Colleen: Throughout a good portion of the country, the configuration you ask about is quite common. In the Upper Midwest, for example, it's actually somewhat unusual to encounter a home without a basement of some sort. If they're built correctly, with proper attention to water management and insulation, basements can be finished out into nice living spaces. The additional cost isn't that great, either, unless your alternative is a pure slab house. The cost becomes even more attractive when you consider the cost of building an equivalent amount of space above grade. If your alternative is a 3-foot crawlspace, another 6' of wall isn't *that* much more. I'm no expert, but I can tell you that with heavy clay like you probably have in NC, drainage/water control and exterior waterproofing is going to be key. Things to consider: 1) Drain tile (a 4" corrugated black pipe) should be placed around the foundation perimeter footings. It should either be run down a proper slope to daylight to drain, or (more likely) sent to a sump pit in the basement to then be pumped out away from the house. 2) Proper backfilling of the trench around the foundation. This will not only help the water drain to the drain tile (backfill is generally gravel, placed 18" at a time and compacted), but also help keep the natural soil movement from wrecking your lovely foundation, and; 3) Proper grading, which will keep the water away from the foundation in the first place. 4) No block. NO BLOCK. Poured, reinforced concrete only. Block foundations are rather more prone to damage and leaks. 5)Wide overhangs can also be helpful in keeping water away from the foundation. In addition to picking the brains of the fine folks here at GW, you should head over to the Breaktime forum at Fine Homebuilding Magazine's website. You have to register to read/participate, and make sure to fill in the profile info. The site is populated largely by builders from all sorts of trades from all over the country. They'll be able to tell you what's what, and how to build a basement that will stand up to that nasty red clay. : ) Here is a link that might be useful: Fine Homebuilding - Breaktime Forum

UM... Lemme see.... female 30-40 (ok 35-45 I give) God/higher power Otherwise, what's the point of being here? Without God my life has no direction. The hardships are just hard not a learning experience. The joys are just momentary joy not the celebration of something bigger. PJ

chisue, 'night stored heat' usually just called 'night-storage' in the UK, is a system whereby cheaper night-time-rate electricity is collected in wall mounted units and 'pumped out' during the day. Never seems a satisfactory system to me as you have to anticipate the need for heat the day before, so a cold day might be followed by a warmer one and the heat saved will be wasted. Also when it is cold all day there is often not enough heat 'saved' to last all the following day and evening. I well remember my youngest brother's Austin Healey, in a time when all 'real-men' needed a sports car. Sitting about 3 inches above the road surface in the passenger seat with no bolts attaching it to the floor and no seat belt was quite a white-knuckle ride. ;-) Here is a link that might be useful: Austin Healey

I googled burls, Marco, and I think you're right! Looks like it's just abnormal growth, but I find it interesting that it halts growth at that point. Wiki says (of trees, which is probably the same as plants) "...outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dormant buds." So I think my impression was right - the "growth nubbin" goes dormant and it tries again... I removed as much as I could from the one in the photo above and I'll be paying close attention to see if perhaps it will incite it to grow. I hope so... Denise in Omaha