Jeannie in NJ Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I'm talking un air contioned basements. We are looking at houses to move to and I would really like a basement and with this heat wave, I was wondering if a basement would stay cool or comfortable in this heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 We have a daylight basement that faces north, and when we have 90+ degree days it stays about 20 degrees cooler. Of course, we live near Seattle and that sort of heat never goes on very long. If we were to have a very long string of such days, I'm not sure what our basement temperature would do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 It's not quite as hot here lately as in some places, but it's been pretty steadily over 90 since early June...our basement feels great! We've been down there a lot lately because we're trying to get it cleaned out so we can use it as extra living space instead of just storage, and I've been really impressed with how cool it is. It starts to feel a little muggy if we're down there doing a lot of work, but the temperature is good. And ours is a walk out basement, so not totally underground...it's a garage on one end and then a basement room which is mostly all underground on the other end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerine Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Ours does. We never spend any time down there, but the dog loves it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Ours stays cool, but it's a buried, unfinished basement. I call it The Dungeon and only use it for storage and laundry. It is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. BKM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Yes, ours is about 20 degrees cooler than the upstairs. We also found it to be WARMER than our upstairs living area when the power was out for 3 days during a February ice storm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 We also found it to be WARMER than our upstairs living area when the power was out for 3 days during a February ice storm. This too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Yes, ours stays cooler. It isn't finished and smells a bit so we don't spend a lot of time down there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I'm talking un air contioned basements. We are looking at houses to move to and I would really like a basement and with this heat wave, I was wondering if a basement would stay cool or comfortable in this heat. Mine did in Kansas unless the heat went on and on. My refuse in places without a basement was to read in the tub, but use only cold water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Yes, it stays significantly cooler. However, without a dehumidifier running all the time the air is so heavy and moist that it's pretty uncomfortable. With a dehumidifier it is quite nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 that is good news, also that basements stay warmer in the winter. Two winters ago, areas in our county were without power for a week during a blizzard. We were lucky that we only lost power for about 6 hours and it was amazing how fast our house got very cold. I was worried about where we could go with having 8 cats if the power stayed out longer. So since we are looking at houses, I thought having a basement would be nice ( cooler in summer ,warmer in winter, at least hopefully warm enough so we would not freeze) and I want a fireplace and/or a wood stove in the next house. I don't want to be dependent on losing power (heat) and no where to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 When you get several feet down, the ground temp. remains pretty stable but other factors play into a basement temp in summer and winter. In basements, you get ambient heat from appliances which helps and hurts depending on the season. You also get cold, air conditioned air dropping from the rest of the house. Insulation plays a factor, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmith Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Ours is finished, with lots of electronics, a fridge and freezer, etc. but it stays about 10 to 15 degrees cooler. Before it was finished it was about 20 degrees cooler. When dh was using the basement office, it was very hot in the room all the time. He had about 6 servers running 24/7, and they really heated up the room! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anita in NC Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 There is no AC in our basement and it stays much cooler than the upstairs. I love having a basement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 yes, it is 20 degrees cooler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I grew up in NJ and we used our unfinished basement as a playroom. The whole house was shaded by trees and the only A/C in the house were window units in two of the second-floor bedrooms. The first floor would get warm by the end of the day, and the un-air-conditioned spaces on the second floor were fairly miserable for most of the summer (we would pile into the rooms with A/C) but the basement was fine for playing year-round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnlvr Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 MUCH MUCH cooler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnette in WA Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 It looks nearly unanimous! Ours is regularly 15-20 degrees cooler in the summer, too. And warmer in the winter. Our pantry is in the basement, closed off from the rest of the area, and even in the winter all of the food is nice and cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 YES! Ours is very cool. And it is almost finished! All drywall is now up and mudding and sanding is complete in the rec area. The other 2 rooms are finished. DH says the rec room will be painted and complete by the end of the weekend! Then we just have to figure out flooring. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 yes, they do stay cooler. A lot depends on the specific basement. Ours has a TON of large windows on one side with a greenhouse attached - this is the southern side. Lots of light. The western side also has many windows and a walkout door with glass top. The eastern side has two small windows and is deep underground like the northern side, which as no windows. It does stay cooler but not as much as a complete underground basement would. We are making it into usable space and we will put up shades and fans for the kids. That's all that will be needed. I like that it's not a dark pit like our last basement, but our last basement was definitely cooler. Still, I can't stand the heat and humidity but am comfortable downstairs as it is now. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Yes, it stays significantly cooler. However, without a dehumidifier running all the time the air is so heavy and moist that it's pretty uncomfortable. With a dehumidifier it is quite nice. this is also specific to each basement needs. We needed to use the dehumidifier constantly in our last home. IT was no problem at all, just dump the water when it was full. In this basement the dehumidifier kept shutting off so we gave it away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Our basement is an old, dirt unfinished basement. No indoor entry and no indoor central air. It's really cool down there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Mine is freezing the last couple of weeks.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I'm in IL and the heat wave is killing us. But the full underground basment stays cold with the AC!!! I even shut all the vents! The kids were complaining about having to watch tv in the basement this morning because it was cold. My little one put socks on so his toes wouldn't freeze. LOL! Our first floor is set to 73 right now. It's not warm in the winter though. :( But our second story is toasty in the winter! Very warm in the summer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama2cntrykids Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 We live in MN and when the temps have been 90-100, the basement stays much cooler. It really makes it bareable, but the air is on too lol. I know when the air isn't on and it's about 80 out, it's about 65 down there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHASRADA Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Oh, yes. Of course, it even warms up down in the basement during extended heat waves, but it always remains cooler than the main floor. Every house we've lived in has had a basement, and we always end up sleeping down there for a few miserable nights during heat waves. The kids stayed down there will the baby all day when the heat was at it's worst, since the poor thing just couldn't stay cool. The only thing with basements is that they can be damp, and thus a bit humid if it is too warm. We always run a dehumidifier in the basement during the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snipsnsnailsx5 Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Ours does! Our is finished - carpeted, two bedrooms, bathroom. It is accessible through the garage or a spiral staircase that goes up to the main level. It does have heat down there, but no air conditioning. It has window wells (like buried windows) as well. The boys rooms are down there right now, and our room used to be down there. In the summer, even on the hottest days, its always natrually much cooler. Our air conditioning up stairs BROKE in the middle of summer last year. I'm in WA state, and our temps here get about 90's to low 100's in the dead of summer. We hung out in the basement the whole time because it was so much cooler. In the winter too, even just running one baseboard heater, it stays nice and toasty downstairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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