When my crew and I were doing floor-framing repairs under a 50-year-old house, we found that one 25-ft. section of the house had tight clearance. You could crawl in on your belly but had to position yourself between joists to roll over. We needed a more comfortable space, so I suggested we make a new opening in the foundation and dig a 25-ft. working trench for better access.
I asked a carpenter to build a sled with a rope on each end that we could pull in and out of the crawlspace to remove the dirt from the trench. In a couple of hours, he came up with a wooden tray about 8 in. deep, 16 in. wide and 2 ft. long, as shown in the drawing. Then he wrapped a 20-in. wide piece of heavy-gauge metal flashing around the whole contraption, fastening it to the sides of the sled with roofing nails. Using eye bolts on both ends and a couple of ropes, we put the sled to work. One guy lay in the trench digging with a small foxhole shovel and pick. He’d fill the sled, and two guys on the outside would pull it out and empty it. The slick metal bottom slid easily on the compacted dirt, and within three or four hours, the 25-ft. trench was finished, allowing easy access for the next two weeks’ work.
Bill Phillips, Durham, NC
View Comments
I've used a plastic 'torpedo style' snow sled for dirt as well as gravel. Surprisingly durable considerinf how inexpensive they are.