It’s no secret that having the proper structure to house various vehicles is essential to keeping them in pristine condition. Of course, most go with the traditional garage to provide parking to patrons. But you might not realize that there are other options like the basement garage. Explore this brief guide to learn more about these hybrid structures and whether they might be the right choice for you.
What Is a Basement Garage?
Before delving into the advantages and disadvantages of a basement garage, it’s wise to understand what precisely a basement garage is. Luckily, these garages are what their title implies—the combination of a basement and garage into one functional structure. Like their traditional counterparts, basement garages safely store vehicles.
Further, basement garages are typically most beneficial for properties or developments that rest on extremely uneven land in places like the mountains, deep valleys, or hill country. That said, these structures aren’t exclusive to such areas. Many people install basement garages in regions where uneven land isn’t an issue.
What Are the Advantages of Having One?
For those who own large complexes and other developments, a basement garage is an appealing option. When you dive deeper into all of their advantages, it becomes even more evident why someone would want to include these hybrid structures in one of their properties.
This type of garage can fix a vertical gap in a new parking structure being built on uneven land. Additionally, they don’t impact the square footage of a structure.
This is a crucial advantage to consider for two reasons:
1.) It makes basements garages easier to build (less red tape, not subject to zoning issues).
2.) It allows more overall space and more potential for additional projects later on.
Plus, if you combine the futuristic design of basement garages with space-saving technology like car parking lifts, you can stack numerous vehicles atop one another and never have to worry about your garages running out of space for patrons to park.
What Are the Disadvantages of Having One?
Of course, this wouldn’t be a balanced discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of basement garages if we only discussed the positive things. To be a fair debate, it’s also imperative to talk about some of their drawbacks.
The most significant disadvantage of basement garages is the labor and technical work that goes into building one. Traditional garages are pretty straightforward builds. But with a basement garage, there are all sorts of specializations to consider. This is even more pertinent if you do plan on adding things car parking lifts to your basement garage.
Because basement garages are partially submerged underground, builders have to work around the soil under your building. Not only that, but they also have to create a structure capable of supporting the said building. Moreover, you have to think about things like:
Extra insulation
Drainage
You also have to consider the amount of space your basement garage will take up and how it’ll impact your current building or complex design. All of this adds up to a costly and—quite frankly—complicated build compared to more traditional parking garages. The good news is that this is one of the only significant drawbacks for these types of garages. And if you can get one built with room for car parking lifts, you’ll improve the efficiency of your design and expand your development’s parking space.
In any case, having optimally protected parking for your developments is crucial. Hopefully, this guide sheds some light on whether or not these hybrid structures are the right choice for you.