house you are doubling the area, providing lots of
extra, low maintenance living space.



> Basements aren't common in the Southern US or even in the mid-south
> (Memphis, TN area).Â* I don't miss having one.

Every house I have ever lived in has had a basement. The few years I
lived in an apartment I sure missed the extra space.

On Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 10:27:15 AM UTC-5, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2019-02-15 11:39 p.m., dsi1 wrote:
> > On Friday, February 15, 2019 at 2:38:05 PM UTC-10, Leonard Blaisdell
>
> >> It "is" a regional thing. The further you go west in the US, the
> >> scarcer basements become. Of course, there are basements available
> >> if you look hard enough. I suppose some homes might even run off
> >> of heating oil. What is that? Being a provincial guy, I'm sure that
> >> there are hotbeds of basements and heating oil homes somewhere in
> >> the west. I just don't know where.
> >>
> >> leo
> >
> > I've never seen a basement before. Beats the heck out of me why
> > anybody would want one. The only thing that happens down there is
> > horrible stuff. Nothing good ever happens in a basement.
>
> It is a lot of extra space in the house, a place for a furnace, AC,
> water pressure system, laundry room, work shop and storage, without
> increasing the square footage that has to be roofed.

Plus, when you have to dig down 4 or more feet just to put the footings
below the frost line, it's not much extra work to add all that
space that stays relatively warm in the winter.

Cindy Hamilton

On 2019-02-16 1:22 p.m., Cindy Hamilton wrote:

>> It is a lot of extra space in the house, a place for a furnace, AC,
>> water pressure system, laundry room, work shop and storage, without
>> increasing the square footage that has to be roofed.
>
> Plus, when you have to dig down 4 or more feet just to put the footings
> below the frost line, it's not much extra work to add all that
> space that stays relatively warm in the winter.

True. The ground down there is much warmer than the surface soil. Heat
rises, so air warmed by the furnace and piped to the basement goes up to
the living quarters. On the flip side, basements tend to be cool in
the summer. Rather than use AC in the summer we often just turn on the
furnace fan and circulate that cool air.

On Fri, 15 Feb 2019 Leonard Blaisdell wrote:
>Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
>> Sheldon mentioned how it can be done, but it is not a dug basement, just
>> a slab and foundation with dirt piled around it. Steps are added for
>> access to the first living floor. We don't want steps.
>
>Way out West, we'd call that described basement as a windowless, no
>access from the outside, first story with walk-in access from the
>second story. Sounds complicated. Or I'm missing something as usual.
>
>leo

You are both missing everything... yoose obviously know zero about
building construction.... and Jilligan knows even less. Technically
no basement is a true dug basement like a grave, they are bulldozed to
provide a ramp to use during construction and then after the footings
and foundation is formed is backfilled.

On city lots the basement is excavated perhaps half as deep and the
house sits higher on its foundation, this prevents seepage from high
water tables, also provides for better ventilation... many provide for
vehicle parking under the house in cities where parking is at a
premium. On larger hilly lots people excavate what is called a
Daylight Basement, they excavate into the side of a hill so that one
wall is fully exposed and the side walls are partially exposed...
makes for a very nice living space that's really not like living in a
basement apartment, however about 1/3 of the basement is fully below
grade so makes for great storage and a place for the utilities. Out
on the prairies where land is flat and properties are very large earth
is scraped up to form a berm that's utilized to construct a house with
a Daylight Basement... forming a berm is also done where the builder
encounters huge boulders/bedrock... building directly atop the
boulders/bedrock forms an exceptionally strong foundation. Where I
live it's quite hilly, even mountainous so many homes have a daylight
basement and many are built on solid granite bedrock with a berm.
The cost of constructing a Daylight Basement is offset for more by the
home's increased market value plus the income that can be derived.
Many homes on Lung Guyland's north shore (the Italian Alps) have a
Daylight Basement, typically used as an inlaw apartment or otherwise
rented for income... I lived in one for a year, it was quite pleasant.
In fact that's where I was living when I met my present wife. It was
actually the second Daylight Basement appartment I had rented.
Daylight Basement appartments are very private and quiet. in both
cases the single owner lived upstairs and I rarely saw them. There
was a utility room between my appartment and their under house garage
and I was afforded use of their washer and dryer. My Daylight portion
was at the rear of the houses so I had sliders to a nice patio and a
nicely landscaped yard. In both cases the owners worked long hours at
their eown b usinesses so were rarely home, as it turned out I
inadvertedly was their security. And now that I think about it my
rent was small.. was a long time ago (some 30 yrs) but each charged me
$400/mo... was more financially advantageous than moving back into one
of my rental houses that gave me $1,200/mo. One day I'll scan and
post pictures of the two last rental houses I owned .
http://handlemyhome.com/what-is-a-daylight-basement/

On Fri, 15 Feb 2019 20:39:36 -0800 (PST), dsi1
> wrote:

>On Friday, February 15, 2019 at 2:38:05 PM UTC-10, Leonard Blaisdell wrote:
>> In article >, Dave Smith
>> > wrote:
>>
>> > Maybe it is a regional thing. I live on about the same latitude as
>> > Sheldon and it is really rare to find a house without basement anywhere
>> > around hear. That's where people have their work shops, laundry rooms,
>> > rec rooms and storage. It would be a hard sell to work on a real estate
>> > development of homes without basements unless they were geared to old
>> > people who can't do stairs.
>>
>> It "is" a regional thing. The further you go west in the US, the
>> scarcer basements become. Of course, there are basements available if
>> you look hard enough. I suppose some homes might even run off of
>> heating oil. What is that?
>> Being a provincial guy, I'm sure that there are hotbeds of basements
>> and heating oil homes somewhere in the west. I just don't know where.
>>
>> leo
>
>I've never seen a basement before. Beats the heck out of me why anybody would want one. The only thing that happens down there is horrible stuff. Nothing good ever happens in a basement.

If you've never seen a basement how do you know... I figure you live
directly on the ground under a thatched roof.
I actually once owned this property:
https://postimg.cc/zHSrCmLr
That's me:
https://postimg.cc/wyzH7TvV

On 2/16/2019 12:05 AM, wrote:

> Too many times the basement becomes the place to hoard junk people don't need
> but can't seem to part with.

Out of sight, out of mind and before you know it, you have a monster
job on your hands clearing it out. A bunch of crap you would have
gotten rid of if you didn't have a convenient storage unit right
downstairs.

I'm not saying it's true for everyone but there are a lot of
junked up basements (and garages) out there.

nancy

On Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 3:28:07 PM UTC-6, Nancy Young wrote:
>
> On 2/16/2019 12:05 AM, wrote:
>
> > Too many times the basement becomes the place to hoard junk people don't need
> > but can't seem to part with.
>
> Out of sight, out of mind and before you know it, you have a monster
> job on your hands clearing it out. A bunch of crap you would have
> gotten rid of if you didn't have a convenient storage unit right
> downstairs.
>
> I'm not saying it's true for everyone but there are a lot of
> junked up basements (and garages) out there.
>
> Nancy
>
I think you nailed.

On Sat, 16 Feb 2019 13:38:28 -0800 (PST), "
> wrote:

>On Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 3:28:07 PM UTC-6, Nancy Young wrote:
>>
>> On 2/16/2019 12:05 AM, wrote:
>>
>> > Too many times the basement becomes the place to hoard junk people don't need
>> > but can't seem to part with.
>>
>> Out of sight, out of mind and before you know it, you have a monster
>> job on your hands clearing it out. A bunch of crap you would have
>> gotten rid of if you didn't have a convenient storage unit right
>> downstairs.
>>
>> I'm not saying it's true for everyone but there are a lot of
>> junked up basements (and garages) out there.
>>
>> Nancy
>>
>I think you nailed.

That's ridiculous... many people live in a pigpen who don't have a
basement. I've met many people whose home I couldn't wait to leave
due to filthy clutter and they had no basement,

Our basement is well organized and we don't horde junk. People who
see our barn are amazed at how it's so empty. We've met many people
who can't close their garage door because of all the worthless crap
they refuse to dump... and they have no basement... if those pigs had
a basement it'd be full to the rafters from dumpster diving their
neighbor's trash. I've long ago came to the conclusion that the
majority of people are filthy slobs, all yoose who think a basement is
a city dump. I'm learning here who are the real pig pen denizens.

On 2019-02-16 5:25 p.m., wrote:
>
> That's ridiculous... many people live in a pigpen who don't have a
> basement. I've met many people whose home I couldn't wait to leave
> due to filthy clutter and they had no basement,
>

My sister in law's house is cluttered but not dirty. He likes to go to
garage sales and always has an eclectic collection of crap, but it is
all clean. Half of the two car garage is taken up with stuff she had
bought at garage sales and hopes to sell at her own garage sale. Her
husband is a horder. He collected books, magazines and newspaper
clippings and his room is piled floor to ceiling with boxed of the crap
he has amassed.

There is a 30x40 barn. Her son and step son have adopted the barn as
their storage room. Both live out of town and, for some reason, make
frequent trips to their house to pile up more valuable trash in there.

On 2/16/2019 5:37 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2019-02-16 5:25 p.m., wrote:
>>
>> That's ridiculous... many people live in a pigpen who don't have a
>> basement.Â* I've met many people whose home I couldn't wait to leave
>> due to filthy clutter and they had no basement,
>>
>
> My sister in law's house is cluttered but not dirty.Â* He likes to go to
> garage sales and always has an eclectic collection of crap, but it is
> all clean. Half of the two car garage is taken up with stuff she had
> bought at garage sales and hopes to sell at her own garage sale.Â* Her
> husband is a horder. He collected books, magazines and newspaper
> clippings and his room is piled floor to ceiling with boxed of the crap
> he has amassed.
>
> There is a 30x40 barn. Her son and step son have adopted the barn as
> their storage room.Â* Both live out of town and, for some reason, make
> frequent trips to their house to pile up more valuable trash in there.
>
>
>
>
Watch a couple of episodes of American Pickers and see the stuff some
collect. Buildings full of it. In some cases the family gets the job
of getting rid of it all.

On 2/16/2019 4:28 PM, Nancy Young wrote:
> On 2/16/2019 12:05 AM, wrote:
>
>> Too many times the basement becomes the place to hoard junk people
>> don't need
>> but can't seem to part with.
>
> Out of sight, out of mind and before you know it, you have a monster
> job on your hands clearing it out.Â* A bunch of crap you would have
> gotten rid of if you didn't have a convenient storage unit right
> downstairs.
>
> I'm not saying it's true for everyone but there are a lot of
> junked up basements (and garages) out there.
>
> nancy

Exactly. We can all live with less, for some a LOT less.

Getting ready to move, I was taking many trips to the Salvation Army and
donating stuff we no longer used or needed. Since we moved here,
unpacking I took a couple of boxes of stuff to the Goodwill down the road.

We had a beautiful hutch we've had for a good 40+ years. Not only did
we give that away, but 3/4 of the contents. Don't miss it. Don't miss
the stuff that was in it.

On Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 4:25:21 PM UTC-6, Sheldon wrote:
>
> On Sat, 16 Feb 2019 13:38:28 -0800 (PST), "
> > wrote:
>
> >On Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 3:28:07 PM UTC-6, Nancy Young wrote:
> >>
> >> Out of sight, out of mind and before you know it, you have a monster
> >> job on your hands clearing it out. A bunch of crap you would have
> >> gotten rid of if you didn't have a convenient storage unit right
> >> downstairs.
> >>
> >> I'm not saying it's true for everyone but there are a lot of
> >> junked up basements (and garages) out there.
> >>
> >> Nancy
> >>
> >I think you nailed.
>
> That's ridiculous... many people live in a pigpen who don't have a
> basement. I've met many people whose home I couldn't wait to leave
> due to filthy clutter and they had no basement.
>
Some people have neat as a pin houses but the basement and/or garage is their
hoarding area. Or they can't be bothered to haul off something so it is stuck
in the most convenient place. Take your pick; basement or garage. For extra
points you can also throw in attics.
>
> Our basement is well organized and we don't horde junk.
>
Mine, too. Nothing in mine but the water heater, sump pump and gas furnace.
>
> We've met many people
> who can't close their garage door because of all the worthless crap
> they refuse to dump.
>
Drive down any street here when the weather is warm and they have front facing
garages and the door is up. Full of junk and nowhere for the car to be parked. Thus it sits in the driveway 365 days a year.

On Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 4:36:13 PM UTC-6, Dave Smith wrote:
>
> My sister in law's house is cluttered but not dirty. He likes to go to
> garage sales and always has an eclectic collection of crap, but it is
> all clean. Half of the two car garage is taken up with stuff she had
> bought at garage sales and hopes to sell at her own garage sale. Her
> husband is a horder. He collected books, magazines and newspaper
> clippings and his room is piled floor to ceiling with boxed of the crap
> he has amassed.
>
> There is a 30x40 barn. Her son and step son have adopted the barn as
> their storage room. Both live out of town and, for some reason, make
> frequent trips to their house to pile up more valuable trash in there.
>
That just made my hair stand on end!!

On Sat, 16 Feb 2019 17:58:07 -0800 (PST), "
> wrote:

>On Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 4:25:21 PM UTC-6, Sheldon wrote:
>>
>> On Sat, 16 Feb 2019 13:38:28 -0800 (PST), "
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >> I'm not saying it's true for everyone but there are a lot of
>> >> junked up basements (and garages) out there.
>> >>
>> >> Nancy
>> >>
>> >I think you nailed.
>>
>> That's ridiculous... many people live in a pigpen who don't have a
>> basement. I've met many people whose home I couldn't wait to leave
>> due to filthy clutter and they had no basement.
>>
>Some people have neat as a pin houses but the basement and/or garage is their
>hoarding area. Or they can't be bothered to haul off something so it is stuck
>in the most convenient place. Take your pick; basement or garage. For extra
>points you can also throw in attics.

Sheldon, are attics compulsory too?

On Sat, 16 Feb 2019 18:00:21 -0800 (PST), "
> wrote:

>On Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 4:36:13 PM UTC-6, Dave Smith wrote:
>>
>> My sister in law's house is cluttered but not dirty. He likes to go to
>> garage sales and always has an eclectic collection of crap, but it is
>> all clean. Half of the two car garage is taken up with stuff she had
>> bought at garage sales and hopes to sell at her own garage sale. Her
>> husband is a horder. He collected books, magazines and newspaper
>> clippings and his room is piled floor to ceiling with boxed of the crap
>> he has amassed.
>>
>> There is a 30x40 barn. Her son and step son have adopted the barn as
>> their storage room. Both live out of town and, for some reason, make
>> frequent trips to their house to pile up more valuable trash in there.
>>
>That just made my hair stand on end!!

Don't worry, that's just Dave's interpretation of what he sees through
the opening between the curtains.

On 2/16/2019 9:02 PM, Bruce wrote:
> On Sat, 16 Feb 2019 17:58:07 -0800 (PST), "
> > wrote:

>>>
>> Some people have neat as a pin houses but the basement and/or garage is their
>> hoarding area. Or they can't be bothered to haul off something so it is stuck
>> in the most convenient place. Take your pick; basement or garage. For extra
>> points you can also throw in attics.
>
> Sheldon, are attics compulsory too?
>
Attics are for ghosts. Basements are for monsters.

Sleeping on a slab has benefits over a basement. You are closer to the
ground and I can hear the earthworms under the slab moving around.
Makes a nice humming sound that helps you sleep.

On Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 8:14:09 PM UTC-6, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> Sleeping on a slab has benefits over a basement. You are closer to the
> ground and I can hear the earthworms under the slab moving around.
> Makes a nice humming sound that helps you sleep.
>
White noise. Thankfully earthworms are not known to be party animals.

On 2/16/2019 8:03 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 2/16/2019 4:28 PM, Nancy Young wrote:

>> Out of sight, out of mind and before you know it, you have a monster
>> job on your hands clearing it out.Â* A bunch of crap you would have
>> gotten rid of if you didn't have a convenient storage unit right
>> downstairs.
>>
>> I'm not saying it's true for everyone but there are a lot of
>> junked up basements (and garages) out there.

> Exactly.Â* We can all live with less, for some a LOT less.

People save every little thing because it might be handy one day.
I try to keep it to a dull roar, no one's going to be buried under
an avalanche of my stuff but still there's enough I could get rid
of.

> Getting ready to move, I was taking many trips to the Salvation Army and
> donating stuff we no longer used or needed.Â* Since we moved here,
> unpacking I took a couple of boxes of stuff to the Goodwill down the road.

Thought you might like it at the new place, or it's sentimental.
Whatever.

> We had a beautiful hutch we've had for a good 40+ years.Â* Not only did
> we give that away, but 3/4 of the contents.Â* Don't miss it.Â* Don't miss
> the stuff that was in it.

I have cabinets with glass fronts to rather mimic a hutch. Lots of
wine glasses in there taking up space. And some of my mother's plates
now. I'll never use any of it.

You ever get those big plastic lockers they sell at Home Depot/Lowes?
It's a great place to organize a bunch of stuff you'll never miss.
Until years later when you find old dried up home repair supplies
or dead sports equipment.

nancy

On 2019-02-16 11:22 p.m., wrote:
> On Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 8:14:09 PM UTC-6, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>
>> Sleeping on a slab has benefits over a basement. You are closer to the
>> ground and I can hear the earthworms under the slab moving around.
>> Makes a nice humming sound that helps you sleep.
>>
> White noise. Thankfully earthworms are not known to be party animals.
>

They must be making some noise. That is one of the ways that birds find
them.

On 2/16/2019 7:45 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>
> Watch a couple of episodes of American Pickers and see the stuff some
> collect.Â* Buildings full of it.Â* In some cases the family gets the job
> of getting rid of it all.

In my case, a great hauling company with strong guys and large
dumpsters. Hope there wasn't gold bullion down there.

The guys asked if they could have things like bikes and tools.
Help yourself! Finders keepers, losers can move on with their
life selling the house.

nancy

"Nancy Young" wrote in message ...

On 2/16/2019 12:05 AM, wrote:

> Too many times the basement becomes the place to hoard junk people don't
> need
> but can't seem to part with.

Out of sight, out of mind and before you know it, you have a monster
job on your hands clearing it out. A bunch of crap you would have
gotten rid of if you didn't have a convenient storage unit right
downstairs.

I'm not saying it's true for everyone but there are a lot of
junked up basements (and garages) out there.

nancy

==

We don't use our garages for storing, but our loft is pretty full <g>

On Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 10:36:41 AM UTC-10, Sheldon wrote:
> If you've never seen a basement how do you know... I figure you live
> directly on the ground under a thatched roof.
> I actually once owned this property:
> https://postimg.cc/zHSrCmLr
> That's me:
> https://postimg.cc/wyzH7TvV

I've seen enough movies to know that every single time a portal to hell opens up on this planet, the door is always in the basement. It just makes sense. Then this can happen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3THyEP4c1E

"Gary" > wrote in message ...
> Julie Bove wrote:
>>
>> I don't want a basement. Stairs kill me!
>
> My mom is age 87.5 now. She lives in a two story with full
> basement house. She can't do stairs anymore. She lives on ground
> floor now. Her bedroom used to be the dining room.
>
> Basements are often more trouble than they are worth. Sheldon is
> just....Sheldon.

Yep. My parent's basement sometimes flooded. Then my dad couldn't do the
stairs. Theirs was a split level. No way to get in and out without the
stairs unless one stayed in the basement but there was no bathroom there.

> wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 15 Feb 2019 09:15:18 -0500, Gary > wrote:
>
>>Julie Bove wrote:
>>>
>>> I don't want a basement. Stairs kill me!
>>
>>My mom is age 87.5 now. She lives in a two story with full
>>basement house. She can't do stairs anymore. She lives on ground
>>floor now. Her bedroom used to be the dining room.
>>
>>Basements are often more trouble than they are worth. Sheldon is
>>just....Sheldon.
>
> Were you a good son you'd buy your mom a motorized seat for her
> stairs. I bought my mom one and she loved it. She didn't hasve to be
> relgated to a bed in the dining room and a half bath. With the
> motorized seat she could have her nice big bedroom and full bath
> upstairs. It didn't cost much and folded up when not being used. They
> work similar to an automatic garage door opener, and at the time, some
> twenty years ago, cost about the same, $800.

Those seats can be a hazard when trying to get someone in and out of t.
>
> When I read how no one needs a basement all I'm reading is tales of
> SOUR GRAPES. Anyone who spends hundreds of thousand$ for an abode on
> a slab is MAJORLY being ripped off... they know the recently retired
> just sold their nice house and are arriving with bags of money...
> those builders want all they can glom and give pitifully little in
> return... really just a detached garage with some shiney baubles.
> All the utilities buried in poured concrete makes repairs and
> alterations abominably expensive, often impossible... and then there's
> the fact that living directly on the ground one is subjected to mold
> and radon... a trailer is healtier, at least there's a crawl space.
> Slab living one hay as well live in a petri dish.

Not all ramblers/ranch houses are on a slab. Mine isn't.
>
> Before retiring to a $300,000 crate on a slab I'd choose a $300,000
> motor home, then if I don't like my neighbors I can easily mosey on
> down the road.
> Can buy a very nice houseboat for the same money as a slab garage.
> http://www.luxuryhouseboats.com/
> A $300,000 houseboat is looking very good for Florida living, there's
> a lot of coast line to explore, on a weekend could even pop in at
> Jilligan's Island to discuss basements! LOL
>
> Were I younger and single I'd live on a houseboat. I worked with a
> fellow in Patchogue, LI at the Rowe tape measure factory who lived on
> a houseboat tied up at the factory dock. He called his houseboat a
> Pussy Magnet, because of his houseboat he got more than he could
> handle. He said ladies were very intrigued with motoring around The
> Great South Bay and spending the night under the stars rocked by the
> sea,

Okay.

"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
...
> On 2019-02-15 11:49 a.m., jmcquown wrote:
>> On 2/15/2019 8:29 AM, Julie Bove wrote:
>>> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>>
>>>> I truly don't understand Sheldon's insistance everyone needs a
>>>> basement. Along with all the other cabinets, I have a pantry in the
>>>> kitchen. I have extra shelving in the laundry room off the kitchen. Why
>>>> the heck would I want a basement? (That was a rhetorical question.)
>>>
>>> I don't want a basement. Stairs kill me!
>>
>> I can handle stairs but why should I if I don't have to? I certainly
>> don't have a need for a basement. I've never deemed a basement essential.
>>
>
> Maybe it is a regional thing. I live on about the same latitude as Sheldon
> and it is really rare to find a house without basement anywhere around
> hear. That's where people have their work shops, laundry rooms, rec rooms
> and storage. It would be a hard sell to work on a real estate development
> of homes without basements unless they were geared to old people who can't
> do stairs.

New houses here usually don't have basements. I had a contractor say that
they go with the lay of the land. If on a hill, then a daylight basement.
Otherwise no. Too expensive to dig.

On Sunday, February 17, 2019 at 6:11:17 AM UTC-5, dsi1 wrote:
> On Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 10:36:41 AM UTC-10, Sheldon wrote:
> > If you've never seen a basement how do you know... I figure you live
> > directly on the ground under a thatched roof.
> > I actually once owned this property:
> > https://postimg.cc/zHSrCmLr
> > That's me:
> > https://postimg.cc/wyzH7TvV
>
> I've seen enough movies to know that every single time a portal to hell opens up on this planet, the door is always in the basement. It just makes sense. Then this can happen:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3THyEP4c1E

Not every single time. "Cast a Deadly Spell" and "The Gate" are notable
exceptions.

<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101550/>

<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093075>

Cindy Hamilton