Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleAsk Mr. Sun:
Why don’t Las Vegas homes have basements?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Sun Topics
Sun Archives
- How do I remove the smell of dog urine from fake grass? (4-24-2009)
- Does Las Vegas have a film board for TV shows and movies being filmed here? (4-14-2009)
- Why is the Fifth Street School on Las Vegas Boulevard? (4-7-2009)
- Why aren't bad road repairs being fixed? (3-31-2009)
- Why does the water here taste so awful? (3-24-2009)
- Why are many labor leaders called “secretary-treasurer?” (3-17-2009)
Dear Mr. Sun, How come Las Vegas homes don’t have basements, yet they all have pools? I’ve heard it was because of the hard caliche layer, but that doesn’t stop anyone from digging out a swimming pool. — Russ Morgan
Caliche — the layer of sedimentary rock that loves to mock anyone wielding a shovel in Las Vegas — is the reason basements are a rarity here.
Basements require a lot more excavation than your typical pool, according to experts. They are, after all, part of a home’s foundation.
“With the cost to dig the rock for a basement, it would be less expensive to buy the additional land and expand the home to provide that square footage,” said Dana Wood of Trenching Services Inc., which digs all over the West.
As usual, it comes down to money — price per square foot, in this case.
According to the late, great Las Vegas historian Hal Rothman, the absence of basements in Las Vegas — and their accompanying storage space — made the three-car garage a coveted status symbol.
Questions for Mr. Sun should be sent to page8@lasvegassun.com.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- Coolican: Henderson officials out of loop on police brutality case, raising red flags
- See mug shots of 16 arrested in stolen-property police sting
- Lumberjacks — ‘Where the Big Boys Eat’ — hiring for North Las Vegas location
- Berkley draws stark contrasts with Heller over immigration
- Howard Miller, prominent lawyer and ‘true Las Vegas native,’ dies at 68
- Short memories may serve president
- Two dead after accident in downtown Las Vegas
- Instant Analysis: Debating whether UNLV should continue series with San Diego State
- Police looking for man in white Ford Explorer
- Saying ‘No mas’ to government
Blogs
The Kats Report
Live color from the scene at Thomas & Mack Center: We have a wire job! Rebels win, and Louie Armstrong sings!
South Point owner Michael Gaughan's take on 'Vegas Stripped': 'I'll give it an 8' (4 Comments)
Author relishes writing the life story of ‘larger-than-life’ Oscar Goodman (3 Comments)
Elsewhere
Landowner: All roads could lead to Uxbridge casino
Revel reveals smoke-free casino opening
Cirque du Soleil show in Sands China casino to close this month
Meet the woman behind Sheldon Adelson
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Caliche is but one of the reasons, as many areas of the valley do not have caliche and actually have clay (expansive soils - North Las Vegas area for example). The bigger reason deals with the frost depth being so shallow (12" to 18") that a deeper foundation system is not needed, so the costs cannot be justified. In cold regions of the country, deeper foundations are needed to prevent the movement of the foundation due to freezing, so going with a basement makes economic sense (you are already digging down 4 to 8 feet already), which also added useful square footage and storage areas.
Well, the answer is obvious. Las Vegas homes don't have basements because of Harry Reid.
Obama will furnish all in Las Vegas a complimentary basement. If you are lucky enough to already have you, you will get a generous cash allowance.
Neiman1 and Torn,
How sad and pathetic that the both of you have nothing else to do. If you have NOTHING of intelligence to actually convey, just be quiet. You only allow your ignorance to be highlighted and ridiculed. Why on earth would you do that? Oh! You don't care and/or were never taught any better. Nevermind....carry on.