Malibu California

[Zee09]

Just looking at the devastation as shown on TV.
I won't go into it as it's obvious that it is a tragedy.

I noticed what looked like a few houses had basements.
Do they in that area? Just something off the wall and unimportant but just wondered.

Here basements are the norm and in Florida some areas you can and most you can't.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Mostly water table and hard rock issues. Up in the California hills I would imagine the water table is no where close to surface.

 

[spackard]

Only time I see basements in SoCal is when there's an elevation change on the property.
Otherwise, homes are built on slabs (newer) or on 'cripple walls' (older).
Also, the electric feed probably doesn't enter via the basement, so those online
sites about how to make a generator feed don't help much.
Just had earthquake reinforcement done to our cripple wall.

 

[Chris142]

Basements are very rare out west. Most lots are very small too. People dont tinker in their garage( or basement). Many have no clue how to even use power tools.

 

[philipp10]

Originally Posted by Chris142
Basements are very rare out west. Most lots are very small too. People dont tinker in their garage( or basement). Many have no clue how to even use power tools.

If I lived in such a beautiful state I might not tinker so much too. Here in Minnesota with the weather....tinkering keeps us sane.

 

[PimTac]

Houses built on a slope could have a daylight basement. Basements for the most part have disappeared in modern housing though they are actually a great idea done right.

 

[Mr Nice]

Don't basements flood occasionally and are a pain in the [censored] with mold and moisture ?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Don't basements flood occasionally and are a pain in the [censored] with mold and moisture ?


They can be, depending on elevation, construction...etc. Up here basements are a thing. Not having one is decidedly more uncommon. My house was built in 1908, has a stone and mortar foundation and what was probably a dirt floor that is now poured concrete. It is usually dry, though I did have a drainage issue in the backyard that caused some water ingress. Otherwise, it's a nice space to have, given its size, and is great for storage, laundry...etc.

We have a dehumidifier plumbed into the floor drain which keeps the humidity normal (no mold or moisture) during the summer months. Around fall it stops kicking on as things dry up and it won't run all winter.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Don't basements flood occasionally and are a pain in the [censored] with mold and moisture ?





I have lived in three houses with basements. None had a mold or water problem. All three had a channel that was formed at the perimeter of the basement that let to the main drain. All three also had furnace vents that provided air movement plus heat though a basement usually keeps a constant temperature.

 

[Zee09]

Mine are a joy. Poured walls and fully heated and cooled with a under the slab system to eliminate
any water issues. Of course they are modern and fully finished etc. Old basements tend to be a nightmare
unless modernized. The problem with houses built on a slab is you have no storage and your house
is half the size it could be. Those of us on the east coast that move to slab areas need more garages.

Once you have had that cheap extra space its hard to cope without it.

 

[Boomer]

Basements can get you financially two ways (at least). First is the extra construction cost, particularly if you have to blast into rock to get deep enough. Secondly, where we are, the presence of a basement raises your property taxes so every year you are paying for the "privilege" of having that basement. The other thing basements do is to encourage the storage of "stuff" which, in my experience, just leads to more and more useless goodies over time. I had to clean out my in-law's basement after they passed and it required several loads of a full size dumpster to complete. Needless to say, when we built our retirement house, we built on a slab with large garages.

 

[Patman]

I find it funny how all of the houses here have basements, yet it seems that 95% of the people also use their garage to store stuff, and leave their cars parked outside in the driveway. Then they complain when those cars get broken into.

 

[PandaBear]

Malibu is a luxury celebrity home neighborhood, so their architecture is not typical for California style home.

I've been in at least 50 open house in California (2/F is very common on newer home however) and have seen NONE with basement. The remodeled Victorian usually got a lift upward with a 1/F garage addition, but not underground basement. Back when I was in Virginia I noticed almost everyone has one, this may be a regional design to deal with the earth quake vs hurricane better.

We put all of our junks in the 2-3 car garages, most people I know only park 1 car in and use the rest as storage, HVAC, water heater, etc.

 

[tom slick]

The only houses I've seen with a basement out here are very old and they were more of a cellar but a couple where bomb shelters.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by Patman
I find it funny how all of the houses here have basements, yet it seems that 95% of the people also use their garage to store stuff, and leave their cars parked outside in the driveway. Then they complain when those cars get broken into.





I see that a lot as well. What makes me scratch my head is that these people will fill a garage with stuff they buy but never use. Every few years they have a yard sale to sell stuff for pennies on the dollar then proceed to refill the garage with new junk.

Meanwhile their vehicles get exposed to the weather and the criminal element around here. Car break ins are rampant.

 

[53' Stude]

Originally Posted by Zee09
Just looking at the devastation as shown on TV.
I won't go into it as it's obvious that it is a tragedy.

I noticed what looked like a few houses had basements.
Do they in that area? Just something off the wall and unimportant but just wondered.

Here basements are the norm and in Florida some areas you can and most you can't.


Be glad you live in MD Jim

My basement is rough finished concrete and no issues at my place in southwest PA

 

[Zee09]

No doubt Adam
The taxes in CA. are killer.
MD state income tax is starting to get nasty too.
Of course PA property tax is a bit higher than ours. ( We are getting close though)

If I lived in Malibu, I'd move on. When they get the place all dolled up I'd sell my land.

 

[53' Stude]

Originally Posted by Zee09
No doubt Adam
The taxes in CA. are killer.
MD state income tax is starting to get nasty too.
Of course PA property tax is a bit higher than ours. ( We are getting close though)

If I lived in Malibu, I'd move on. When they get the place all dolled up I'd sell my land.


Bit higher my rear, its outrageous. Someday soon, I'm headed for NC

 

[PimTac]

The dry and hot Santa Ana winds really dry things up this time of year. That is part of the problem. Current laws prevent the clearing of dead and diseased trees and the underbrush the dead stuff creates. The native eucalyptus trees are full of oil which really makes them very easy to burn, hence a very hot and fast moving fire. All these conditions create a perfect environment for wildfires.

California really needs to rethink their forestry and wild land management. California is not the only state either. Many western states have similar conditions.

 

[ArrestMeRedZ]

Eucalyptus trees aren't native to California. They are an invasive plant from Australia, intentionally introduced after the gold rush, and massively planted after the turn of the century. Other than that, I wholly concur.