Used Backhoe

Posts Tagged ‘basement’

I am building a garage in central IL (farmland), separate from the house, and I want to create an underground tunnel going from my basement out to my garage.

I was thinking about using a backhoe to dig an enormous trench between the basement and where the foundation of the garage is going to be poured, and actually bury sections of 5-foot diameter steel commercial drainage tunnel that I can acquire through a contractor buddy of mine. I am going to cut a door into the cinderblocks in my basement and run the tunnel through to the garage, where I will have it come up through the floor.

Any contractors out there feel that this might be unsafe? I’m in a very rural part of town, and there aren’t too many strict building codes that I know of that outlaw this.
Thanks for the responses everybody!

I hadn’t thought about the possibility of water getting in there. What if set the 5′ wide drainage tubes on a bed of gravel, and then drilled some small holes into the bottom of the tube to drain any leaks into the gravel. This tunnel will be sealed off from the basement through a door, by the way.

Also, I want to put in the tunnel simply because I think it would be cool and different. I have a backhoe and this is my first building-from-scratch project. This small tunnel wouldn’t see lots of use except for bad weather.

Any more suggestions as to how I can make this work?

Could I use a rental bobcat with a backhoe attachment? Or do I need more power?

I need to dig a 16′ x16′x8′ hole (for the basement of the house I plan to build with my own two hands) in hard Alabama red clay. (if you’ve ever dug a hole in Alabama, you’ll know why I want to blow it out). Do you know where dynamite can be purchased in Northeast Alabama? Or do you know of any Alabama specific requirements? I’ve read the ATF’s website so I am set on Federal regulations.

Yes, I know I could use a backhoe or a tractor, but the ground still needs to be loosened up.

What type of machinery is needed to dig a basement? I was told a backhoe, but is this really best, and is there a certain kind to rent? What does one of these cost to rent, and how long will it be needed usually?