Forces in a gambrel roof
 

On 5/24/2017 12:57 AM, T i m wrote:
wrote:

So when you say 'flooded' you don't typically mean 'to the ceiling'
then?

No, fortunately. When the alarm goes, we get the pumps going. Floods
wouldn't be likely to reach the ceiling, though - the ceiling is a
couple of feet above ground level.

I've often seen reference to people (Americans) having the 'furnace'
in the basement so is / can that be the same as what we would
typically call 'a boiler' or are they specifically only when the
heating system uses blown air?

'Furnace' is often used for what in UK would be called a boiler.

Our place in Scotland has no basement. I miss the extra space, but I
don't miss dealing with wet messes.

I was thinking on from that and I guess the value of a basement may
depend on if the country you happen to live in has a high water table
or not? Over here you hear of basements having to be 'tanked' and
potentially drains would be more likely to let water in than out?

Areas with combined storm and sanitary drains/sewers can be a problem in
flood conditions, but it's my understanding that new(er) construction
requires backflow valves. There are always some people, though, who
don't understand that if they flush the toilet when the land is flooded,
filthy water may bubble out of the basement washtub...
It's not the flood water coming _in_, it's the toilet water which can't
get _out_.