I'm planning to demolish my basement floor, but I want to make sure that it doesn't bear any structural loads that could weaken my foundation and cause damage to my house. I've already dug up a small corner of the floor for inspection, and I see that the concrete is 10 cm thick and has no reinforcement. I found a translated description from an inspector before I bought the house that mentions: "The detached house is founded on shuttered and cast footings with a cast basement wall. The wall is plastered on the outside and insulated with Stenull on the inside, partially painted. There's a cast floor on the ground, but the frost and moisture conditions are unknown." Any advice would be appreciated!
3 Answers
Before you go ahead with the demolition, it’s best to consult an engineer just to be safe. If you decide to proceed without an assessment, make sure to leave proper "engineering tabs" on the floor. These will help in case you need to do any repairs later. You can check what engineering tabs are online for more clarity.
Definitely get a structural engineer involved. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your foundation.
Honestly, why are you tackling this on your own? Removing the floor could affect your house's stability. Just curious about your plans!
The current floor doesn’t have moisture protection or insulation, and it gets really cold. I want to turn the basement into a usable living space in the future!
Thanks for the tip! I’ll reach out to an engineering agency to get a proper assessment of the basement.