Digging out the basement

[MossRoad]

I worked with a woman whose husband did that kind of stuff for a living. He would hand dig basements for houses that only had crawl spaces. What he would do is start digging by hand and a bucket. When he got a large enough space to fit in, he would crawl under the house and his son would back a conveyor into the hole. It would dump onto another conveyor that would load their dump truck. So, he would be under that house for 3-4 hours at a time using a short shovel and 5 gallon buckets and loading that conveyor. When the hole got big enough for two people, they started moving pretty fast. One would shovel and the other would dump the buckets. They'd dig footings and put in posts and beams to support everything. Eventually, they'd jack up the entire house, set forms and pour walls on footings, then lower the house onto the walls. They did pretty good business. Well enough that he sent his kids to college and all but one eventually left the business. It was back breaking work and it showed. By the time he was in his 60s he couldn't get out of bed in the morning. His wife would pull him up to a sitting position and rub him down with oils and stuff to lube him up and get him going. But once he got going, look out.

I admire your ingenuity and hard work. And thanks for the pictures. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[mako652]

Mossroad
That would be a tough way to make a living. It 's not something I would want to attempt again. I'm just pushin that wonderfull 40 year point, and after 8+ hours of moving dirt and stone, I feel like the Tin Man the next morning. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif. I'm in no hurry though, some mornings I walk right past the shovel and pick up the fishing pole instead !! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Slamfire]

I really like your batch plant! The funnel/chute, it is well thought out! Are you attempting to level out the floors supported by the beams? How did you choose the size of the gravel? I'd think smaller stuff would be easier to smooth/level.

 

[mrcaptainbob]

Well, Mako, we did pretty close to the same thing. Just bought our place three months ago. It was built around the same time as yours. We're lucky, though, in already having a basement in there. Including under the addition that was added within a couple decades of the first house! I don't know when the cement was added to this floor, but there's an opening around the primeter that appers to be about a 2x4 width. I'm suspecting that that's what they used as a 'drain' should there be any leakage.....There are several jackposts helping out the old beams here also. Beautiful homes, they are.

 

[mako652]

Slamfire
I am indeed leveling the floors as I go. They will never be perfect, but then nothing is ever level or square on these old houses. The gravel is #1 and #2 stone. I had a load of each delivered for various projects. I have read that the #2 is better under concrete (less chance of settle/cracking of concrete). However #2 is a pain to shovel!! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif So I've been mixing it with #1 to make things a bit easier.

 

[mako652]

Mrcaptainbob
I suspect that you do have a perimeter drain under there. Is there a sump in the basement? I put mine in not so much because it's wet/damp, but because we have a creek in the front yard that tends to flood in the spring. The previous owner said that the water started to perculate up into the basement from below during the worst flood back in 1996. I just want to make sure the water has a place to go if this happens again. I have heard of one new basement floor buckling right up from the water pressure during a flood. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Mrwurm]

This is a great story and pictorial. I have a fairly new home (built in 1994) that has a basement under half of the house and a crawl space under the other half. The two sides are separated by a cinder block wall with a small door in it. The weird part is that the crawl space has about five feet of headroom. I can walk in there if I hunch over a bit. Now, why did'nt the builder make this full depth like the other half of the house?? (I am the second owner and the first owner did'nt know either) The home next door was built by the same builder and he has the same strange basement setup. If they did this to save money, I can't imagine they saved much.

 

[Henro]

<font color="blue"> Once I get all the dirt out and stone in I will have a contractor come in and pour a floor in the basement. </font>

mako652,

Did you mean pour and finish? I did the basement on my home...30x40 outside demensions...and back then I did not do as good a job as I would now. Had a couple friends who also were inexperienced helping. So now I have to live with what is there, knowing 1/4" down it is as good as a pro's floor would be!

If you at least get someone who has experience finishing the concrete it will be a plus [maybe you already have that experience?]. How ever you do it you will be looking at the result for a long time...

I finally stopped thinkng "man, I could have done this better...or should have got someone with experience to help." ...but that idea still pops into my head once in a while when I look at certain areas.

Voice of experience speaking here... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Good job by the way. Thanks for posting your progress and keep those progress updates coming!

 

[Rch]

Toro dingo
narrow trak model
wheel model
I believe it was in the Journal of Light Construction about 2 years ago that they had an article about using the likes of the above machine for this task.It would involve a larger opening in the wall and a ramped exit. You stand on a platform to operate the machine. I believe this was an australian invention, hence the name, that is either sold here by Toro or was brought out by them. Bobcat has a similar machine in the pipeline I think. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
John Miller III needs 5 minutes to post a pic /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[mako652]

Greetings Henro
let me first say it has been a pleasure reading and seeing the progress on your "addition to the shed". You do great work.

To answer your question, I plan to have a contractor pour and finish the floor. I would like to have poly sheeting, wire mesh and about a 4" floor poured on top of the 8" of stone I put down. The pads will be "insulated" from the floor so that the floor can move (hopefully not much) independent of the pads and vice versa.

Thanks for your input

Mark

 

[markct]

a few years ago i was at a construction expo and they had a mini excavator there that was probably about 3ft wide, and about 3ft long on the tracks. it had a big 220 volts electric plug and a short cord coming out the back, the idea was you could use it inside a basement or in a building without worrying about fumes from exaust. seemed like a realy neat idea, and being 220 you could run it off most decent sized portable generators too if ya were working somewheres that didnt have power

 

[Hoeman00]

I lowered the basement floor under our 1860's built house 3'and layed up 13 1/2 course concrete block walls.
We put 3 I beams under it to support the house and since the 28 X 28 addition was going to have a walk-out, I used my Deere SSL and dug it out w/ it.
The longest day riding in a SSL for 14 hours basicly non-stop to dig out the basement and remove the large sandstone blocks and level the floor plus put in 4" deep footers.
I cheated and used the trencher to cut down thru the dirt in the back where the crawl space was only 1' deep (8 1/2' of dirt to remove) this made digging MUCH easier.
I also have 2 buckets for the SSL (6' foundry w/ teeth and the 6' slurry bucket) and being able to switch buckets many times between digging and finishing the floor to grade (everyone needs two buckets instead of a tooth bar only $100 more).
It is a real weird to look thru the basement and we still lived in the house for the 5 weeks it took to excavate,pour footers lay 3000 block and frame up the addition w/ roof done and windows and doors in and the 26 X 28 attached garage too.
Everyone came by to look and some helped like the wife's cousin (a female attorney) she helped level the 57 gravel for the floor.
Mainly it was myself w/ some help from wife,my dad and father-in-law.
I've got photos but need to scan them in.

 

[40Kchicks]

<font color="blue">(everyone needs two buckets instead of a tooth bar only $100 more). </font>

Thats what I keep saying in these, "Do I need a toothbar," threads. No you need a slightly smaller digging bucket with teeth and a slightly larger GP (general purpose) bucket.

Eric

 

[Hoeman00]

Yep the ideal set-up.
I've got a foundry bucket w/ teeth (higher back and shorter floor which gives more breakout and strong built)
Also a manure/slurry bucket w/ the higher back and long floor for more load capacity.

 

[mrcaptainbob]

There's not a drain any place in the floor. No sump, either. Just a 2 inch dirt channel around the perimeter. The house is on the side of a gentle hill. The whole area is boulder, rocks and sand. As long as the ground slopes from the house, there'll never be water from rain down there...Don't know what would happen if a water pipe popped, however! That's why I suspect the 2" dirt trough was the 'drain'.