What if you had . . .

[Emettman]

Ah, local factors.

Basements are relatively rare around here, though some houses do have (generally damp) such.
I'm at the top of a hill and on granite, so I have to keep more of an eye on radon levels than water ones.

My water-feature is not going to breed mosquitos, but I did have to plan how it was going to cope with being overfilled by nature on a regular basis.

[Bill Wray]

BK-
Do I take it you are moving to Houston (AKA Humidity, TX)? If so, welcome to my world. What part of Houston? Hope you don't have any allergies; if you don't, you will.

BTW, the main reason for slab construction in Houston has nothing to do with the water table. Since the ground never freezes in Houston, there is no need to go down into the ground to get the foundation below the freeze line, nor is there any bedrock to build on, and builders build as cheaply as they can, so slabs it is. Not a problem with a properly engineered and poured slab. Unfortunately, much of the soil around Houston is "gumbo" which expands and contracts quite a bit with changes in water content and has resulted in many a cracked slab (again due to the cheap build quality of many slabs). Slab repair is big business here. I have never heard of a pool "popping out of the ground", though. Similar to slab construction, an improperly engineered pool can crack as a result of soil expansion and contraction.

In any case, it is wise to avoid the pits as you have observed they would be prime mosquito breeding grounds and we don't need any more of those in Houston.

[bkbates]

Hi Bill,

We've taken refuge about a mile west of 45 on 1960. Thanks for the G2 on the soil and water table. I was afraid to dig a hole for fear I'd strike water. Pop me a personal email - address available through http://www.bates-r-us.org OR try here http://birdwater.com/Birdwater_Contact.htm

B2