Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Jan 18, 2014 11:34 am Hi, I am new to this forum and hoping that someone online can help me. I am currently lowering the floors of two of the cellars and the passage way that runs along the length of the cellars at the back of the house and need some advice. The house was built in the early 1900s and on a slight slope. The lower parts of the external walls are three brick thick, and the upper part of the external walls are double brick. The internal walls are made of double bricks. I am finding that when the house was built, soil that was removed for the concrete footings of the internal and external walls was simply piled up against the walls under the house. In places, this is at a height of 1 and a half to 2 feet deep under the house and against the walls. I am wanting to dig out this soil down to the level of the footings to as to give height to the cellars and the passageway and make them functional rooms and a functional passageway. Both cellars are on the same side of the house. My questions are these... Was this soil placed against these walls to give added support to the walls in the case of earthquakes etc (Not in an earthquake zone) and is there going to be a problem digging it out down to the level of the footings? Thanks for your help Kate Re: Lowering the floor of the cellar 2Jan 18, 2014 12:16 pm What is the corresponding level of the ground outside these walls ? If is lower or roughly the same as inside you'd be OK to remove the excess soil. I don't think the previous owner or original builder did it for any structural reasons - I think they were too lazy or cheap to remove it in the first place. Stewie Re: Lowering the floor of the cellar 3Jan 19, 2014 4:05 am Thanks for responding Stewie. The level of the soil on the outside of the external walls is higher by about 3 foot. I can see why this may then pose a problem. What do I have to do to support the external walls from the inside, and do I have to do anything given that the walls are three bricks wide at this level? Kate Re: Lowering the floor of the cellar 4Jan 19, 2014 11:51 am Seeing as the walls are three bricks wide then two further up that makes them almost retaining wall dimensions which means that they would in all probability be fine to support the dirt outside on their own if you removed the excess that has been piled up against them on the inside. However I am not a structural engineer just a humble builder with a lot of experience. I'd look to get an engineer on board to give you an idea if what you propose isn't going to damage the structural integrity of your house. It may cost a bit but would be money well spent for peace of mind. Stewie CDC Housing Code 3 When to apply Floor Area external face of wall vs Gross Floor Area internal face of wall. Reading thru CDC Housing Code 3, lets take a lot 915sqm.… 0 16558 isn't a garage level with the rest of the house a given? pretty sure they 'came around' long time ago. if you have a flat block, the garage is usually level with the rest… 1 17525 i thought the flipped plan initially but bec i want narrow pathway from entry to dining (dont like bend), also cannot fit the… 7 17278 |