Can anyone explain an “island basement”
I’ve been looking at narrow lot house plans in those big plan books at the bookstores. In the section where the “foundation type” is listed, a few of the house plans have what they call an “island basement”. My feeling is that this name refers to the type of foundation that might be built under a house built on tropical islands in some parts of the world. These particular houses seem to be 3 stories tall and narrow. I don’t think it is a pier foundation (with which I am slightly familiar), because there were other plans in the book which were listed as having pier foundations; therefore I don’t believe the authors used the terms interchangably.
Can anyone out there offer a fairly simple explanation of what an “island basement” is? How does it differ from pier foundations? I read Taunton’s book on foundations a few months ago, and I’m certain that the term was not used in that book at all.
Thanks for any help and illumination anyone might be able to offer.
Replies
I did some googleing and found this reference, note all of the links are dead.
http://forum.doityourself.com/archive/index.php/t-90310.html
And some examples.
http://www.cottagehomeplans.com/prices.asp?PlanNum=2338&Index=0
http://www.cottagehomeplans.com/plandetails.asp?PlanNum=2338
http://www.eplans.com/house-plans.hwx/Q/Plan.HWEPL04215/nav-context.browse
It appears to just be a raised foundation.
In fact I found it defined here.
http://www.cobshomeplans.com/options/3.html
I gather that it might be on piers or solid walls.
That's like, ya know, one of them Bomb Shelters they build in the '50s, ya know, maaaaan.