On Thu, 24 Jan 2013, Peter Ross <Peter.Ross@bogen.in-berlin.de> wrote:
Expense is the reason I've seen cited, that combined with the fact that it's not fashionable. In an Australian summer a basement is a really good thing, you install your favourite entertainment things and spend the hottest part of the day avoiding the heat.
I wonder how save it is to hide if you are surrounded by a fire.
Basically whether it becomes too hot or you are running out of oxygene inside. Or other risks I did not think of..
Oxygen is the issue. I've heard reports of people going back to their hotel room for their luggage and dying from smoke inhalation while their luggage survives... There's no reason why you can't have a basement with an external door, that's not an uncommon design. One of my friends has such a basement, I think that he needed to have a separate exit to have it considered as a separate office (rather than part of his home) for tax benefits at the time. With such a design you could hide in your basement while the main fire passes and then if your home catches on fire you could escape. -- My Main Blog http://etbe.coker.com.au/ My Documents Blog http://doc.coker.com.au/