Raising First Floor Off Basement

The title of this post refers to raising the ceiling height of the first floor of a two story house.

Raising first floor off basement.

Start a project view popular projects. Determine the height of the false floor in relation to the bottom step of the basement stairs. The nfip regulations define a basement as any area of the build ing having its floor subgrade on all sides if your house has such a basement you will be required to fill it in as part of any elevation project. Note that the national flood insurance pro gram nfip definition of basement.

A member on angie s list answered this very question and stated you should be prepared to see quotes in the 8 000 to 10 000 range for just raising and reframing the roof and in many cases it can easily be two times this amount if the entire wall has to be lifted. Quick tutorial on raising floor in a bathroom or any part of the house for that matter. Homeadvisor s house raising cost guide provides prices for jacking up a foundation to replace with a new one build a basement underneight or lift the ground floor above a flood zone. Unless there is a drop ceiling this is pretty much impossible.

As the posts slowly rot and melt into the floor the house settles accordingly bottom to top. If your house is built over a basement first inspect all of the basement support beams and posts where they meet the floor. Raising your home can allow you to increase the height of your basement ceiling or create a new full basement from a crawl space. To have a basement as defined under the nfip.

If you are considering a house extension a better opinion may be to raise your house and put in a new floor. For example two by four sleepers and floor joists installed flat and covered with plywood raise. Whether you live in a flood zone and need your home elevated want more space and cannot expand laterally or need to move your existing home to a new location lifting it safely off its current foundation is the first step. Be suspicious of wood posts set on dirt floors or wood posts with concrete poured around the post bases.

It may be possible to dig down and lower the first floor depending on construction and conditions but this will be serious money and will require professionals all along the way. These and other methods could be the most cost effective ways to double the square footage of your home. A properly finished basement can add value to your home. Spend your basement renovation dollars wisely by making it right the first time.

Please leave any questions in the comments section below.