How can I enlarge the crawl space under my house and add access door?
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Wes18846752
+2
One end is around four feet with an ample access door. The other is around 2 or 3 feet with no access door. I'm interested in increasing access to the shallow end to facilitate servicing furnace and duct work.
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I would think digging is the only solution. But first inspect the foundation of your house and don't dig any deeper unless you want to spend a lot of money doing foundation work.
Start digging! First I would have a consult with a structural engineer and locate any utilities that may run under the house. Not sure this is a typical homeowner DIY - gets multiple bids from various licensed contractors. Last thing you want to do is compromise your foundation.
I agree with everyone. You will need a structural engineer to determine if you can dig based on the depth of your foundation and if it can support the lack of surrounding ground. You wouldn't want the foundation caving in and bringing the house down.
Be careful, the guy behind me did this and they condemned the house when it began to buckle. They tore down the house. Get a structural foundation engineer to advise you.