History Of The Basement

Here at Gordon Energy & Drainage, we know basements. We go into all kinds of them for our job to repair cracks, waterproof basements, and install sump pumps. Since basements are our area of expertise, we decided to jump into the history of the basement and share it with you.

History of the Basement

In ancient times, the space in a home below ground was used for water, wine, or food storage. In the Renaissance, the basement space provided wealthy families with a place for their kitchen, servant’s quarters, and laundry rooms.

Before basements were comfortable living spaces with walk-out patios and windows, the space under homes was utilized in a different way. The crawlspace or cellar under a home was used for storage in a mostly agrarian society. Most were not much more than small spaces surrounded by dirt walls and floor. When the increased presence of mold and mildew was realized, inventors began experimenting with vapor barriers and drainage systems. Eventually, the need for storage was replaced by a need for living space in an industrialized nation.

The geography and weather affect the presence or lack of basements. In wet climates, basements are rare because flooding is a huge threat. In colder areas the foundation must below the frost line, so that the building does not shift in the freeze-thaw cycle. Basements are necessary in those areas. There are also some areas in the United States that have a high risk of earthquake, unique soil strata, or high water table which make basements not feasible.

Basements: Your Home’s Forgotten Valuable

As you can see, the basement has a unique history and today its use varies widely. We don’t use our basements to store the harvest anymore, but we do house our furnaces, store food in a freezer, and host guests. Our basements are still essentially used in the same way that they have been for years- as a way to create room, store extra valuables, and keep our home heated and running efficiently. We love basements. We know them from the ground up, and we are always ready to help make sure your basement stays dry and stable. Contact Gordon Energy & Drainage today with questions!