basement conversion in potential new house - advice needed
#1
07-31-09, 08:03 AM
Join Date: Jul 2009
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basement conversion in potential new house - advice needed
Hi all
Total DIY beginner here - I would really benefit from some good advice.
Me and my partner have found a house we're really keen on, but there are a few really important things we need to find out about before we decide it's definately for us.
One of these things is the BASEMENT. We would really like to be able to convert this into a music studio (I am a music professional who works from home a lot). Currently the basement is an unconverted mess, rubbley crap all over the (non-existent) floor and no lights. What I need to know is what kind of questions to start asking (and who to ask) to find out how convertable the basement is. I understand that moisture in a basement is something to be very mindful of, and this would obviously be vitally important, especially with a load of music equipment down there.
What kind of process would need to be gone through with the basement? There's been talk of digging the floor down deeper and putting a damp-proof membrane in, then putting a new floor in, but we need to know that we will have room to dig down without compromising the foundations...?
Basically I'm just looking for a starting point for research. Should I hire a professional to tell me what can and can't be done? How should I approach this?
All advice gratefully received.
Total DIY beginner here - I would really benefit from some good advice.
Me and my partner have found a house we're really keen on, but there are a few really important things we need to find out about before we decide it's definately for us.
One of these things is the BASEMENT. We would really like to be able to convert this into a music studio (I am a music professional who works from home a lot). Currently the basement is an unconverted mess, rubbley crap all over the (non-existent) floor and no lights. What I need to know is what kind of questions to start asking (and who to ask) to find out how convertable the basement is. I understand that moisture in a basement is something to be very mindful of, and this would obviously be vitally important, especially with a load of music equipment down there.
What kind of process would need to be gone through with the basement? There's been talk of digging the floor down deeper and putting a damp-proof membrane in, then putting a new floor in, but we need to know that we will have room to dig down without compromising the foundations...?
Basically I'm just looking for a starting point for research. Should I hire a professional to tell me what can and can't be done? How should I approach this?
All advice gratefully received.
#2
07-31-09, 08:49 AM
The professional is definately the way to go to answer your questions. Here are some links that may be helpful:
BSD-103: Understanding Basements —
RR-0509c: Renovating Existing Basements —
I'm not keen on basements as the potential for floods is always there, plus the humidity. Make sure the pro says it's a go.
Good Luck
Bud
BSD-103: Understanding Basements —
RR-0509c: Renovating Existing Basements —
I'm not keen on basements as the potential for floods is always there, plus the humidity. Make sure the pro says it's a go.
Good Luck
Bud
#3
07-31-09, 01:30 PM
Join Date: Jul 2009
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Excellent, thanks for the links. I managed to miss out one essential point however - this basement is NOT actually underground. It's still very dingy and floorless, but it is on ground level. I'm guessing that this simplifies things a bit, in that the walls don't need to be protected from surrounding earth. However it does need a new floor, and we'd need to dig down to do this I think, as the limited height of the space would be overly compromised otherwise. But overall I guess the best advice is, as you say - consult professionals!
#4
08-15-09, 12:30 PM
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I have an english basement that is being converted to an apartment like many others have already done in my neighborhood. I had it excavated about 18", and everything went well.
The important thing structurally is knowing that the weight of the building spreads out and down beyond the foundation and engineers use a 45 deg assumption. In other words, when the excavators reach the top of the foundation, be sure they excavate from there on at a 45 deg angle into the interior space.
Then when the concrete people come, they will build a form around the perimeter, add rebar and fill in that 45 deg space to the top of the old foundation with high-strength concrete. Then the floor can be poured (and yes, lots of good gravel and thick, strong vapor barrier). The floor will also help hold the concrete "curb" in place for extra protection.
The curb is a great platform for bookcases, cabinets, etc. but it does take up some floor space around the perimeter.
This has been done to lot of houses in my area, and they have no problem. And it is easy for the diggers and concrete people to get right -- no special expertise required.
The only other alternative is way more expensive -- digging out the old foundation in 3 ft segments, filling it with a new concrete foundation/bottom wall. Then moving on to the next 3 ft segment.
good luck -- and yes, talk to an engineer and get his take on your area, because different soils react differently to the weight of a building. We are clay around here. And he can give you info on the amount/location of rebar, psi of concrete, etc.
Also, you might want to put in some pipes for plumbing and conduit for future electric work while you are at it. Even if you don't need them now, you might in the future.
The important thing structurally is knowing that the weight of the building spreads out and down beyond the foundation and engineers use a 45 deg assumption. In other words, when the excavators reach the top of the foundation, be sure they excavate from there on at a 45 deg angle into the interior space.
Then when the concrete people come, they will build a form around the perimeter, add rebar and fill in that 45 deg space to the top of the old foundation with high-strength concrete. Then the floor can be poured (and yes, lots of good gravel and thick, strong vapor barrier). The floor will also help hold the concrete "curb" in place for extra protection.
The curb is a great platform for bookcases, cabinets, etc. but it does take up some floor space around the perimeter.
This has been done to lot of houses in my area, and they have no problem. And it is easy for the diggers and concrete people to get right -- no special expertise required.
The only other alternative is way more expensive -- digging out the old foundation in 3 ft segments, filling it with a new concrete foundation/bottom wall. Then moving on to the next 3 ft segment.
good luck -- and yes, talk to an engineer and get his take on your area, because different soils react differently to the weight of a building. We are clay around here. And he can give you info on the amount/location of rebar, psi of concrete, etc.
Also, you might want to put in some pipes for plumbing and conduit for future electric work while you are at it. Even if you don't need them now, you might in the future.
