How do you demolish a house without damaging the existing basement?
by
Kelly
We are starting the process of building a new home. We are tearing down an existing 1000sf house that sits on and existing 1000sf basement. We want to KEEP the basement and build half of the new house on top of that foundation plus add another 1000sf of crawl space to make a larger house.
Is it possible to demo a house without damaging the basement walls? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Kelly
Related Discussions
Suggested Project Book
And you are doing this all yourself? WOW, you have a ton more guts than I would. I think you want to deconstruct the house, not demolish it. Not sure where you live but I found this link
https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/deconstruction-versus-demolition/
How exciting! I would go with the deconstructing method as that will cause the least damage to the existing foundation that you wish to keep. BUT, check with your permit office, they will need to inspect (required), the remaining basement and foundation to see if it is up to code and safe to rebuild. See if these help?
https://www.hometowndemolitioncontractors.com/blog/the-homeowners-guide-to-demolishing-a-house
http://blog.buildllc.com/2012/01/reusing-an-existing-residential-foundation-part-1/
https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/interior-projects/how-to/g2487/5-things-to-beware-of-before-demolishing-a-wall/
Most people who do that, leave the first floor on..... its easier to get a city building permit and less changes to insurance.... you can expand the foot print but its still considered a remodel versus new construction.