Hello dear forum members,
Our house planning is slowly becoming more concrete.
First of all: We have a plot with a 2m (6.5 ft) slope within the building zone, and we have decided to build the basement as a lower floor/livable basement. The plot rises from the street side, meaning the front part of the basement is fully above ground. At the rear side facing the garden, the basement is completely underground.
Now we are struggling with the offers. A concrete basement is about 15,000 euros more expensive than a masonry basement with drainage. According to the soil report, we basically don’t have groundwater or slope water.
An architect said she would build with a concrete basement — the chance of a damp basement is relatively low then. A basement builder I spoke to said that a well-constructed masonry basement also cannot become damp.
Various providers told us that drainage is more labor-intensive. The basement builder said that usually you don’t have to worry about it at all.
Now we are naturally uncertain. 15,000 euros is a lot of money. What real advantage does a concrete basement offer? The fact that it takes 4 or 6 weeks to build is not really important to us.
What are your experiences and what would you prefer?
Our house planning is slowly becoming more concrete.
First of all: We have a plot with a 2m (6.5 ft) slope within the building zone, and we have decided to build the basement as a lower floor/livable basement. The plot rises from the street side, meaning the front part of the basement is fully above ground. At the rear side facing the garden, the basement is completely underground.
Now we are struggling with the offers. A concrete basement is about 15,000 euros more expensive than a masonry basement with drainage. According to the soil report, we basically don’t have groundwater or slope water.
An architect said she would build with a concrete basement — the chance of a damp basement is relatively low then. A basement builder I spoke to said that a well-constructed masonry basement also cannot become damp.
Various providers told us that drainage is more labor-intensive. The basement builder said that usually you don’t have to worry about it at all.
Now we are naturally uncertain. 15,000 euros is a lot of money. What real advantage does a concrete basement offer? The fact that it takes 4 or 6 weeks to build is not really important to us.
What are your experiences and what would you prefer?
Yes, a WU basement means a water-resistant concrete basement. With a wall thickness of 20cm (8 inches) or more, no additional waterproofing is required. Some still apply bitumen because of the persistent myth that diffusion occurs and that humidity will be higher without bitumen. However, this has been disproven by scientific studies.
A drainage system won’t hurt; it directs water away from the house. However, it often clogs and becomes ineffective or is not installed properly. In my opinion, especially on slopes, you can often divert water effectively without a drainage system. Also, the basement is not harmed if it comes into contact with water since it is watertight.
A masonry basement usually consists of bricks, aerated concrete blocks (Ytong), or similar materials, which tend to absorb water. If there is a fault in the waterproofing (which can easily happen), you will end up with damp walls, mold, and crumbling plaster. This also leads to very high humidity and damage to the building structure. Such waterproofing generally lasts only about 20 years, after which the house must be excavated and redone from scratch.
In my opinion, building basements with masonry is no longer state-of-the-art and one of the worst ways to save money. Renovation in this case often costs six-figure sums.
I come from this field and can only warn against this, as there are many unscrupulous operators out there...
A drainage system won’t hurt; it directs water away from the house. However, it often clogs and becomes ineffective or is not installed properly. In my opinion, especially on slopes, you can often divert water effectively without a drainage system. Also, the basement is not harmed if it comes into contact with water since it is watertight.
A masonry basement usually consists of bricks, aerated concrete blocks (Ytong), or similar materials, which tend to absorb water. If there is a fault in the waterproofing (which can easily happen), you will end up with damp walls, mold, and crumbling plaster. This also leads to very high humidity and damage to the building structure. Such waterproofing generally lasts only about 20 years, after which the house must be excavated and redone from scratch.
In my opinion, building basements with masonry is no longer state-of-the-art and one of the worst ways to save money. Renovation in this case often costs six-figure sums.
I come from this field and can only warn against this, as there are many unscrupulous operators out there...
Are we in the WU basement lobby here?
Has everyone already read that the basement is only buried on one side?
WU concrete is undoubtedly more durable, but the idea that masonry is outdated technology or that after 3 years everything is leaking and damaged is quite nonsense...
Has everyone already read that the basement is only buried on one side?
WU concrete is undoubtedly more durable, but the idea that masonry is outdated technology or that after 3 years everything is leaking and damaged is quite nonsense...
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