Hypothetically...

[Glacies]

Any of you guys know anything about construction?

Say I have a house. And it's an odd structure, not truly a "tri-level" but it has 3 levels which are split (not a split level). The middle level is a pretty decent size room, but underneath it there is no foundation. Foundation loosely resembles an L and the room I'm talking about would basically sit inside that L making a box.

To me, hypothetically of course, there should have been another room under that middle level. The crawlspace is about 6feet high under there, dirt floor. I'm tempted... or uhhh I mean, I feel like if this was a real place, I could dig it out myself get someone to pour a foundation for me, and actually finish and build it into another room. Do people do things like this? How feasible is something like this?

There is a 2x2 screwed panel inside my house leading into it, and another 3x3 padlocked door on the outside leading into it. I could dig out a ramp, and just start trucking wheelbarrow loads out in my own time. What do you experts thing.

This is all hypothetical of course.

And I may be posting under the influence of alcohol, but I admit to nothing.

 

[mmburtch]

One of my neighbors dug the ramp, blew a hole in the foundation, supported the wall and drove a bobcat down the ramp and into the basement. Sure beats shovel work.

 

[jfk742]

Totally feasible. but digging around your foundation can be tricky especially if you are going to take out 2.5 feet of dirt. I assume that you want an 8 foot ceiling and five inch slab on the floor. I would dig a hole next to the foundation in your proposed area and do some exploration to see what you are dealing with. It might even be worth finding a knowledgeable contractor at your local B&M and pick his brain for a cigar or two. Other things to think about is the weather, are you in a flood zone, etc... I would be concerned about moisture mostly because of mold issues and such. There are plenty of books that can also better help to address specific questions and also give you ideas. If your really serious about it do a lot of research because it would suck to hurt the value of your home or to compromise its structual integrity.

John

 

[sack]

After working almost forty years in constuction, i've had the oppotunity to see some mighty big screwups when someone without experience and engineering help, mess with the foundation of any structure. A good example is the mess you are seeing on the television because of the high winds we experienced last night. HIRE SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHAT HE OR SHE IS DOING! Trust me on this.

 

[Diesel Grinch]

Here is the problem with digging the floor out. If it's not too old your current walls are sitting on a foundation that's maybe 2' x 2' Now to hit a 8 foot ceiling you need to dig about 3 feet down. Need gravel under that slab. So your under your current foundation not good.

I would dig a couple of small sample holes around the foundation walls to see how deep the foundation goes. You might find out that it's thin and you can't go that deep without some real investment of money and skill. Then find someone that knows what they are doing and pay them for some advice on what you want. Most times then will explain what needs to be done and then you can decided if you want to go ahead and do it at all, or if you want to do it or higher someone to do it.

DG

 

[Rob_k]

To me that is a good way to undermine the foundation and cause some major sinking..which leads to cracked walls, ceilings, and or even worse, structural instability. Take Sacks and my advice on this...hire a pro to at least come out and take a look, throw the guy $100 bucks and run your idea by him/her, it'll save you a ton of headaches in the long run. There is a reason architects and engineers charge what they do.
Rob

 

[tone-ny]

Sack, DG and RobK, what they said!

 

[NorCalCigarLover]

Sack, DG and RobK, what they said!

Yup ...... gotta agree here as well.


Anybody have any experience in sinking a large concrete box/room in the backyard, sort of like a bomb shelter ...... I'll let you guess what I'm thinking of using it for

 

[Turk10mm]

Sack, DG and RobK, what they said!

Yup ...... gotta agree here as well.


Anybody have any experience in sinking a large concrete box/room in the backyard, sort of like a bomb shelter ...... I'll let you guess what I'm thinking of using it for

Remodeling and additions in Houston run somewhere around 75-100 per square foot on the average to modify your home. So say you want to add an 18x15 media room, you'd be looking at around 25 grand. Now please be aware that this is from a professional company that can do ANYTHING.. You can probably do it cheaper with a standard general contractor, but the specialists at remodeling are the way to go. You could probably do it yourself for 1/2 the cost.

 

[jgohlke]

I have completed many DIY projects around the house. When I don't know exactly what to do or where to start, I get some estimates. I meet the guy and ask a ton of questions about what will be done, how it they will do it, etc. From that I can make a game plan. Often, I split the work where I do the "pick and shovel" part and then hire somebody to do the "skill required" tasks.

I built a workshop in the backyard and needed a concrete slab. I called around and got a few estimates. During the estimate process I found a guy willing to work with me. I did all the prep work (digging, tamping, plastic barrier, rebar, pre-pour inspection) and they came and did just the concrete work. Estimates for the whole job ranged from $4200 to almost $6000. I ended up paying $1200 for the concrete pour, including working the surface, plus I spent about $300 on the prep ($80 of that was the liquid termite barrier). The pre-pour work didn't have a time limit and I worked on it for a couple of months. Pouring and working concrete is very time sensitive and they had 3 guys onsite the day of the pour. For me, it was a good division of labor, I saved some money and I got to sit and watch them wheelbarrow 72 loads of concrete from the driveway to the backyard.