I was thinking about doing this myself with the help of a few friends and day labors. I changed my mind at the 50 second mark of this video. Thanks Larry!
Same here BigDawg bought a house and was thinking I need a bit more height in the basement to finish it off. I'm pretty confident in my abilities but damn that's a lot of back breaking work! I'll stick to my desk job and hire Larry.
Yeah its quite the undertaking and definitely not something you can only do part way. Its also totally unfeasible to do only on weekends and after work
There just aren't enough good words. I hired a contractor and an engineer to draw up plans. This had nothing to do with Larry. Lets just say things didn't go exactly as planned. I've been speaking with Larry almost weekly about the pains ive been going thru. Even though Larry is not the GC on this project he has gone so far above and beyond any expectation. He has guided me in the right direction and connected me with all the right people to remediate the issues encountered simply out of the kindness of his heart to help me out of a bad situation. Its clear that Larry knows exactly what he's talking about and knows how to do this as a science. I only wish I had started with him right from the start, then I would have had a much better grasp on the scope of the project and could have made the right decisions prior. Thanks Larry.
what are some things I should watch out for ? How much could it cost to dig basement ? I have 7 ft basement and looking to make it bigger to get 8 or 9 ft ceiling.
I don't have enough great things to say about Larry. I had him do mold remediation and water control for our basement/crawlspace before selling our house. The buyer was EXTREMELY difficult, but Larry and his work was impeccable in every regard. A wealth of knowledge and just a great person to work with. Thank you Larry!!!
Had an amazing conversation with Larry this morning. He is extremely helpful and was able to tell me if my property style is a good candidate for this project based on build and size. He was also able to give me real life very rough estimate so that I know what I would be getting into. Very knowledgable and straight forward and you can tell he knows what he's doing I am looking forward to this project in the future, Thanks Larry -Manny
Just got off the phone with Larry. He was extremely generous with his time and was really great to talk to. I've been stuck on a basement dig out project plan for almost a year now and he really helped me get set straight. Even hooked me up with a local contact in Portland that he trusts.
@@gurpalsingh3695 depends on the location, but i would think this would cost about 20 grand per 500 sq feet area per 2 feet of depth. So lowering a 1000 sq foot basement 2 feet would maybe cost 40k. Definitely not cheap.
Really enjoyed this video as we are beginning a similar project. I called Lawrence and he confirmed that the homeowners were able to remain in their home during this process which was a concern for my family. Thanks again for taking the time out of your day to answer questions even though we're on the other side of the country.
I wanted a basement with high ceilings when I bought a new home in 1993 and I told the builder I did not want a lot of lolly columns. He ended up installing steel i-beams and only a few columns and ended up with a 9-foot ceiling height. It only cost me a couple grand more. It was well worth it to say the least.
Glenn Watkins It’s definitely cheaper if you can do it while the house is being built. Unfortunately some of us have pre-built houses where the original owner wouldn’t shell out for a deeper basement. I would love to be able to dig out my basement!
@@jribollamy neighbor spent $450 on a new build a few years ago and couldn’t be bothered to find $2k to increase their block course from 12 to 13-despite our advice. We did the 13. Some people are just beyond helping.
Amazing! What an incredible project, loved the before and after shots as I am sure that is what we were all looking for. Very cool of you to document this all.
this video was very helpful and Lawrence is very knowledgeable in his field. He gave me lots of information and was very helpful in advising me on my basement.
Spoke with Larry today for almost a half hour discussing my project while he was out enjoying a meal and he couldn't have been kinder. Gave me good insight and explained what my project would entail. Offered to come out and take a look himself to give me a better idea and let me know he would be there for info and help should we decide to take on our project ourselves. It was great speaking with Larry and plan to again soon. Thanks!
Larry is very helpful and informative about the entire underpinning/basement lowering process. I definitely recommend you call him if your thinking about having a project like this done in your home.
Sounds like you are aware of how much time it takes to do the video editing. A few comments were made on the music being distracting. Guessing they are unaware of the "mute" feature that is offered. Thank you for the kind words.
This is an excellent video and appears to show exceptional craftsmanship. I'm looking to do something similar on a home in Seattle and this is the most informative video I've found. Thank you for posting.
Larry is a true gentleman, he was willing to advise me on my project even though he does't do work in my area. He definitely takes pride in his work as witnessed in the video.
After watching this video I called Larry Stoll to talk about my basement remodel. He picked up the first time I called was incredibly kind to share his experience and give some sage advice. It’s clear Larry is abundantly experienced. With a brief description of my house he understood the code requirements, the value of the remodel, what it would cost and what other work needed to be done to make the most of developing my basement. Moreover, he’s fun to talk with. Thank you Larry! even
Wow great video I now have dubbed my business ( I am in the restoration business also ) just by watching this video and learning some new techniques ... Thanks to your video we have done almost a Million dollars more in business this year alone !
@@BasementDigOut Have been very busy lately as soon as we catch up I will find some one that can do video work so we can show you how we are operating !
Just had conversation with Larry. He is really a nice person. Did the quick calculations on budget for my job. Impressive knowledge. I am in NY and my bad luck that he didn’t cross the bridge 😊.
Great job, Lawrence! I've been in the business myself 20 years for the same company. It's nice to see other foundation contractors doing things the right way. Our industry is already bad enough with the fly-by nights looking for a quick buck. I wish you continued success!
Larry is the man. He literally just took 15 minutes to help explain to me what goes into underpinning the basement, even though I live no where near him. He is truly an amazing guy and if you need work done in NJ... there are few better than Larry!
Awesome video. I live in Maryland and wish I had someone like Larry in my area to do this kind of work (professional and honest). I called and spoke to Larry and he took time to discuss the process with me even though he can't actually perform the job for me (he's in New Jersey and I'm in Maryland). I would definitely hire Larry to finish my basement if he were in my area. My conversation experience was similar to the experience "AdamBNJ" had and highlights in his comments below. Most of the time I would compare contractors with car salesmen and sharks but my experience with Larry shows me there are some good people out there. Thank you again Larry!!
I'm an entrepreneur in Canada and I'm digging everywhere but usually with use small hydraulic excavator and conveyor to move the stuff out of the zone (earth, concrete, gravels, debris...). Moreover we use a flexible exhaust piping system in order to evacuate the carbon monoxide from the machine. This video was realy interesting and instructive. It shows different technics and methods of works. For those kind of works we need, as an entrepreneur in demolition and excavation, to be creative use our skills so the project is a total success for us and the client too. Thanks for the video
Amazing transformation! Good to see the house didn't collapse like what happened to someone in a town about 30 miles away who had jacked up a house to replace basement walls. I'm also impressed with the amount of manual labor used to get the job done.
As a forensic structural engineer who has examined problems including collapse-in of several basement "dig-outs" it is evident that these guys have done things the right way and very conscientiously. Wall alignment, rebar doweling, vapor retarder, column footings, subslab and slab-edge drainage, etc (never mind the final finishes which looked fantastic). Seemed like the slab was a little soupy, but not really a structural element. Would only worry about shrinkage cracking. Nice work! Guessing it was a fairly expensive endeavor. Didn't have sound up so maybe they told us. If you've got the money, that's how to do it right.
NO1JAYHAWK I am working on a job right now and no rebar is going in... How much of a problem do you think that is? Also, just a comment, the finishes are beautiful, but no drywall ceiling... Man... What a difference that would have made
I found this video online and reached out to Larry as I was considering purchasing a home and doing similar work to the foundation. First off, I wrote him an email, and he was very kind to reach back out to me while he was on vacation. We scheduled a conversation the first day he was back from vacation which I thought was very nice. During our conversation he had great advice for me based off of his knowledge of all that is involved in the kind of work I was considering. I appreciate the fact that he gave me a realistic picture of what the cost would be and didn't simply offer me some low estimate just to get the job, which would later come with lots of surprises.
Nice Work !!! Loved how you laid tile around the inside also for Water Run off !!! Amazing job !!! You all should be very proud of your work !!! Thanks 4 Sharing !!! DEv
Loved the video, it was therapeutic with the music and all. My home is from 1883 and has a functional yet somewhat shallow basement 7'. It's an English basement with the windows at ground level. I just spray painted the rafters and finished the walls to give it a loft feel albeit in a basement. People love it. The infantryman in me wants to dig it out but cooler heads prevail.
I'm not a competitor. I'm a fool. I dug the basement and back yard of my fifteen foot wide Toronto row house with a heart shaped shovel and fifty five gallon buckets. None of my neighbours knew I was doing it. It took me ten years. I made no mess outside my yard, even though my neighbours were on top of me. I lost the dirt all over town, tons and tons of it. The single largest amount of replacement material for underpinning was rubble, retreived from construction bins. The second construction material was bags of sacrete (dry premixed concrete) thousands of them, all mixed in an old wheel barrow. The third material was gravel for drainage and to add to the sacrete. The fourth material was road cobblestones picked up from various places where they had been discarded around the town (over two thousand). This was the final veneer. I cemented them with mortar. The floor I made with broken up two inch granite slabs (also salvage) on top of rough concrete. There is an underfloor heating system connected to my furnace and a drainage system under that (I'm below the water table) connected to a sump pump that collects the moisture inside and out. Winter is warm. All seasons dry. Fifteen years on, the cobblestones are beautiful, the floor is warm and I sleep next to the plumbing stack so I can hear the sump pump come on to remind me of my misspent youth.
So glad you liked my video. I will be in Iowa in June 2013. If you would like me to stop by let me know. Prior to a site inspection I do a preliminary feasibility study. Contact me for more info. Larry
The words that instantly mumbled out of my mouth when I was watching this were “these guys are un-bleep amazing,”. Thank God he created Men in this world who have built everything that is on the face of the earth. Let’s make this clear, Men built it!
Excellent job. Everything I watched on the video seemed right on. Absolutely nothing about that job was easy. Great work, you should be proud of yourself.
I did something similar as a teenager when my dad wanted to extend and deepen our cellar at home. We actually dug down past the foundations (18" cinders), put in some strip footings with blockwork walls in front of the existing founds/walls then backfilled with concrete and finally put in the concrete floor. The cellar was extended from the back 1/3 of the house for another 1/3 to give us an internal staircase and three decent usable rooms.
Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge Larry. My dig out is finely don, and currently at the finishing stage. I broke ground in march 2016 and completed the interior concrete portion December 3rd. My city inspections went smooth and I passed everyone the first time, Lawrence answered my calls, questions and texted messages. I will tell you Lawrence Stoll knows a great deal about basement dig outs, soil, drainage, etc. Prior to breaking ground I had spent a year getting the Building permits and the cost was 7k. Additional Dwelling Units (ADU's) require licensed contractors. The scheduling and costs for subcontractors, lets just say you better have deep pockets and a whole lot of time. I removed 15 ten yard containers, the reason I say that is because it's important to take into consideration the fluff factor. and also if you have to do the shovel and 5 gallon bucket method as I had to do. So, if you do have to do the shovel and 5 gallon method then I will guarantee you will average a 4 hour day everyday of digging and carrying dirt. After 4 hours of digging and carrying dirt you will be done if you move when you work and put your heel into your shovel. And you will run out of people that want to do it as-well :) Thanks Lawrence, Your guidance is much appreciated. Ciao!
LARRY IS THE BEST GUY EVER. I wish he was close to Chicago so I could hire him to do my house. You will never talk to a nicer guy. I called him after watching his video 1000 times. I am digging my basement out myself. I asked him 100 questions and he took the time to answer and explain to me everything. We discussed how I was doing mine and if it was correct, the steps I was taking, rebar placement, supporting floor joists and the mix I was using. I researched it and was using home depot 5 gal buckets to have equal quantities but it goes by weight. For everyone wondering my mix is 1-5gal bucket Portland type 1 =60 pounds, 2 -5gal buckets turbo sand 70 pounds each, 3 5gal buckets aggregate stone, 70 pounds each, 30 pounds of water and 70 grams of super plasticizer( to make it soupy without adding water, stronger concrete) and this is what I call 1 batch = 1-2-3 mix. I could not get a concrete truck to where I was so I had to mix myself and for the type of footings and size, this was the best option for me. There are many different ways to mix concrete yourself so research it first. THANKS AGAIN LARRY and I hope this comment helps others as much as Larry helped me.
Hey quick question here. I was wondering if you’d be kind enough to get me in contact with the person who helped you , as I to would like some help answering a few questions . For safety reasons only I would be willing to pay for the time if need be as I would hate to have my self die because of walls collapsing in on me ..
HI@@lawrencestoll4426 - Can you tell me the approximate cost of this job? I'm very interested in doing this in my 140 year old row house in Baltimore. kzrn27@aol.com
Great video. The hardest part of a job like this is to find a contractor that knows what he is doing and is willing to take a job like this. With the market like it is, everyone is remodeling and most contractors are busy putting 20x20 square boring additions on people's houses instead of things like this
I like it. Have you considered putting a few inches of foam under the new cement floor? This would add a thermal break which would be an amazing improvement in northern climates.
Nice work . I looked at buying a house that needed this done. Wonder why u didn’t beef up beams and get rid of some or all center columns ? Roughly how much for lowering the structural ? Then how much to finish out ?
I have seen liquid spray on waterproofing membrane applied to the exposed dirt opposite the formed footing and stem wall. When the concrete is placed the resulting wall has waterproofing on the exterior side without exterior excavation. Great Video. I never understood why basements were always just a bit too short especially under the beams and then the inevitable ducts running below the beams. For the price of a bit more excavation and some more block/concrete the homeowner would have had a usable space from the start.
What would you say was the estimate cost of this project? I'd love to have something similar done with my basement, but I can only imagine the amount of time and money this would take
Yes. Every dig out needs water management and a sump pump(s). When you lower a basement, your home will become the water magnet for the surrounding homes. Think of the dig out as a neigborhood sump.
in the USA you are never going to get this work done - A. No one will bid B. If there is a bid it will be ridiculously high I did this by myself using a Harbor Freight jack hammer to knock out 50 yards of rock - and another 50 of dirt - all needed to be carried out in 5 gal buckets. Jacked up the house 22 inches. Forming for the many pours was the worst. Pouring days were mini celebrations. When I got back to carpentry more than half a year had passed. Carpentry is so easy.
i do this for a living too, aswell as crawl space and anything masony and framing. we a 9ft basement out of the crawl space we had made enough room to get our 873 bobcat in there to get what we could and take the dirt out.
You guys did it 100% right Good to see after some of the bad work I have seen. I was wondering how far under the footings you went 7in ?? You went to the 10x on the rebar LOL better too much then too little.
I've done a few basement underpinnings. In my area (MN) water grade levels are sometimes high so that instead of plumbing a drain on just the exterior and backfilling with gravels, I use PVC pipe around exterior and in the center of the slabs, all led to plastic sump pits. To maintain a warmer floor, 2" extruded polystyrene is used instead of gravel backfilling. The rod placement and wall pouring is identical for poured walls, although I tend to use a hinged form. The hinged form allows me to easily place mud in the hole and secure it in the upright position for the last 8" of fill. In my own fix-er-upper that I live in, I underpinned and added a block wall in the center instead of typical beam and metal posts. BTW, relatives and friends laughed at me and my wife during the process. They don't laugh now that the basement is finished to an 8' height. FWIW, my wife and I excavated 25 yds of the original basement fill in a long afternoon, throwing it out the basement windows into lawn tractor trailers. She would fill hers, I would fill mine, and then sprint upstairs to move and dump tractors. The digging was the best part of the project, lol.
Rubble or rock foundations are bit tricky. First the rock wall needs to be stabilized. More times than not the mortar or chinking is not a Portland product. The older mortars are not compatible with Portland and will cause problems. Once the wall is stable, the dig out is done in shorter sections to prevent collapse.
OH' CRAP!!! I got ALOT of work to do! It's not as bad as could be, but still, maybe I can do it in sections!! It's only about 24'x 36' just guessing! And it's a crawl space dug out to dirt floor basement, so its already started, I just have the foundation work, and alot of dirt to move!! If I'm doing it , I may as well, go deep, put the floor about 10' down!! Nice work, it gives me an idea of what's in store for my wallet!!
Wow! I plan on getting my basement done and this is a great video showing me its potential. I do hope I can lower mine as well because it is short in height.
first time home buyer, still in the closing process... thinking of doing this for my crawl. I am not rich but would definitely want to save up for something like this. :D
Block wall foundation underpins are different than poured concrete or rock / rubble foundations. The most important thing to consider is the footing the blocks are sitting on. Also, the condition of the block is very important, as the base block takes on the most water as the foundation ages. If you have acidic soil, the base block may be compromised, especially if the block foundation is cinder block. Inspect the entire foundation and look for step cracks, horizontal cracks, bulges or any other crack that looks like it compromises the foundation's integrity. Are the walls plumb and mortar joints level? If you watch my other videos, you will see an block foundation underpin.
Beautiful job, thank you for taking the time to produce such a great video. Did you mix your concrete on site or have it delivered. Curious as to why it wasn't pumped in. Also what is the material at the base of the wall when your pouring.
I was thinking about doing this myself with the help of a few friends and day labors. I changed my mind at the 50 second mark of this video. Thanks Larry!
Same here BigDawg bought a house and was thinking I need a bit more height in the basement to finish it off. I'm pretty confident in my abilities but damn that's a lot of back breaking work! I'll stick to my desk job and hire Larry.
Yeah its quite the undertaking and definitely not something you can only do part way. Its also totally unfeasible to do only on weekends and after work
Maybe in a garage where you can use a skid steer but all those buckets of dirt
Competitor: *sees shovel, takes notes.
Hahahaha 🤣 GTFO
Hahahahaha
lloll 😂
I'm their competitor and after watching this video I've gotten the skills that bought me a mansion and a boat. Suck it, Larry.
I took it as a joke.
😂
🤣
Wealthy people with a mansion and a boat,,,,”what no gulfstream??”,,,just keep it to themselves,,It’s called,,,,CLASS,,🤔🇬🇧
Hahaha 😂💀😂
There just aren't enough good words. I hired a contractor and an engineer to draw up plans. This had nothing to do with Larry. Lets just say things didn't go exactly as planned. I've been speaking with Larry almost weekly about the pains ive been going thru. Even though Larry is not the GC on this project he has gone so far above and beyond any expectation. He has guided me in the right direction and connected me with all the right people to remediate the issues encountered simply out of the kindness of his heart to help me out of a bad situation. Its clear that Larry knows exactly what he's talking about and knows how to do this as a science. I only wish I had started with him right from the start, then I would have had a much better grasp on the scope of the project and could have made the right decisions prior. Thanks Larry.
what are some things I should watch out for ? How much could it cost to dig basement ? I have 7 ft basement and looking to make it bigger to get 8 or 9 ft ceiling.
I don't have enough great things to say about Larry. I had him do mold remediation and water control for our basement/crawlspace before selling our house. The buyer was EXTREMELY difficult, but Larry and his work was impeccable in every regard. A wealth of knowledge and just a great person to work with. Thank you Larry!!!
Had an amazing conversation with Larry this morning. He is extremely helpful and was able to tell me if my property style is a good candidate for this project based on build and size. He was also able to give me real life very rough estimate so that I know what I would be getting into. Very knowledgable and straight forward and you can tell he knows what he's doing I am looking forward to this project in the future, Thanks Larry
-Manny
Just got off the phone with Larry. He was extremely generous with his time and was really great to talk to. I've been stuck on a basement dig out project plan for almost a year now and he really helped me get set straight. Even hooked me up with a local contact in Portland that he trusts.
Not your competitor but have been in the trade 30 years,good to see quality work.Well done!
how much can it cost to do something like this ?
@@gurpalsingh3695 depends on the location, but i would think this would cost about 20 grand per 500 sq feet area per 2 feet of depth. So lowering a 1000 sq foot basement 2 feet would maybe cost 40k. Definitely not cheap.
This made me very aware of how much skill and care goes into what a layman would imagine was a straightforward project.
+Gretel Newman-Sugrue Moore Those contractors deserve every penny.
Extreme manual labor intensive. Getting the dirt out and stones and cement in the basement would be back breaking
I was thinking that too. A very expensive upgrade yet definitely NOT a DIY project.
How would anyone think this is easy
Really enjoyed this video as we are beginning a similar project. I called Lawrence and he confirmed that the homeowners were able to remain in their home during this process which was a concern for my family. Thanks again for taking the time out of your day to answer questions even though we're on the other side of the country.
I wanted a basement with high ceilings when I bought a new home in 1993 and I told the builder I did not want a lot of lolly columns. He ended up installing steel i-beams and only a few columns and ended up with a 9-foot ceiling height. It only cost me a couple grand more. It was well worth it to say the least.
Glenn Watkins i put steel beams as well and one colum hidden inbetween a wall i made as support.
Glenn Watkins It’s definitely cheaper if you can do it while the house is being built. Unfortunately some of us have pre-built houses where the original owner wouldn’t shell out for a deeper basement. I would love to be able to dig out my basement!
@@jribollamy neighbor spent $450 on a new build a few years ago and couldn’t be bothered to find $2k to increase their block course from 12 to 13-despite our advice. We did the 13. Some people are just beyond helping.
Never thought of using my hammer drill as a quick concrete vibrator, pretty handy tip.
i was thinking the same thing!!
510Redneck yeah i noticed too i stick in a piece of rebar but this is pretty nice.
i use my saw saw witb a bent blade
Indeed
Sawzall works too
Amazing! What an incredible project, loved the before and after shots as I am sure that is what we were all looking for. Very cool of you to document this all.
this video was very helpful and Lawrence is very knowledgeable in his field. He gave me lots of information and was very helpful in advising me on my basement.
Thank you for the kind words and I'm glad I could help you out.
Spoke with Larry today for almost a half hour discussing my project while he was out enjoying a meal and he couldn't have been kinder. Gave me good insight and explained what my project would entail. Offered to come out and take a look himself to give me a better idea and let me know he would be there for info and help should we decide to take on our project ourselves. It was great speaking with Larry and plan to again soon. Thanks!
How is your project coming along?
Larry is very helpful and informative about the entire underpinning/basement lowering process. I definitely recommend you call him if your thinking about having a project like this done in your home.
Amazing job to this crew and who made the video! Any haters on this page are jeallous, this was awesome and took A LOT OF WORK!
Sounds like you are aware of how much time it takes to do the video editing. A few comments were made on the music being distracting. Guessing they are unaware of the "mute" feature that is offered. Thank you for the kind words.
Who cares about the music!!...
This is an excellent video and appears to show exceptional craftsmanship. I'm looking to do something similar on a home in Seattle and this is the most informative video I've found. Thank you for posting.
Larry is a true gentleman, he was willing to advise me on my project even though he does't do work in my area. He definitely takes pride in his work as witnessed in the video.
After watching this video I called Larry Stoll to talk about my basement remodel. He picked up the first time I called was incredibly kind to share his experience and give some sage advice. It’s clear Larry is abundantly experienced. With a brief description of my house he understood the code requirements, the value of the remodel, what it would cost and what other work needed to be done to make the most of developing my basement. Moreover, he’s fun to talk with. Thank you Larry!
even
You are far too kind David. Sharing the Love!!. All the best to you, and give me ring if you get stuck!
Incredible job guys! You've totally transformed this space!
Thank you for the comment
Wow great video I now have dubbed my business ( I am in the restoration business also ) just by watching this video and learning some new techniques ... Thanks to your video we have done almost a Million dollars more in business this year alone !
Great! A real expert. Please post your videos so we can discuss your projects.
@@BasementDigOut Have been very busy lately as soon as we catch up I will find some one that can do video work so we can show you how we are operating !
Just had conversation with Larry. He is really a nice person. Did the quick calculations on budget for my job. Impressive knowledge. I am in NY and my bad luck that he didn’t cross the bridge 😊.
The competitor bit at the start is a bit pathetic. We do basements in a similar fashion here in the uk. Interesting video.
Cover your eyes!!!
You do NOW. after you stole his ideas you idea stealing thief. We know you were using day old fish and chips as concrete before
@ Do one - I assumed it was a joke.
yeah even if it was original once you post it on you tune you kinda gave permission for use since its not patented etc no matter what intro says
To Each his Own...
Great job, Lawrence! I've been in the business myself 20 years for the same company. It's nice to see other foundation contractors doing things the right way. Our industry is already bad enough with the fly-by nights looking for a quick buck. I wish you continued success!
Thanks George. Keep up the good work. Yhanks for the kind comment.
@@BasementDigOut
Where is your foundation company located?
Larry is great guy and very knowledgeable and above all honest! would definitely recommend him
Larry is the man. He literally just took 15 minutes to help explain to me what goes into underpinning the basement, even though I live no where near him. He is truly an amazing guy and if you need work done in NJ... there are few better than Larry!
Thanks for the comment. Too kind!
Awesome video. I live in Maryland and wish I had someone like Larry in my area to do this kind of work (professional and honest). I called and spoke to Larry and he took time to discuss the process with me even though he can't actually perform the job for me (he's in New Jersey and I'm in Maryland). I would definitely hire Larry to finish my basement if he were in my area. My conversation experience was similar to the experience "AdamBNJ" had and highlights in his comments below. Most of the time I would compare contractors with car salesmen and sharks but my experience with Larry shows me there are some good people out there. Thank you again Larry!!
I'm an entrepreneur in Canada and I'm digging everywhere but usually with use small hydraulic excavator and conveyor to move the stuff out of the zone (earth, concrete, gravels, debris...). Moreover we use a flexible exhaust piping system in order to evacuate the carbon monoxide from the machine. This video was realy interesting and instructive. It shows different technics and methods of works. For those kind of works we need, as an entrepreneur in demolition and excavation, to be creative use our skills so the project is a total success for us and the client too. Thanks for the video
Been making a killing since 2012 because of this video I've built a career Thanks Lawrence
When are you posting your videos?
@@BasementDigOut to be honest I settled for ch.11 bankruptcy, you ruined my life
I fucking love this comment.
Hey Larry thanks for this video, it has made my company millions! You are the man Larry!
These guys work very hard and do excellent work. I hope they are well paid for their efforts. Your company does a great job!
Thank you.
This was so helpful in understanding what would be involved if we take on a basement dig out. Thank you so much for this great content!!!!
Amazing transformation! Good to see the house didn't collapse like what happened to someone in a town about 30 miles away who had jacked up a house to replace basement walls. I'm also impressed with the amount of manual labor used to get the job done.
As a forensic structural engineer who has examined problems including collapse-in of several basement "dig-outs" it is evident that these guys have done things the right way and very conscientiously. Wall alignment, rebar doweling, vapor retarder, column footings, subslab and slab-edge drainage, etc (never mind the final finishes which looked fantastic). Seemed like the slab was a little soupy, but not really a structural element. Would only worry about shrinkage cracking. Nice work! Guessing it was a fairly expensive endeavor. Didn't have sound up so maybe they told us. If you've got the money, that's how to do it right.
NO1JAYHAWK What did you think of that concrete? It looked very wet and soupy to me. I wonder how strong it will be.
Concrete had proper slump.
NO1JAYHAWK I am working on a job right now and no rebar is going in... How much of a problem do you think that is? Also, just a comment, the finishes are beautiful, but no drywall ceiling... Man... What a difference that would have made
It could have had a plasticizeing additive in it .
no rebar tied into existing foundation BIG PROBLEM
I found this video online and reached out to Larry as I was considering purchasing a home and doing similar work to the foundation. First off, I wrote him an email, and he was very kind to reach back out to me while he was on vacation. We scheduled a conversation the first day he was back from vacation which I thought was very nice. During our conversation he had great advice for me based off of his knowledge of all that is involved in the kind of work I was considering. I appreciate the fact that he gave me a realistic picture of what the cost would be and didn't simply offer me some low estimate just to get the job, which would later come with lots of surprises.
Very kind of you. Good luck!!
By far this was the best video on TH-cam about basement /crawl space digout underpinnings 👍👏👏👏
As a startup basement deepener company, I watched the whole video
Nice Work !!!
Loved how you laid tile around the inside also for Water Run off !!!
Amazing job !!!
You all should be very proud of your work !!!
Thanks 4 Sharing !!!
DEv
I'm a competitor. Thanks for the video. It was highly useful.
Excellent video if your planning on doing this watch this video first.It opened my eyes.made me think twice about trying this on my own.
Wow that's amazing! I am definitely going to start a new business. thanks so much!
Nice timeline! Lots of digging drilling/ rebar 💯👍🏡
Can someone please tell me what this beautiful project cost and what was the turn around time on somethin’ this amazing?! Thanks
Diggout 40k buildout 80k = 120k
Good job for the quality work. I just spent two hours with a guy who gave me estimate on interior drain tile in my 1300 sq. ft basement for $23K !!
Loved the video, it was therapeutic with the music and all. My home is from 1883 and has a functional yet somewhat shallow basement 7'. It's an English basement with the windows at ground level. I just spray painted the rafters and finished the walls to give it a loft feel albeit in a basement. People love it. The infantryman in me wants to dig it out but cooler heads prevail.
Nice
I'm not a competitor. I'm a fool. I dug the basement and back yard of my fifteen foot wide Toronto row house with a heart shaped shovel and fifty five gallon buckets. None of my neighbours knew I was doing it. It took me ten years. I made no mess outside my yard, even though my neighbours were on top of me. I lost the dirt all over town, tons and tons of it. The single largest amount of replacement material for underpinning was rubble, retreived from construction bins. The second construction material was bags of sacrete (dry premixed concrete) thousands of them, all mixed in an old wheel barrow. The third material was gravel for drainage and to add to the sacrete. The fourth material was road cobblestones picked up from various places where they had been discarded around the town (over two thousand). This was the final veneer. I cemented them with mortar. The floor I made with broken up two inch granite slabs (also salvage) on top of rough concrete. There is an underfloor heating system connected to my furnace and a drainage system under that (I'm below the water table) connected to a sump pump that collects the moisture inside and out. Winter is warm. All seasons dry. Fifteen years on, the cobblestones are beautiful, the floor is warm and I sleep next to the plumbing stack so I can hear the sump pump come on to remind me of my misspent youth.
Wonderful hardworking fool!
Pictures, or it never happened.
I'm planning a job at Fort Knox, will you oversee the project for me?
Sounds traumatic.
So glad you liked my video. I will be in Iowa in June 2013. If you would like me to stop by let me know. Prior to a site inspection I do a preliminary feasibility study. Contact me for more info.
Larry
Thank you for posting this. Great Job. Beautiful work!
So glad you enjoyed the video
That was a pleasure to watch, thank you for sharing your great work
So glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for the comment
The words that instantly mumbled out of my mouth when I was watching this were “these guys are un-bleep amazing,”. Thank God he created Men in this world who have built everything that is on the face of the earth. Let’s make this clear, Men built it!
This video inspired me to become a basement contractor... I learned everything I know from this video and I am Larry’s biggest competitor...
I'd love to see your work.
@@BasementDigOut Putting that in the video had to be some kind of joke, right?
Beautiful project Larry. Stunning work.
So very kind of you to say.
beautiful job,wish I had the money to do this to my basement.
Excellent job. Everything I watched on the video seemed right on. Absolutely nothing about that job was easy. Great work, you should be proud of yourself.
Thank you for the nice comment
I did something similar as a teenager when my dad wanted to extend and deepen our cellar at home. We actually dug down past the foundations (18" cinders), put in some strip footings with blockwork walls in front of the existing founds/walls then backfilled with concrete and finally put in the concrete floor. The cellar was extended from the back 1/3 of the house for another 1/3 to give us an internal staircase and three decent usable rooms.
Looks like real professional work. Good luck with the company.
Great video. Buying a house in Chicago (c. 1876) that needs a basement dig out. Very informative...
This makes my back hurt just watching this lol
Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge Larry. My dig out is finely don, and currently at the finishing stage.
I broke ground in march 2016 and completed the interior concrete portion December 3rd. My city inspections went smooth and I passed everyone the first time, Lawrence answered my calls, questions and texted messages. I will tell you Lawrence Stoll knows a great deal about basement dig outs, soil, drainage, etc.
Prior to breaking ground I had spent a year getting the Building permits and the cost was 7k. Additional Dwelling Units (ADU's) require licensed contractors. The scheduling and costs for subcontractors, lets just say you better have deep pockets and a whole lot of time.
I removed 15 ten yard containers, the reason I say that is because it's important to take into consideration the fluff factor. and also if you have to do the shovel and 5 gallon bucket method as I had to do.
So, if you do have to do the shovel and 5 gallon method then I will guarantee you will average a 4 hour day everyday of digging and carrying dirt. After 4 hours of digging and carrying dirt you will be done if you move when you work and put your heel into your shovel. And you will run out of people that want to do it as-well :)
Thanks Lawrence, Your guidance is much appreciated.
Ciao!
LARRY IS THE BEST GUY EVER. I wish he was close to Chicago so I could hire him to do my house. You will never talk to a nicer guy. I called him after watching his video 1000 times. I am digging my basement out myself. I asked him 100 questions and he took the time to answer and explain to me everything. We discussed how I was doing mine and if it was correct, the steps I was taking, rebar placement, supporting floor joists and the mix I was using. I researched it and was using home depot 5 gal buckets to have equal quantities but it goes by weight. For everyone wondering my mix is 1-5gal bucket Portland type 1 =60 pounds, 2 -5gal buckets turbo sand 70 pounds each, 3 5gal buckets aggregate stone, 70 pounds each, 30 pounds of water and 70 grams of super plasticizer( to make it soupy without adding water, stronger concrete) and this is what I call 1 batch = 1-2-3 mix. I could not get a concrete truck to where I was so I had to mix myself and for the type of footings and size, this was the best option for me. There are many different ways to mix concrete yourself so research it first. THANKS AGAIN LARRY and I hope this comment helps others as much as Larry helped me.
Thanks for the comment! Glad I could help you.
Hey quick question here. I was wondering if you’d be kind enough to get me in contact with the person who helped you , as I to would like some help answering a few questions . For safety reasons only I would be willing to pay for the time if need be as I would hate to have my self die because of walls collapsing in on me ..
HI@@lawrencestoll4426 - Can you tell me the approximate cost of this job? I'm very interested in doing this in my 140 year old row house in Baltimore. kzrn27@aol.com
Good. God. Dude, call. The. Redi. Mix. Truck. And. Pump. It. In, simply. And. Quality. Mud, you. Folks. Are. A. Trip, enjoy
Probably the best opening to any video I’ve ever watched on here 😂😂😂😂
Great video. The hardest part of a job like this is to find a contractor that knows what he is doing and is willing to take a job like this. With the market like it is, everyone is remodeling and most contractors are busy putting 20x20 square boring additions on people's houses instead of things like this
Use a line pump and go through the window. Poured a few like that as a ready mix driver
Dude, I love how you used the jackhammer to vibrate the cement. I never thought of that!
Adapt. Overcome. Improvise.
@@BasementDigOut Somebody probably discovered this by accident and has been using that trick ever since!
I like it. Have you considered putting a few inches of foam under the new cement floor? This would add a thermal break which would be an amazing improvement in northern climates.
Good clean work . Top Notch .
All these "competitor" comments are hilarious! Well played Larry. Well played...
One of the best finish jobs ive seen by far
wow. great job. i'm getting a good sense of the work it takes to lower my basement. lots of work but great results.
Nice work .
I looked at buying a house that needed this done.
Wonder why u didn’t beef up beams and get rid of some or all center columns ?
Roughly how much for lowering the structural ? Then how much to finish out ?
Gorgeous job!! Thank you so much for sharing this! It gave me a clue.
I have seen liquid spray on waterproofing membrane applied to the exposed dirt opposite the formed footing and stem wall. When the concrete is placed the resulting wall has waterproofing on the exterior side without exterior excavation. Great Video. I never understood why basements were always just a bit too short especially under the beams and then the inevitable ducts running below the beams. For the price of a bit more excavation and some more block/concrete the homeowner would have had a usable space from the start.
Nice project. Great finish!!
Thanks Jim
For what it's worth, very well done from the perspective of an excavator operator with foundation experience. Excellent work indeed.
You are too kind sir!. Thanks for the comment!!
Wow! This is great work.
Cool video, thanks. Looks cozy in the end.
What would you say was the estimate cost of this project? I'd love to have something similar done with my basement, but I can only imagine the amount of time and money this would take
Nice job guys. It came out great.
Very nice work. The original beam might be the biggest I have seen in a house.
Would love to do this. Wonder how much it would cost? Looks like my basement in the before stages!
Great Job
lots of hard work but in the end it looks fabulous. 👍
Amazing! Did the house need a sump pump before the dig out? If not then that would be the only drawback.
Yes. Every dig out needs water management and a sump pump(s). When you lower a basement, your home will become the water magnet for the surrounding homes. Think of the dig out as a neigborhood sump.
Good god my back hurts just watching this...... nice work!
in the USA you are never going to get this work done -
A. No one will bid
B. If there is a bid it will be ridiculously high
I did this by myself using a Harbor Freight jack hammer to knock out 50 yards of rock - and another 50 of dirt - all needed to be carried out in 5 gal buckets. Jacked up the house 22 inches. Forming for the many pours was the worst. Pouring days were mini celebrations. When I got back to carpentry more than half a year had passed. Carpentry is so easy.
It is not easy. Now you know.
What a ridiculous disclaimer at the beginning of the video.
Great video!... enjoyed it!
Thanks for your comment
I'm not their competition, I'm their superior in every way.
Videos please.
Fascinating. How much does something like that cost? Seems like it would be quite a lot given the work involved.
35-75k
i do this for a living too, aswell as crawl space and anything masony and framing. we a 9ft basement out of the crawl space we had made enough room to get our 873 bobcat in there to get what we could and take the dirt out.
Luis Perea yes. Sir. I. Use. 743. Bobcat vwith. Cage. Off,
Holy cow, that‘s impressive! How long did the deepening process take? I guess 1 month plus 1 month for the furniture & design?
You guys did it 100% right Good to see after some of the bad work I have seen. I was wondering how far under the footings you went 7in ?? You went to the 10x on the rebar LOL better too much then too little.
I've done a few basement underpinnings. In my area (MN) water grade levels are sometimes high so that instead of plumbing a drain on just the exterior and backfilling with gravels, I use PVC pipe around exterior and in the center of the slabs, all led to plastic sump pits. To maintain a warmer floor, 2" extruded polystyrene is used instead of gravel backfilling. The rod placement and wall pouring is identical for poured walls, although I tend to use a hinged form. The hinged form allows me to easily place mud in the hole and secure it in the upright position for the last 8" of fill.
In my own fix-er-upper that I live in, I underpinned and added a block wall in the center instead of typical beam and metal posts. BTW, relatives and friends laughed at me and my wife during the process. They don't laugh now that the basement is finished to an 8' height. FWIW, my wife and I excavated 25 yds of the original basement fill in a long afternoon, throwing it out the basement windows into lawn tractor trailers. She would fill hers, I would fill mine, and then sprint upstairs to move and dump tractors. The digging was the best part of the project, lol.
An ambitious DIY guy. Good to see it!!
I would love to see you guys post a stone rubble dig out. That would be sweet. I have not seen a professional one done yet. You guys rock!!!!
Rubble or rock foundations are bit tricky. First the rock wall needs to be stabilized. More times than not the mortar or chinking is not a Portland product. The older mortars are not compatible with Portland and will cause problems. Once the wall is stable, the dig out is done in shorter sections to prevent collapse.
Lawrence Stoll can you drill into the rock to add the rebar?
Roatan Honduras im. Doing one. Now. In. Gr. Michigan, timlehnen@yahoo.com, contact m3 ill. Send. Fotos, peace,,,,,,6163254597
OH' CRAP!!! I got ALOT of work to do! It's not as bad as could be, but still, maybe I can do it in sections!! It's only about 24'x 36' just guessing! And it's a crawl space dug out to dirt floor basement, so its already started, I just have the foundation work, and alot of dirt to move!! If I'm doing it , I may as well, go deep, put the floor about 10' down!! Nice work, it gives me an idea of what's in store for my wallet!!
Wow! I plan on getting my basement done and this is a great video showing me its potential. I do hope I can lower mine as well because it is short in height.
With the amount of work involved here you won't find many competitors
first time home buyer, still in the closing process... thinking of doing this for my crawl. I am not rich but would definitely want to save up for something like this. :D
I'd be glad to steer you in the right direction
thanks, I have a few companies coming out to give me some estimates next week. If I don't faint then I'll message you for some advice. :)
If you need help reviewing the specifications and pricing, call me. Good luck! Thanks for the comment too!!!
If you can't go up, you go down !
Indeed
excellent video men. I am a structural engineer I can see you know what you are doing.
Thanks Keith.
Block wall foundation underpins are different than poured concrete or rock / rubble foundations. The most important thing to consider is the footing the blocks are sitting on. Also, the condition of the block is very important, as the base block takes on the most water as the foundation ages. If you have acidic soil, the base block may be compromised, especially if the block foundation is cinder block.
Inspect the entire foundation and look for step cracks, horizontal cracks, bulges or any other crack that looks like it compromises the foundation's integrity. Are the walls plumb and mortar joints level?
If you watch my other videos, you will see an block foundation underpin.
You should give me a call
Obviously, you missed the watery diarrhea concrete they used on the floor. No good.
What is holding the foundatin up while they add to the bottom?
Beautiful job, thank you for taking the time to produce such a great video. Did you mix your concrete on site or have it delivered. Curious as to why it wasn't pumped in. Also what is the material at the base of the wall when your pouring.