ᐅ Demolition or Renovation? Seeking Advice for Basements from the 1970s!
Created on: 20 Nov 2024 20:04
S
Skyhawk172
Hello everyone,
We are in the process of purchasing a house built in 1973 and are now facing the question of how to handle the basement. The house itself is not worth preserving. We are wondering whether to rebuild completely or if it makes more sense to keep the basement and build on top of it. We hope that renovating will be more cost-effective and allow us to gain more living space.
Since we are not experts, we wanted to ask for experiences and advice here in the forum:
Thank you in advance and best regards
We are in the process of purchasing a house built in 1973 and are now facing the question of how to handle the basement. The house itself is not worth preserving. We are wondering whether to rebuild completely or if it makes more sense to keep the basement and build on top of it. We hope that renovating will be more cost-effective and allow us to gain more living space.
Since we are not experts, we wanted to ask for experiences and advice here in the forum:
- Check the condition of the basement: At first glance, the basement looks solid, but of course, this is just a non-professional assessment. From your point of view, what are the key steps to get the basement’s condition professionally evaluated? Should we contact a building surveyor or a structural engineer directly?
- Renovation or demolition: Does anyone have experience with whether it is more economical to renovate the basement or to demolish it completely in such a case? Are there typical issues with basements from the 1970s that we should be aware of (e.g., structural concerns)?
- Experience with similar projects: Who among you has faced a similar decision before? What was decisive for your choice – and in hindsight, would you make the same decision again?
Thank you in advance and best regards
S
Skyhawk17223 Nov 2024 19:0811ant schrieb:
Isn’t it an AB Elementhus, which there is a thread about here with good discussions among buyers renovating similar models? What is the reason in your case for avoiding this approach?Yes, it is. I have read the threads. However, I can clearly detect a musty smell (I suspect chloranisoles), and odor remediation seems difficult. Besides that, we would want to change everything: interior design, floor plan, windows. Considering both factors together, we didn’t spend much time thinking about it. Especially since the demolition costs should be manageable.
Floor plans can be changed, even in wooden structures. However, suspecting hazardous materials but considering demolition to be affordable sounds contradictory. Demolition must be followed by disposal, and storing hazardous materials is costly. Experts should be involved in this.
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We are facing a similar project: a fully basemented Okal house built in 1969, with the common issues of contaminants and odors, which is why, after careful consideration, demolition is planned.
We also want to keep the basement, as demolishing it—whether rebuilding a new basement in the existing excavation or compacting and building on a slab foundation—is likely to be significantly more expensive.
The plan is to excavate around the basement to apply new waterproofing and perimeter insulation (unfortunately, the costs here should not be underestimated due to the necessary earthworks, unless you can do this work yourself).
Demolition costs for prefabricated houses from this period should not be underestimated either. Since this usually involves more of a dismantling than a simple demolition, and the more or less numerous hazardous materials need to be disposed of at high cost, one should expect expenses in the mid five-figure range (at least according to the quotes we received).
We also want to keep the basement, as demolishing it—whether rebuilding a new basement in the existing excavation or compacting and building on a slab foundation—is likely to be significantly more expensive.
The plan is to excavate around the basement to apply new waterproofing and perimeter insulation (unfortunately, the costs here should not be underestimated due to the necessary earthworks, unless you can do this work yourself).
Demolition costs for prefabricated houses from this period should not be underestimated either. Since this usually involves more of a dismantling than a simple demolition, and the more or less numerous hazardous materials need to be disposed of at high cost, one should expect expenses in the mid five-figure range (at least according to the quotes we received).
S
Skyhawk17225 Nov 2024 20:55Lihpinho schrieb:
One should not underestimate the demolition costs for prefabricated houses from that era. Since this is more of a dismantling than a demolition, and the contaminants present, more or less in varying amounts, have to be disposed of at high cost, you should expect expenses in the mid five-figure range (at least based on the quotes we received).Have any contaminants been definitely identified in your case? Did you conduct an analysis?
In the thread about AB Elementhus houses, at least one test was mentioned that came back negative.
Skyhawk172 schrieb:
Have any harmful substances been clearly identified in your case? Have you carried out an analysis?
At least in the thread about AB Elementhus houses, a test was cited that came back negative. On one hand, I have read in various sources that for early prefabricated houses from that period, especially those from OKAL, it must be assumed that harmful substances such as asbestos, formaldehyde, lindane, PCP, etc. were used. On the other hand, we had someone conduct hazardous material inspections before demolition, who pointed out potentially harmful building materials.
Fortunately, our facade was already renovated in the 1990s (the 90s), so the asbestos panels commonly used there are no longer present. Asbestos is probably only found in a few isolated spots in our interior finishes.
Lihpinho schrieb:
On the one hand, I have read in various sources that with early prefabricated houses from that time, especially those by OKAL, one must simply assume that hazardous substances such as asbestos, formaldehyde, lindane, PCP, etc. were used. On the other hand, we had someone come who conducts hazardous material inspections before demolitions and pointed out potentially contamination-containing building materials. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of my warning against replacing, for example, particle boards with an existing binder load that has since decreased with “fresh” ones, whose current lower limits can still be significantly higher than the residual contamination of the old ones. That would be like fighting fire with fire.
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