*
Does anyone know of the best way to add a basement. We are converting an existing garage into living space and the homeowners would ideally like to add a basement under this new living space. I wonder if we can save the existing roof & wall structure or if it is just better to tear it all off. Also, what are safe distances away from existing crawl space walls to place a basement wall in Indiana clay type soil? Can a basement wall be somehow poured up & under the crawl footing?
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
From work boots to power tools, these favorite picks make perfect gifts for moms and women who build.
Featured Video
Highlights
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Fine Home Building
Follow
-
Fine Homebuilding
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial Now -
GBA Prime
Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
- Home Group
- Antique Trader
- Arts & Crafts Homes
- Bank Note Reporter
- Cabin Life
- Cuisine at Home
- Fine Gardening
- Fine Woodworking
- Green Building Advisor
- Garden Gate
- Horticulture
- Keep Craft Alive
- Log Home Living
- Military Trader/Vehicles
- Numismatic News
- Numismaster
- Old Cars Weekly
- Old House Journal
- Period Homes
- Popular Woodworking
- Script
- ShopNotes
- Sports Collectors Digest
- Threads
- Timber Home Living
- Traditional Building
- Woodsmith
- World Coin News
- Writer's Digest
Replies
*
TIm what you are describing would probably require some serious underpinning.
Are you sure that the structure is worth saving and what is the exterior walls made of, size of the building, type of roof?
A lot more information is required to even give a guess as to the possible solution.
*I have seen basements added several times. Mostly though the result wasn't worth the cost and effort. Depending on soils and preferences one can either just jack up the house, suspend it while the basement is being constructed and lower it back to the basement. Or, one can excavate and build up to the existing building. But that was with existing houses that were in good condition and could not be pop-toped.If this is a garage, from what I saw these folks go through, I doubt it would be worth it. Go up, not down would be the best guess.
*We had a basement put in under our house in clay soil. Two treches were dug underneath the house with a little bulldozer and cribbing put in, jacked up and a poured wall 84" high went in. Two layers of block went on top of that leaving out where the beams that supported the house jacking, the house was lowered and the holes were filled in. Very successful.
*Tim : Where in Indiana are you talking about. Is it in a flood zone area such as Williams Creek. The job sounds familiar?
*
Does anyone know of the best way to add a basement. We are converting an existing garage into living space and the homeowners would ideally like to add a basement under this new living space. I wonder if we can save the existing roof & wall structure or if it is just better to tear it all off. Also, what are safe distances away from existing crawl space walls to place a basement wall in Indiana clay type soil? Can a basement wall be somehow poured up & under the crawl footing?