[prasanth]

Originally Posted by Aroy

It all depends on how strong the foundation is. If it is deep and wide enough 9" brick wall can support two stories. But to be on the safe side you can consider the following

1. If the built up area that you want to retain is less than 1000 sq.ft, and the new built up floor area more than 1600 sq.ft. It may be less expensive to demolish the existing structure and build a new structure based on RCC Frames (Beam-Column), designed to have at least 5 floors in future.

2. If the above is not to your liking, then get a structural engineer to design columns and beams to retrofit into your existing structure as well as take the load of a couple of floors.

Can you explain more about the 1000sq.ft/1600sq.ft logic? I thought whatever we can retain in terms of building components will reduce cost however small it is.

So if the foundation is not deep and strong enough then are there any ways to strengthen it?

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by prasanth

Mine is a 30 year old single storeyed house with brick wall. Walls are 9.5" thick. I would like to add two more floors. Is that possible? What are the things to take into consideration?

I would like to remove the outside staircase and extend the current roof a bit outside at the backside and thus have a bigger kitchen. Inside the house I would like to add a new staircase.

If you remember, the width and depth of the foundation that was laid 30 years ago then you can consult a structural engineer and see the feasibility of adding one more floor. This should be your starting point.

[vharihar]

I have a GND+2 independent house on a 30 ft x 40 ft plot, with just 3 feet wide yardspace all around the house. The house is built using formwork technology, so all walls are fully RCC.

Is it possible to build a small lift (elevator) either inside the house or in the yardspace, to help avoid climbing stairs?

[bharanidharang]

Originally Posted by vharihar

I have a GND+2 independent house on a 30 ft x 40 ft plot, with just 3 feet wide yardspace all around the house. The house is built using formwork technology, so all walls are fully RCC.

Is it possible to build a small lift (elevator) either inside the house or in the yardspace, to help avoid climbing stairs?

I have a very similar requirement as yours. I am also looking to see if we can have a chair based lift for old people between floors on top of railings (or banisters)

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by prasanth

Can you explain more about the 1000sq.ft/1600sq.ft logic? I thought whatever we can retain in terms of building components will reduce cost however small it is.

So if the foundation is not deep and strong enough then are there any ways to strengthen it?

RCC structures cost a lot of money and columns also have to have a footing in the foundation. Normally the area of footing is based on the load bearing capacity of the soil. The heavier the load on a column the wider is its foot print.

Retaining the existing structure less than 1000 sq.ft. is not worth the cost of extra beams and columns needed to support the roof, especially if you want to increase the floor area. It may be cheaper to demolish the brick structure and start anew. Beyond 2000 sq.ft. it may be cheaper to retrofit beams onto new columns, than demolishing.

On the whole I will always advocate demolishing a small brick structure and raising a brand new RCC frame structure. This is the rime to change the layout, add all those utility lines not valid 30 years ago (water lines for cold hot and solar heaters, electrical conduits for generator and UPS, Split AC, CCTV, DTH, landline, provision for an elevator, provision for a large underground tank for water, provisions for water treatment).

If properly designed and executed, an RCC frame structure can be raised to 3, 4 or 5 floors in future, just that the frame should be designed for it.

[keroo1099]

Agree 100% with Aroy. Past a point it's not worth the money and the effort to modify an existing structure.

[vharihar]

Originally Posted by bharanidharang

I have a very similar requirement as yours. I am also looking to see if we can have a chair based lift for old people between floors on top of railings (or banisters)

I don't even mind if a small conventional lift can be constructed in a 3 ft x 3 ft space, in the yardspace. Say for a single person capacity carrying say a laundry basket.

If anyone has done such a thing, pls share, along with vendor details.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by keroo1099

Agree 100% with Aroy. Past a point it's not worth the money and the effort to modify an existing structure.

What if the two floor construction above brick house is of Steel section and Aerocon /EPS panels and exposed part with lightweight AAC blocks and deck roof instead of RCC ?
Steel I section columns start from ground jutted with exisitng brick walls to bear extra load.

I have seen in residential areas which eventually become commercial in Bangalore people add floors to existing houses using above mentioned methods.

[keroo1099]

Originally Posted by amitk26

What if the two floor construction above brick house is of Steel section and Aerocon /EPS panels and exposed part with lightweight AAC blocks and deck roof instead of RCC ?
Steel I section columns start from ground jutted with exisitng brick walls to bear extra load.

I have seen in residential areas which eventually become commercial in Bangalore people add floors to existing houses using above mentioned methods.

This option is certainly much lighter than conventional construction but I would still advise checking if your foundation can take the load. I have had my share of clients telling me that their house has been designed to take extra floors but I do not proceed with any plans unless I dig and check the existing foundation, and get approval from a certified structural engineer. Just not worth the risk and the hassle sometime in the future.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by keroo1099

This option is certainly much lighter than conventional construction but I would still advise checking if your foundation can take the load. I have had my share of clients telling me that their house has been designed to take extra floors but I do not proceed with any plans unless I dig and check the existing foundation, and get approval from a certified structural engineer. Just not worth the risk and the hassle sometime in the future.

Even I agree to this.

The reason we use concrete instead of only steel is that steel buildings are more expensive unless they are at least 40+ storeys high.

What people do (raising the building height) is normally very dangerous, that is why you hear of buildings collapsing every now and then. Do not raise the building height until you have
1. Checked the structural drawings with a structural engineer.
2. Verified that the foundation and footings are as per plan and that the design is in synch with the soil bearing capacity.

[sharktale]

We have a weekend home near Kolkata, which we visit once in one/two months.


Due to negligible occupancy, we are facing severe issue of mould formation since it is such a humid environment.
I believe what we are facing is condensation mould instead of roof leakage.

Is there any way to reduce this mould from happening? Often leads to a salty image when we have guests visiting the premises.

[keroo1099]

Originally Posted by sharktale

I believe what we are facing is condensation mould instead of roof leakage.

Is there any way to reduce this mould from happening? Often leads to a salty image when we have guests visiting the premises.

You should be able to get rid of the mold by scrubbing the affected areas with bleach and water.

The link below should help
https://projects.truevalue.com/maint...rom_walls.aspx

[sharktale]

Originally Posted by keroo1099

You should be able to get rid of the mould by scrubbing the affected areas with bleach and water.

Thanks for the link. This will surely help.

Also, I was thinking of installing an exhaust fan on the top floor of the house so as to ensure that the ventilation is on. Will that help?

[keroo1099]

Originally Posted by sharktale

Thanks for the link. This will surely help.

Also, I was thinking of installing an exhaust fan on the top floor of the house so as to ensure that the ventilation is on. Will that help?

I really don't know how humid your area gets, but it should help if you allow for some sort of cross ventilation, maybe keeping a couple of windows on the ground floor partially open.

I had a friend who was based at Chabua who had mushrooms growing in his car because of the humidity.

[Aroy]

I have seen similar damage in brand new flats. The main reason is

1. Plaster using inferior sand which has a lot of salt in it.
2. Plastering and subsequently painting walls and ceiling before the walls have dried. This is more so in humid areas and builder built flats where they do not allow time for the walls to dry (In Delhi summers it takes at least 4 days, and I assume that in humid regions it may take upto a month to dry out fully).

I suggest that you do the following

1. Scrape the affected areas ( better still all the walls and ceiling if you are goint to repaint) and check for damp build up.
2. Use Hot Air. Best I have found is the blower type heaters popular in Delhi winters.
3. If you have time then run the heaters for one full day. Let the moisture stabilise for a week and then run it for a day.
4. Check for residual moisture in the walls and repeat if any moisture is there.
5. Repaint the walls only after a few months. As the monsoon is nearing, the preferred time will be just before Pujas. That will give the walls a few months to dry out. This will also give you time to detect any leakage occurring during monsoons.