Information On Underground House Design

Underground house design - It seems like everybody is going green in this day and age.

With the health of Mother Earth a huge concern for us all, it’s no small wonder that people are choosing to construct underground homes.

The added benefit, besides being a lot more earth friendly, is that underground homes are actually more efficient and need less upkeep than conventional residences.

The overall cost isn’t that much greater than building above ground either.

If you are thinking about building an underground home, read on to discover more about this ground-breaking (no pun intended) take on house construction.

The benefits of owning an underground residence are virtually unending.

Aesthetically, you will certainly have the most distinctive home of anybody you know.

Lower utility bills are worth the time and effort that goes into the building of an earth home.

Another invaluable feature is the amount of privacy you have.

Types of Underground House Design

There are 3 major types of underground house:

Slope

The first kind, a slope home, is actually cut directly into a hillside.

Slope homes are popular because just about any conventional home plan can be configured to fit into a hillside by simply rearranging the window placement.

Envelope

Another popular type of underground residence is the envelope home.

It is almost entirely underground and features a central courtyard area that lets in the greatest amount of light and from where all the rooms within the home extend.

Constructed

The other kind of house isn’t actually constructed underground.

First it is built; then it has dirt poured over the top of it, thereby producing an underground home.

This one is known as a bermed home.

Build Underground

Because these residences are underground, they are in fact naturally insulated by the soil and earth.

This makes cooling and heating more efficient and less costly.

Another benefit to owning an underground house is that you are able to plant on all sides of the house except for the exposed side (except, however, in the envelope homes, where it’s alright to use the exposed side for planting shrubs and trees).

If you are thinking about building an underground residence, you should be conscious of some problems that might arise.

For example, building your home too close to water tables may cause too much pressure to build up on it resulting in destructive cracks.

Problems with moisture can arise if suitable steps are not taken in the homes construction resulting in horrible mold problems and lots of wasted money.

Another major problem is air circulation. Make sure that your contractors are aware of this issue from the beginning and know how to properly combat it.