Hello dear forum members,
First of all, I hope I am posting in the right forum since this concerns insulation, but I also want to address other topics and didn’t want to create multiple threads.
Project introduction:
I recently acquired a house with a basement, ground floor, upper floor, and attic, each with an area of 64m² (690 sq ft) per level, at a very good price. I am currently renovating it mostly by myself with limited resources. The house was in rather poor condition but still inhabited until recently. All the utilities (electricity, water, main connections) will be replaced. The masonry walls are 36 cm (14 inches) thick with a cavity in the middle, which was apparently common at the time.
The roof was the first thing to be renovated. Some tiles were already broken and the wood needed replacing. I received help from a roofing company and a family carpenter. The entire roof was replaced except for the beams, including 120 mm (4.7 inches) of insulation with a vapor barrier and all necessary components. Due to budget constraints, I could not use thicker insulation, as this would have required recesses and additional work.
The facade was insulated by the previous owner about five years ago with approximately 4 cm (1.6 inches) thick polystyrene boards and subsequently plastered by a professional company. The facade still looks good and I hope it can remain that way for the next few years.
Currently, I am working on waterproofing the basement. The entire basement has been excavated down to the foundation slab, cleaned, and waterproofed at the edges. It will be left to air dry for a few weeks before a 2-component thick coating, about 6 mm (0.24 inches) according to the manufacturer, will be applied. Afterwards, 40 mm (1.6 inches) thick extruded polystyrene (XPS) boards will be installed and then backfilled with the excavated soil, mostly gravel. The basement is embedded 1.30 m (4.3 ft) deep into the ground (where the floor slab will be installed) and protrudes about 80 cm (2.6 ft) above ground level. My first question is: how high should the basement insulation and the thick coating be applied?
The facade insulation starts only above the 80 cm (2.6 ft) basement wall, essentially from the top of the basement ceiling. This upper part of the basement wall is in very good condition (red clinker bricks).
Inside the house, I have removed all the plaster down to the base walls and taken out the old plank flooring including the slag layer. The floor is a masonry concrete slab. Next steps will include installing electrical, water, and sewage lines as well as underfloor heating on the ground floor. On the upper floor, regular radiators will be installed (the floorboards remain here due to the wooden beam ceiling).
For the heating system, the company Viessmann was recommended to me, and I chose a liquid gas heating system with a tank, which I have already installed underground. I also purchased new windows, since I am not a fan of traditional box windows (visually speaking). These are double-glazed windows bought at a general hardware store. The front door was also replaced. Currently, there is a rather dilapidated wooden door, and now a plastic door is waiting to be installed.
I am wondering if the listed measures are appropriate or if there is anything I should consider or must take into account. There is no historic preservation restriction, and regarding energy regulations, apparently nothing further must be observed since it is classified as repair/renovation (based on the roofer’s statement).
---------------------------
Hello,
I have edited your post to improve readability.
Regards, Building Expert
First of all, I hope I am posting in the right forum since this concerns insulation, but I also want to address other topics and didn’t want to create multiple threads.
Project introduction:
I recently acquired a house with a basement, ground floor, upper floor, and attic, each with an area of 64m² (690 sq ft) per level, at a very good price. I am currently renovating it mostly by myself with limited resources. The house was in rather poor condition but still inhabited until recently. All the utilities (electricity, water, main connections) will be replaced. The masonry walls are 36 cm (14 inches) thick with a cavity in the middle, which was apparently common at the time.
The roof was the first thing to be renovated. Some tiles were already broken and the wood needed replacing. I received help from a roofing company and a family carpenter. The entire roof was replaced except for the beams, including 120 mm (4.7 inches) of insulation with a vapor barrier and all necessary components. Due to budget constraints, I could not use thicker insulation, as this would have required recesses and additional work.
The facade was insulated by the previous owner about five years ago with approximately 4 cm (1.6 inches) thick polystyrene boards and subsequently plastered by a professional company. The facade still looks good and I hope it can remain that way for the next few years.
Currently, I am working on waterproofing the basement. The entire basement has been excavated down to the foundation slab, cleaned, and waterproofed at the edges. It will be left to air dry for a few weeks before a 2-component thick coating, about 6 mm (0.24 inches) according to the manufacturer, will be applied. Afterwards, 40 mm (1.6 inches) thick extruded polystyrene (XPS) boards will be installed and then backfilled with the excavated soil, mostly gravel. The basement is embedded 1.30 m (4.3 ft) deep into the ground (where the floor slab will be installed) and protrudes about 80 cm (2.6 ft) above ground level. My first question is: how high should the basement insulation and the thick coating be applied?
The facade insulation starts only above the 80 cm (2.6 ft) basement wall, essentially from the top of the basement ceiling. This upper part of the basement wall is in very good condition (red clinker bricks).
Inside the house, I have removed all the plaster down to the base walls and taken out the old plank flooring including the slag layer. The floor is a masonry concrete slab. Next steps will include installing electrical, water, and sewage lines as well as underfloor heating on the ground floor. On the upper floor, regular radiators will be installed (the floorboards remain here due to the wooden beam ceiling).
For the heating system, the company Viessmann was recommended to me, and I chose a liquid gas heating system with a tank, which I have already installed underground. I also purchased new windows, since I am not a fan of traditional box windows (visually speaking). These are double-glazed windows bought at a general hardware store. The front door was also replaced. Currently, there is a rather dilapidated wooden door, and now a plastic door is waiting to be installed.
I am wondering if the listed measures are appropriate or if there is anything I should consider or must take into account. There is no historic preservation restriction, and regarding energy regulations, apparently nothing further must be observed since it is classified as repair/renovation (based on the roofer’s statement).
---------------------------
Hello,
I have edited your post to improve readability.
Regards, Building Expert
Hello,
Best regards
luschi87 schrieb:Did you buy based on intuition or with the help of a professional? What seems very cheap at first can quickly turn into a money pit for non-experts!
....I recently acquired a house very cheaply (basement, ground floor, upper floor, and attic) with an area of 64m² (690 sq ft) per level and am currently working on renovating it mostly by myself with my limited resources.
Best regards
B
Bauqualle30 May 2013 13:58.. you mean so-called "bargain houses" ...
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