Have looked at this 1940's house that we like. It is stucco over block and there is limited access to the underfloor due to the way the block is used to construct the walls so it cannot be inspected or insulated. It has a concrete ring foundation and piles and there was no damage to these during the Canterbury earthquakes. Is anyone familiar with this type of construction? I am a bit nervous about buying an older house and of course will be getting a builder's report etc if we do put in an offer and it is accepted.

catdog68 - 2021-06-23 08:11:00

I did read that many of those ring foundations were compromised in the earthquake. I guess it depends which area it’s in as some areas weren’t so badly affected. Either way you need to get it checked out by a qualified person.

https://www.eqcfix.nz/failedfoundations

lakeview3 - 2021-06-23 09:09:00

Ring foundations are fairly easily repaired anyway but more importantly ensure that the bearers are attached to the piles. How this is done might depend on whether the piles are concrete or wooden. I realise you said you can't access but can you see enough with a torch to see the piles themselves?

https://www.maintainingmyhome.org.nz/maintenance-guides/subf
loor-maintenance-guide/subfloor-structure/

sparkychap - 2021-06-23 12:52:00

You'd be able to cut a trapdoor through the floor for insulating, if you buy the place.

apollo11 - 2021-06-23 13:20:00

apollo11 wrote:

You'd be able to cut a trapdoor through the floor for insulating, if you buy the place.

Will not help if there is no clearance to get under the subfloor framing to insulate .

martin11 - 2021-06-23 13:30:00

I'd be surprised if nobody hadn't already cut a trapdoor in the floorboards. Check the floor in any built in wardrobes.

pauldw - 2021-06-23 13:33:00

If you need to be asking these questions then you MUST get a reputable building inspection service to give you a report.

tony9 - 2021-06-23 16:53:00

The member deleted this message.

tony9 - 2021-06-23 17:00:00

tony9 wrote:

If you need to be asking these questions then you MUST get a reputable building inspection service to give you a report.

Yep Tony did say we would be in my post. I was just enquiring as I have no experience with a house built like this.

catdog68 - 2021-06-23 17:18:00

pauldw wrote:

I'd be surprised if nobody hadn't already cut a trapdoor in the floorboards. Check the floor in any built in wardrobes.

There is an opening in the laundry. But from what the agent told us, internal walls are also built with block so you keep coming up against barriers when looking under the house. We will get a builder's report and they check floor levels.

catdog68 - 2021-06-23 17:21:00

My house is like that. Never had problems when access needed underneath. Just had underfloor insulation put in, and a few years ago a new toilet. Just means workers have to proceed around in the same pattern as the internal layout. A bit round and about but all areas accessible.

pohue - 2021-06-23 21:12:00

catdog68 wrote:

There is an opening in the laundry. But from what the agent told us, internal walls are also built with block so you keep coming up against barriers when looking under the house. We will get a builder's report and they check floor levels.

Depends on who you get to do the report I deal with repairs and a lot of the reports are bad , sometime I wonder if its the same house they visited .

martin11 - 2021-06-24 07:52:00

pohue wrote:

My house is like that. Never had problems when access needed underneath. Just had underfloor insulation put in, and a few years ago a new toilet. Just means workers have to proceed around in the same pattern as the internal layout. A bit round and about but all areas accessible.

Thanks Pohue, that's reassuring.

catdog68 - 2021-06-24 20:45:00

I wouldn't trust anything that couldn't be visually checked. Just me.

sweetgurl108 - 2021-06-24 21:39:00

catdog68 wrote:

There is an opening in the laundry. But from what the agent told us, internal walls are also built with block so you keep coming up against barriers when looking under the house. We will get a builder's report and they check floor levels.

My parents house built in 1920s was similar. Internal walls went to ground but there were gaps matching doorways. So subfloor layout was same as rooms above. Middle of floors held on piles. There was enough room to crawl under bearers.

pauldw - 2021-06-25 09:42:00

sweetgurl108 wrote:

I wouldn't trust anything that couldn't be visually checked. Just me.

I was feeling the same way, but as the last poster said, you can crawl around to check underneath and they also do laser measures of the floors so they are within guidelines

catdog68 - 2021-06-25 09:58:00