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?
So, we basically live on the opposite side of the slope. We have precast concrete elements because neither the architect nor the structural builder wanted to do masonry.
At the neighbor’s house across the way, the masonry basement wall shifted slightly during compaction, causing cracks in the plaster, etc. In the long run, you are safer with concrete, whether waterproofed or not. I definitely wouldn’t want to save money there and am glad I made that choice.
At the neighbor’s house across the way, the masonry basement wall shifted slightly during compaction, causing cracks in the plaster, etc. In the long run, you are safer with concrete, whether waterproofed or not. I definitely wouldn’t want to save money there and am glad I made that choice.
The only argument for a masonry basement is the cost.
But that applies to all aspects of a house; somewhere you have to (or might choose not to) make compromises.
Wood-aluminum windows are better than PVC, calcium silicate brick plus facing brick is better than external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) or porous clay blocks, a flat roof with plastic waterproofing and a green roof is better than bituminous membrane roofing. Usually, more expensive means better...
But that applies to all aspects of a house; somewhere you have to (or might choose not to) make compromises.
Wood-aluminum windows are better than PVC, calcium silicate brick plus facing brick is better than external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) or porous clay blocks, a flat roof with plastic waterproofing and a green roof is better than bituminous membrane roofing. Usually, more expensive means better...
Of course, these are basic things. But constructing a waterproof concrete structure (a “white tank”) is also demanding in terms of execution. If it’s done poorly, problems can arise quickly. How long does the construction company guarantee the basement for? Do you think that if there are no issues with groundwater, it still needs to be a concrete basement? What are the arguments against a masonry basement combined with, for example, a K-Wanne (a waterproof tank lining)? The advantage would be simpler construction, lower cost, and possibly no need for additional insulation. Or am I wrong? I’m currently facing the same decision and feel unsure.
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