On Mar 8, 4:26*pm, R D S wrote:
I know of a building which has been gutted by fire, stone and brick
construction.

It was empty for ages before the fire and I had my eye on it coming up
for sale as it would be perfect for my needs.

Most buildings in this state seem to end up demolished, it would need
new floors and a roof but other than that is there any reason why it
couldn't be usable?


Depends on the degree of heat the masony was subjected to but it may
not be as bad as it appears. Needs careful checking that walls
haven't got out of plumb etc.
If the masonry was wet and it wasseverely heated this can be a major
destroyer. The steam blows the cement out of the joints. Walls fall
down, go out of plumb etc.= demolition job.
Hard one to call. Demoltion/replacement can often be cheaper than
refurb. even in a sound building