Quote:
Originally Posted by steven
By the way, Sashimister, if I may ask, what are your feelings on this topic? I've never really heard of basements in Japan either. Do you know if there's a reason for that?
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Simple!
Humidity and moisture in the earth result in molding quickly. Dig a 2-meter-deep hole in many parts of Japan and you will have a swamp in two hours.
Commercial buildings often have basement floors because they create a profit even at the cost of building with expensive ferroconcrete and 24-hour ventilation after completion.
Homes don't create a profit. You just spend, spend and spend to maintain them. Besides, many Japanese prefer living in wooden houses and it's just silly to build a wooden house deep in the earth with all that undrground moisture.
So, in Japan, it's simply cheaper (and far more realistic) to build a 3-story house than to build a 2-story house with basement.