Convert space underneed house extension into storage room. Foudation digging concerns.

[shadow338]

Hello there. New to this forum.

Last year I bought a house that was built in 1985. It has a crawl space and the previous owners built (professionally) an extension for the kitchen and new large living room that extends to the back yard.

The house was built on a slope and the underneath of this extension is unfinished. The ground is clay with vapor barrier only.

My plan is to "seal" this space and transform it in a storage room. The first thing I came across (pictures) is that attached to the crawl space brick all is a box made of bricks that has some sort of extension. I'm have no idea what this is so my question is what this could be.

Second, I want to remove all the clay close to this wall, is there a concern if I dig to much (ground level) ? If I remove all the clay close to the wall I can then build some sort of reinforcement with cement but my concern is if I dig too much the brick all will just fall?

Thank you.

 

[Snoonyb]

Welcome.

Your 1st concern is that clay is classified as an expansive soil, so, I would hire a structural/civil engineer.

 

[Bob Reynolds]

Hello there. New to this forum.

Last year I bought a house that was built in 1985. It has a crawl space and the previous owners built (professionally) an extension for the kitchen and new large living room that extends to the back yard.

The house was built on a slope and the underneath of this extension is unfinished. The ground is clay with vapor barrier only.

My plan is to "seal" this space and transform it in a storage room. The first thing I came across (pictures) is that attached to the crawl space brick all is a box made of bricks that has some sort of extension. I'm have no idea what this is so my question is what this could be.

Second, I want to remove all the clay close to this wall, is there a concern if I dig to much (ground level) ? If I remove all the clay close to the wall I can then build some sort of reinforcement with cement but my concern is if I dig too much the brick all will just fall?

Thank you.

That brick box looks like it might have been the footing for a proposed fireplace that was not built at the time of the original construction. Construction seems to always go over budget and a brick fireplace is one of the items that often gets cut because they cost thousands of dollars.

As far as you digging out your back filled foundation; that would not be a good idea and you could cause the foundation to weaken or possibly collapse. You are going to need a structural engineer or an architect to furnish the drawings and specifications on this type of project. There also could be a ventilation problem if you make changes and this can cause mold or mildew issues.

Also keep in mind that this crawlspace may be subject to flooding or other groundwater concerns and anything you store in this area probably would not be covered by your homeowners insurance if it gets wet.