Can you DIY new basement walls?

Question

I live in a 100+ year old house. Some of the basement walls are rock, some cinder block and they are beginning to crumble slightly in areas. How hard/easy/advisable would it be for someone to take out the old blocks/rocks and DIY new cinder block walls? Even just a little peice at a time.

Answer 1

You are fooling with the structural integrity of your home and this requires an expert who can "shore up" the weight of the home and this takes a lot of experience and special equipment.

Answer 2

I would highly advise you to have a structural engineer certify that those walls are not load bearing or part of the structural integrity of your home.. after that..do what you want..but make sure it is within code!

Answer 3

It's not impossible, you need to shore up the sill plate, the piece of wood that sits on the block, You can easily go 2 - 5 feet at a time, depending on the condition of the sill plate.

Basically, if the sill is ok, take a small section out and brace it, and take the stone out, replace with concrete blocks, it's not terribly difficult, but not a job for the average homeowner.

If you are in any way unsure, don't attempt it. There is always the option of making forms around the existing rock, and pouring concrete, though that's more aesthetic then structural.

Answer 4

Basement walls support the entire structure for age old buildings. Please get an advise from Engineer before you attempt and then decide is it feasible for you to DIY.

Answer 5

bring in a professional. There may be structural deficiencies that you may not be trained to see, and if you start working on it, you could either have the thing collapse, or replace everything without fixing the problem

Answer 6

I don't think you'd be able to get a permit to do it.  From my experience small jobs turn in to big jobs, and big jobs turn in to even bigger jobs.