ABSTRACT
A basement can be defined as an area of a building that is constructed either wholly or partly below ground level. Although basements or cellars used to be popular in older houses, they are rarely used in modern house construction in the United Kingdom, although they are very popular in other European countries. They may be useful where a house is constructed on a steeply sloping site, allowing the house to be built into the slope of the site and the lower part of the house could be utilised for storage or accommodation.
