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turp101 t1_jaea3dr wrote

Reply to comment by kittywampos in Viewing homes in the area by Ar30la

>planning on making this space livable

I have to go with Jeff at HomeRenovision DIY YoutTube channel on this - you shouldn't plan to make any basement before the 1960s livable as they just were not designed for it - mainly for moisture, height, and fire escapes.

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SnooDoubts2823 t1_jaeq7vb wrote

I've been blessed owning two Pittsburgh area homes, one built in 1955 and the other I live in now in 1956 and both bone dry with no additional work since construction (that we know of). Both finished.

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vivamario t1_jaesc5v wrote

I've turned Pittsburgh basements into living space. It's brutal, expensive work but possible. You have to install perimeter drains/sumps, reroute the utilities into the joists, cut in egresses, demo the interior concrete slab and then dig until the floor is low enough. If the foundation is too shallow, then you have to underpin. Then you have to set new center supports and pour new foundations for those, pour a concrete slab, and waterproof.

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