diging basment under existing building

[metalmeltr]

I recently read an article on wikipedia that mentionded digging a basment under an existing build ing with a skid loader. has anyone ever heard of this being done

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I recently read an article on wikipedia that mentionded digging a basment under an existing build ing with a skid loader. has anyone ever heard of this being done

I never heard of it with a skid loader, but I've heard about people digging basements in their existing house. I actually lived in a neighboorhood in Idaho Falls a while back where sometime long before I got there, the men in the community organized and went around digging basements under one house after another until everybody got a basement.

It would make sense to me that similar principles would apply to digging it out with a skid loader. I know that all the houses with "aftermarket" basements had a basement footprint that was significantly smaller than the house footprint. In other words, they came in a few feet from the edge of the wall before they started digging.

I'm interested to see what others come up with.

 

[Ductape]

I've seen plenty of houses around here have new foundations put under them. They are usually old houses, which originally had fieldstone foundations under them....... but also some that were originally cinder block (the frost does a number on old foundations here). The houses are jacked up slightly, just off the foundation. Then set on steel beams sitting on wood cribbing. The old foundation is removed, or new foundation hole is dug beneath the house........ then a new foundation is poured. Basement windows holes are formed into the concrete just below the steel beams. Then, the house is lowered onto the new foundation...... with the steel beams setting into the window holes. When the beams are removed, windows are put in place. Is this what you are asking about?

 

[dfkrug]

I have been involved in a few of those projects, back when I was in the
ICF biz. Very interesting projects.

My first was a new basement under a 2-storey 100 yo Victorian in Alameda,
CA. Skid steers are usually used for maneuverability, with a ramp for
access.

Funny thing is, I was just helping a friend get a quotation for such a job, and
it looks like a full basement (unfinished) using ICFs will cost about the same
as our lowest bid for just a foundation replacement using conventional
forms. About $35K for a 1300sf rectangular house, BTW.

 

[mohrds]

It is pretty easy. Basically you dig a ramp in the yard approaching one basement wall all the way down to the footing. Then you cut out an opening in the existing basement wall large enough for the skid loader to get through.

Then dig, dig, dig and then pour the new floor. When you have a Civil War era house with a 6 foot basement like I did, you need to move A LOT of dirt out to have a usable basement. A skid loader is the best way to do it over a weekend instead of years of using buckets

Just make sure you never disturb the soil near the footings over a 45 degree angle. In other words, if you are digging 2 feet lower than the footings, stay a minimum of 2 feet in from the wall.

Doug

 

[Iplayfarmer]

It is pretty easy. Basically you dig a ramp in the yard approaching one basement wall all the way down to the footing. Then you cut out an opening in the existing basement wall large enough for the skid loader to get through.

Then dig, dig, dig and then pour the new floor. When you have a Civil War era house with a 6 foot basement like I did, you need to move A LOT of dirt out to have a usable basement. A skid loader is the best way to do it over a weekend instead of years of using buckets

Just make sure you never disturb the soil near the footings over a 45 degree angle. In other words, if you are digging 2 feet lower than the footings, stay a minimum of 2 feet in from the wall.

Doug

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.

 

[ultrarunner]

I used my BX23 to create a walk-out basement.

The existing crawl space ranged from 5' in one corner to 1' in two of the other 3 corners.

Due to footing issues, I limited the finished space to 7' 4" covering about 75%. I left one corner untouched and use it for storage.

 

[denmansoft]

Ductape:
My present house was done exactly like you describe about 50 years ago. the owner built a small man powered railway setup to haul out the dirt. the ramp became a drive under garage when he finished.

 

[bx24]

Besides the obvious collapse of the existing house, make sure you plan for adequate ventilation given the diesel fumes when using skidloaders/tractors.

If you are going to do it, might as well put in full 8' or 9' ceilings.

Good luck

 

[excelagator]

A friends father-inlaw did his house in the 70s. He attached a back blade to a jeep and backed and drove out. He did a partial basement and did years ago and sadly he is gone. The house still stands though.

Dan

 

[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!!