5 Basement Wall Construction Tips

If you are building a new house then you will have the ability to build a brand new basement, which means you should look into the tricks of basement wall construction. Building a basement on a new home is actually very easy and fairly inexpensive.

Calculating the Cost

The first and most important thing to do is to estimate roughly how much you think the basement project will cost to complete. You will then be able to decide whether or not it is worth the larger investment. Building a new basement wall is a large project, but too important do right so it's not worth cutting corners on.

You will first need to consider excavation, this will require the use of hired equipment. It may cost more to excavate depending on the type of soil your house is build on. If there are lots of rocks in your building site then excavating the basement will be a costly business.

Now try and estimate the amount of concrete that you will need to complete the basement. If you want to have an 8 foot ceiling in your basement then you will need to allow enough concrete for a 8 inch thick, nine foot wall.

You might be an experienced DIY professional however that doesn't mean that you can do a basement project on your own. You will need to allow some extra money to hire a few laborers to help you. Make sure that you allow some extra money to hire laborers.

Although you will of estimated the cost of the project you cannot plan for every eventuality. There will be lots of things which could go wrong or make the project more difficult. Ensure that you have a contingency fund in place if required.

Reinforced Walls

The walls in a basement will have to hold up the whole of your house, they will also be exposed to extra pressure from the surrounding ground. Make sure that you include reinforcements to keep the walls strong. Rebar reinforcement will be required to give the basement walls more strength.

Waterproofing

Basements are buried below ground level and this can make them susceptible to damp. To protect the wall from water seeping inside, you should use proper waterproofing materials. Vapor barriers and dry lock are two of the many products which can be used to cope with excess moisture.

Window Wells

Plan the number of window wells that you want to fit to your basement at this stage, digging an extra well will be very easy when you are excavating the basement. However if you decide to add an extra window well at a later date then this will be very expensive.

Maintenance

Once you've built your basement you can't just leave it alone. You will also need to maintain it regularly to keep it in good condition. If there are any cracks or damage to the wall then you will need to repair it as quickly as possible.