Tear out furnished basement (inexperienced new homeowner)

[V__L]

Hello everyone,

just bought an older house with a partially finished basement. Planning to tear down plaster walls that have been put up as there are wooden studs behind these that are against the concrete wall, and also the non-ventilated floor.

This may seem like a possibly dumb question, but I'm wondering broadly if there's anything I should consider when it comes to tearing out the interior in general? Is it just a matter of "going for it" and tearing down or should I have something in mind before I start, besides making sure there are no pipes or wires that might be behind it? I've tried to read up on it but have difficulty finding any info.

 

[Manhunter]

Just blow it out.
Better to have clean walls.

 

[devjoachim]

Hello everyone,

I have just bought an older house with a partially finished basement. I'm planning to tear down the drywall that was put up because there are wooden studs behind them that rest against the concrete wall, as well as floors that are not ventilated.

It feels like possibly a silly question, but I'm wondering broadly if there's anything I should consider when it comes to tearing out the interior overall? Is it just a matter of "going for it" and tearing down, or should I keep anything in mind before starting, aside from ensuring there are no pipes or cables that might be behind it? I've tried reading up but am having trouble finding any information.

Did it myself quite recently, turn off the power first, then just go at it.

Also saved a lot of time and dust by toppling the interior walls and then stomping out the drywall, my studded walls were not attached to the concrete blocks.

 

[J_P_K]

With a hammer, crowbar, and a bit of common sense, you can go a long way; avoid sawing into anything when you don't know what's behind it. Remember to use protective gear.

 

[tommib]

The protective mask is the most important. A good one, FFP3. Sundströms makes very good masks that are particularly affordable in price.

Safety glasses. Good gloves that are comfortable to work in so that you actually use them. Hearing protection. I like earmuffs with Bluetooth so that you can listen to music or a podcast at the same time.

 

[klaskarlsson]

Hello everyone,

just bought an older house with a partially finished basement. Planning to tear down drywall that's been put up as there are wooden studs behind it resting against the concrete wall, as well as a floor that isn't ventilated.

It feels like a possibly silly question, but I wonder broadly if there's anything I should consider regarding tearing out the interior overall? Is it just a matter of "going for it" and tearing down, or should I keep anything in mind before starting, apart from ensuring there are no pipes or wiring that could be behind? I've tried reading up but have trouble finding any information.

Just tear down with common sense, I would say. As others write: check that you're not tearing down pipes, and turn off the electricity so you don't get shocked and use protective gear.

Then, of course, the question is why you're tearing down: Do you have moisture problems in the basement? The fact that it's built incorrectly (organic material against walls/floors) doesn't necessarily mean issues. If it's well-drained and not damp, it might last for a very long time - and if it was renovated many years ago and is still okay without signs of moisture, then you probably don't need to tear down just for the sake of it, or are you planning to do some extensive renovation and want to do it properly from the bottom, perhaps?

 

[V__L]

Thank you for all the answers, I'm taking all advice on approach.

Just proceed with caution, I would say. As others have written: check to make sure you're not tearing down pipes, and turn off the power so you don't get shocked and use protective gear.

Then of course the question is why you are tearing it down: Do you have moisture problems in the basement?
The fact that it is poorly constructed (organic material against walls/floor) doesn't necessarily mean there are problems. If it's well-drained and not damp, you can probably manage for a long time - and if it was built many years ago and is still fine without any signs of moisture, you probably don't need to tear it down just for the sake of it, or are you planning to do a major renovation and want it thoroughly worked out in the foundation?

It was recommended by a friend who is a professional in construction (came along for the viewing), as well as the inspector noted that the basement was finished. I find it difficult to determine how critical it is, but they said it's not urgent.

The house was built in 1953 with an uninsulated basement, and it's unclear when the drainage was last done (if ever, it was a long time ago). The inspector detected microbial odor in one corner of a room in the finished part of the basement (neither I nor the person who came with me smelled anything), but all moisture readings were below the critical moisture level for microbial growth in the basement. Neither the person who came with me nor the inspector noticed any other issues or signs of moisture in the basement, but recommended that I remove the interior to get rid of the wooden studs that are against the concrete. There are no planned major renovations in the basement other than possible future drainage if moisture problems start to appear. Do you think it's okay to let the interior remain even though the basement is uninsulated and hasn't been drained for a long time, if at all?

 

[devjoachim]

Thank you for all the responses; I'm taking all advice on procedure to heart.

It was recommended by an acquaintance who is a professional in construction (came along to the viewing), and the inspector also noted that the basement was furnished. I find it hard to judge how critical it is, but they said it was not urgent.

The house was built in 1953 with an uninsulated basement, and it is unclear when the drainage was last done (if ever, it was a long time ago). The inspector detected a microbial odor in one corner of a room in the furnished part of the basement (neither I nor he who came with me smelled anything), but all moisture readings were below the critical moisture level for microbial growth in the basement. Neither the person who came with me nor the inspector noticed any other issues or signs of moisture in the basement, but they recommended I remove the furnishings to get rid of the wooden studs against the concrete. I have no major renovations planned for the basement except possible future drainage if moisture problems begin to arise. Do you think it's okay to leave the furnishings as they are even though the basement is uninsulated and hasn't been drained for a long time, if at all?

Don't stress; I had the exact same plans as you as soon as I bought my house 6 years ago. I also had a furnished recreation room back then, but I put it on hold, and then it took 6 years before I dealt with it; I wanted underfloor heating and an insulated slab, so I took the opportunity to remove the organic material.

But everything that was organic looked fine, and it had been there for almost 50 years.

Deal with it the day you yourself experience smell or moisture.

 

[klaskarlsson]

Thank you for all the responses, I'm considering all advice regarding the approach.

It was recommended by an acquaintance who is a professional in construction (came along for the viewing), as well as the inspector who noted that the basement was furnished. I find it difficult to determine how critical it is, but they said it wasn't urgent.

The house was built in 1953 with an uninsulated basement, and it's unclear when the last drainage was done (if ever, then it was a long time ago). The inspector noticed a microbial smell in one corner of a room in the furnished part of the basement (neither I nor the person who came with me noticed anything), but all moisture readings were below the critical moisture level for microbial growth in the basement. Neither the person who came with me nor the inspector noticed any other issues or signs of moisture in the basement, but they recommended that I remove the furnishings to get rid of the wooden studs resting against the concrete. I don't have any major renovations planned for the basement other than possible future drainage if moisture problems start to arise. Do you think it's okay to leave the furnishings despite the basement being uninsulated and undrained for a long time, if at all?

I wouldn't touch it if it doesn't cause problems.
The inspector is, of course, right that it's wrong to place organic material on uninsulated concrete. But not everyone experiences actual problems.

If it's generally dry and there are no issues with mold, etc., I would leave it as it is.

Until the day you want to remodel/add onto the basement, then it's as well to get it right from the bottom up, so to speak. Perhaps I would also redo it for safety's sake if there was a permanent bedroom down there (for example, for the kids): There might be mold you don't see/notice normally, but that can cause allergies, etc.

But as a basement space with a family room or similar, I feel like I would spend money and time on something else.

 

[V__L]

Thanks again for the help! We mostly plan to have one room as a hobby room and the other as a movie and guest room (moving there in about a week), i.e., we will probably be there quite regularly but not for most of the day. If I understand you correctly, it should be fine to use the rooms for those purposes as long as we don't notice any moisture problems (might be worth adding that we also have small children)? Also, the concrete won't get damaged if organic material is left over time in case there's something we haven't discovered? Appreciate the help a lot!

 

[Dilato]

In the house built in '53, I created a home theater room in the basement that originally had wooden studs on the concrete walls with thin veneer board on top, and foam board insulation between the studs.

I tore down the walls and discovered that the studs (and the wall) were bone dry, so I simply put up new particle boards and then wallpaper (the room is now called Manhattan because there's a view of Manhattan on the wallpaper).

 

[J_P_K]

Thanks again for the help! We mostly thought of having one room as a hobby room and the other as a movie and guest room (moving there in about a week), i.e. will probably spend time there quite regularly but not most of the days. If I understand you correctly, it should be fine to use the rooms for those purposes as long as we don't notice any moisture problems (might be worth adding that we also have small children)? Also, the concrete won't be damaged if you leave the organic material over time if there's something we haven't discovered? Appreciate the help greatly!

It's dry at the time of inspection but smells like mold in one corner. Unclear if it's drained. Unclear if paint remains on the walls or has seepage that indicates moisture. There are a bit too many x-factors to give any good advice on.

And there's a bit lacking in terms of information about what you have in mind with the house, ambitions, and what it needs besides the basement.