Many homeowners love the idea of adding a basement to their homes. A basement is one of the most cost-effective means of adding the extra square footage that you desire. Lexar Homes have several different basement options to choose from. When considering a basement please account for the type of property you have, the home you would like to build, local building requirements and cost.
Standard
Basement
A subterranean space typically contained within the exterior foundation walls of your home. This space is accessed via a staircase from the main floor.
Daylight
Basement
Sometimes called a “Walk-out Basement”, this is a partially subterranean space typically contained within the exterior walls of your home that allows access to the exterior via one or more sides of the basement. This basement is typically accessed through a staircase from the main floor and an exterior door.
Garage
Basement
This style of basement puts the garage of the home below the main floor. As garages are typically unheated areas of a home, this style follows similar code requirements as an Unfinished Daylight Basement.
Creating Your Basement: Things to Consider
Full vs. Partial Basements
Basements can be built to include all the available space beneath your main floor (full) or only part of the available space (partial).
Finished vs. Unfinished Basements
A basement is finished when the entire space is complete to a similar standard as upstairs living areas. It generally includes an electrical system, heat, finished floors, an accessible entrance/stairway, level ceilings, and finished walls.
If a basement is left Unfinished it is not prepared for use as a living space. The space often has a number of features that make uninhabitable. These features vary, and can be anything from exposed insulation to concrete floors.
Ceiling Height
Typical ceiling height for a basement is 8’. Ceiling height can be upgraded to 9’ or higher, but this greatly impacts the engineering of the home, and may not be available on every plan.
Bearing
Bearing points must be accounted for in the structure of the home. Typically, with a finished basement these points can be hidden discreetly behind walls. We suggest working with our in house Drafting and Engineering team to develop a basement layout that works for your plan and needs, The image here is of an unfinished basement showing bearing points exposed.
Attached Dwelling Unit
Daylight basements do not require to be accessed through the interior of the home. For example, if you wanted to use the basement as an apartment (ADU), you may not need to have stairs from the main floor going to the basement assuming all safety requirements are met. This can vary between building jurisdictions.
Basements & ADA
The requirements for a basement that is ADA (The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) accessible are extremely stringent and difficult to achieve. This is typically not looked at as an option.
Porch Covers
Main floor porch covers that extend over a deck like the picture shown require additional engineering to support the structure. Depending on your homes design, our engineering team may need to adjust design elements to ensure that all porch covers are structurally sound. Some solutions may include adding multiple posts, required decking material and different kinds of posts.
Egress
Egress is the means to escape a room during an emergency, typically in the form of a specifically sized window. If you are considering adding a bedroom to your basement layout it is important to take in count location and window size. If a basement window is used as egress, but unable to be fully exposed, a Window Well will be required.