Previous owner dug under footing-Help!

tammy1970

17 years ago

We have a cellar with a trap door in our living room floor. One half of it is concrete where our furnace and water heater is, the other half is partially dug out where heating vents were run. My husband has been looking into covering up the dirt floor, we suspect this is why we have bad allergies, anyway, he has just noticed that the previous owner while digging dug partially underneath the footing on one side. We've been told by a friend to use cement and rocks to fix the area where the footing has been dug under, and cover the rest of the dirt floor with a couple of feet of rocks. Anybody ever had any problems close to this? We did have a company come out that deals with sealing crawl spaces and the guy said it was nothing to worry about, this house would probably last another 100 years, but not willing to take any chances. The area we live in is in the historical part of our town, so our house is probably 100 years old.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

newenglandbuilder
17 years ago
I'd talk to a structural engineer and have them come out and give an assessment as to the effect that the compromised footing will have on the bearing in that area and how best to rectify the situation. Just putting rocks under it and cement is not solving the bearing issue as rocks will move and cement itself poured into a dirt hole means next to nothing.

Also, I wouldn't take off-hand advice about brearing issues from a guy who does concrete water proofing. In fact, pretty careless of him to make such a statement.
0
brickeyee
17 years ago
How long and how far under the footing?
Type of house (frame, masonry, brick veneer)?

A small area (less than the width of the footing in length) is very unlikely to cause a problem.
A large run (more than 10% of the length) is cause for concern.
Plumbers go under footing all he time (and an occasional electrician though their lines are usually smaller).
0
Related Discussions
appraiser talking to previous owner?
Q
Comments (7)
Thank you for the replies. I have never spoken to the appraiser or even his "office" - I have left polite messages that request that he call me. He called on a Saturday (the Saturday after the Tuesday on which the appraisal was "due"), I returned the call on Sunday (left a message) and the report was at the lender on Monday. I donÂt know how appraisers work in other areas but here it seems that the requirements are a small pickup, a cell phone, and a color printer (or access to a Kinkos or similar) - a ladder would be going the extra mile. They are not employed by firms or have employees other than their spouse - there are literally hundreds of "companies" in my area that could have been called upon. -A search of his name and company information place him right as his house as expected. I apologize if that sounded too negative, they provide a valuable service but IMO reputation depends on whom you talk to and they are not generally hired based on it. There is no well to be tested (wish that there was). The county has an extensive (and easily searchable) list of wells - it is needed for septic approvals. Sadly, the damage is done and I have moved on - as did the lender (who could blame them). I do not really expect to ever see the appraisal report - It would make for an interesting hobby for a while though. Thanks Again.
...See More
Kohler Stages Owners & Walnut Counter Owners--Question for y'all
Q
Comments (10)
I use the acrylic (?) cutting board daily as well as the narrow tray for storing sponges and what not. I have saved the walnut board as a nice piece for serving cheese and crackers. The reality is it is so pretty I don't want to see it get abused as a cutting board. It is also very heavy and not that practical for keeping over the sink where it would have to be moved for washing dishes! Like the other stages owners who have posted up to the board, I also do not use the ceramic mise en place bowls. though they are nice for serving snacks! they are too heavy and large to use in food preparation. I also had my contractor hack off the rack hooks on the bottom of sink so that my silverware drawer could go under the right side of the sink. i have no regrets getting the sink though - it is a fantastic size and I love having the slanted platform for preparing fish and meat
...See More
Just dug up this HUGE hosta - help with ID?
Q
Comments (11)
You will need to take a photo that shows the whole plant up close with some kind of something in the photo to indicate size. People use pens, soda cans, lighters - basically anything next to (or on top of) the leaf to indicate the size of the leaf and hosta. One of the photos needs to be close enough to count the veins in the leaf. Also, take a photo of the back side of the leaf. Plain green hosta are often hard to identify because there are so many of them. Sometimes, we need to see the flower. The time of flowering and the shape of the flower will tell the identifier a lot. Also, is the flower fragrant? Does it make a seed? Do the seeds ever germinate (are there little hosta growing around the base)? Not all hosta ID's take that much detail, but the all green varieties often take more information than the variegated varieties. Your photo could be any of three or four hundred different plants. We have to find the things that distinguish it from the other 299 other green hosta. Also, give it time to come into full leaf before you take the photos. Give us another shot at the ID with a little more info and we can do better. Good luck with your new home. bkay
...See More
HELP! 5 Foot Wide, 11 Foot Long Dining Room & Reading Nook?
Q
Comments (22)
I think your best bet would be a very narrow table against the wall, with a couple of chairs. I’d do some searches like ‘eating table small room’ ... ‘eating area small apartment’ ... etc. Apartment Therapy might have some helpful articles, too. I like your thinking ... wanting to turn a challenging space into something usable. My first apartment was a “studio apartment” — I had only a tiny corner in the living room for an eating area. No window, just looking at an ugly wall. I think it could be a nice, charming space. And yes, I think a bistro set would work fine, too. Once you get whatever you decide, then see how/where a reading chair might fit in.
...See More
tammy1970
Original Author
17 years ago
I haven't looked at it myself, I don't think it's very big. My husband said whoever did it built a small concrete wall for extra support and he was thinking of doing the same where they dug out by the footing.
0
brickeyee
17 years ago
Any digging below the bottom of a footer on about a 45 degree line from the bottom edges outward may affect the weight bearing.
If it is a small area it will not matter, but if you dug out a whole wall you have a problem.
The wall needs to resist overturning forces from the soil produced by the wall.
The dirt tries to squirt out from under the footer.
0
tammy1970
Original Author
17 years ago
It's not a whole wall, its a small spot, I'm thinking it's not big enough to really be worried about it, the previous owners put up what looks like a cement brick wall to reinforce some of it.
0
worthy
17 years ago
I once bought a semi-detached three-storey 1890s home that featured a lowered basement floor. When I gutted the home, I found that there was no concrete floor and the lowering had been accomplished by digging beneath the footings the entire way around.

I had an engineer design a supporting wall all way around the interior, complete with rebar parallel and at right angles to the wall.

You don't say how "small" your "spot" is. At the least, it should be dug out and underpinned for that distance--as long as it is less than 4 feet.
0

Previous owner dug under footing-Help!

Comments (6)

newenglandbuilder

brickeyee

Related Discussions

tammy1970
Original Author

brickeyee

tammy1970
Original Author

worthy

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Previous owner dug under footing-Help!

Comments (6)

newenglandbuilder

brickeyee

Related Discussions

tammy1970Original Author

brickeyee

tammy1970Original Author

worthy

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

tammy1970
Original Author

tammy1970
Original Author