diging basment under existing building

[theonlybull]

i've done my entire basement in the past few years. first was the back half, started @ 5', dug it down to just over 7' with our 580 case, as far as i could reach with the hoe. then added an addition with a 4' door.

a few year later, i rented a mini-ex and removed the cab. also cut the rops off our homebuilt skid steer, dug the dirt with the mini, and hauled it out with the skid steer. i figured we moved 90 yards of dirt in a couple weekend.

i then dug under the edge of the existing foundation for a few linear feet. poured a footing, then a wall up under the existing. did that till i had full walls. then poured a floor


for the exhaust, we ran a flexable dryer duct, off the mini's exhaust, up to some steel ducting, with a 4" inline fan, out in the yard, about 20' from the house. then we kept a carbon monoxide detector plugged in where we were working. also had fans in the windows. if the dector went off, we'd shut down for a half hour or so.

with an 800sq' house, and a single income, it was great to have a full basement, and room for wood heat

 

[studor]

Just don't do what a local workman did last year in Ottawa -- he managed to hit a supporting pillar with the skid steer and the building collapsed -- he was fine but the building was a write off and resulted in street closures in the downtown core .
I watched with interest as two houses in a nearby small town were jacked up this summer and new basements dug (with skid steers), new foundations poured and then the houses put back down. Guess you have to judge if the house is worth it

 

[frwinks]

a friend of mine did just that with his house as many others by the looks of it.
He's the one who convinced me to do my own underpinning too Glad I listened.. saved us $13K

 

[mohrds]

I've heard that in situations like this where there's an existing basement that's too short, it's cheaper and easier to lift the house than to lower the basement. There's a company around here that will lift your house, pour an extra 2 feet of wall, and put the house back for about $10K.

$10K is about $9K over what it costs to dig it out yourself and have a cement truck come in to pour.

Plus if you lift the house, your house is 2 feet higher, your pluming, sewer, gas, and electric all need to be raised by 2 feet as well. Lets not forget redoing the entry steps to the house. Digging out doesn't require any utility cutoffs (unless your water/sewer run where you are digging) and in most places, doesn't even require a permit form the local municipality to dig your basement floor lower.

Doug

 

[metalmeltr]

Ifyou are goingtojackit up I would just asume build a triler underneath it and tow it out of the way.

 

[gboudreau]

I've been involved in several of these projects with my old man. We have dug under probably over 30 different buildings over the past 15 years. We dig with either a case or John Deere 450 crawler loader. Once the piers and I-beams are under it is digging a ramp then under the building. I wish I had some photos, but I don't.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

$10K is about $9K over what it costs to dig it out yourself and have a cement truck come in to pour.

Doug

Good point. I guess I was thinking about paying someone to come in and cut out a concrete floor, set up new footings, and do the work. Sweat equity goes a long way.

Man!, I'm getting my cost comparisons wrong on all the threads I'm active on lately.

 

[2manyrocks]

There is an article by a builder describing how he excavated for a wine cellar under an existing house using a skid loader in the April/May 1993 issue of Fine Homebuilding. It's called "Digging a Basement the Hard Way" by Scott Publicover.

 

[tractorman99]

Check this crawl space contractor way to convert a crawlspace to a basement out.

Helbig Construction - Crawl Space Conversion to Basement

 

[mohrds]

Check this crawl space contractor way to convert a crawlspace to a basement out.

Helbig Construction - Crawl Space Conversion to Basement

Great site! It would sure be great for the maid to have her own room.. Yeah, if only I could afford a maid!!