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Basement Floor Missing

GregoryPaolini | Posted in General Discussion on July 20, 2006 06:13am

I recently bought a home in the mountains of western north carolina.  The home was built in 1984, and originally had a crawlspace.  The previous owner, whom I can not contact,  had the crawlspace dug out, and had a basement floor poured.

 

My question is, along one wall, there is a squared off section, 2foot, by 4 foot, which was intentionally not poured, and is still dirt.  There doesn’t seem to be any reason for this (There’s no access for a door, or outdoor access – it’s not near the septic or well, etc…)

 

Was wondering if anyone out there would have any ideas why this section was left unpoured

 

Thanks in advance

 

Reply

Replies

  1. User avater
    BossHog | Jul 20, 2006 06:38pm | #1

    Maybe they ran out of concrete?

    (-:

    How about a rough-in for a future bath? Or maybe a possible sump pit?

    People do wierd things for wierd reasons. Hard to say...

    The important thing to remember is that if you don't have that inspired enthusiasm that is contagious --- whatever you do have is also contagious [Danny Cox]
  2. Jen | Jul 20, 2006 07:57pm | #2

    any bodies down there?

  3. User avater
    IMERC | Jul 20, 2006 08:05pm | #3

    giving the water some place to leach out....

    or.. we'll get to later..

    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming

    WOW!!! What a Ride!

    Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

  4. woodway | Jul 20, 2006 08:21pm | #4

    I think Jen has got something there. I'll bet there are some bodies under that floor. Now you're faced with a dilemma, do I dig or do I cover it up and let sleeping dogs lie. If you dig, dig carefully cause by now the meaty bits will probably come apart fairly easily and talk about smell. If you decide to cover it up, then do it now and resolve within yourself not think about it later.
    If it were me, I'd kill( no pun intended) two birds with one stone and put in a sump pump, with gravel bottom, then cover the the rest with fresh concrete. One caveat, when you dig the hole for the pump follow rule (choice #1 ) above about the meaty bits.

  5. calvin | Jul 20, 2006 09:50pm | #5

    Indoor growing operation?

    A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.

    Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

    Quittin' Time

     

    1. User avater
      PeteDraganic | Jul 21, 2006 12:23am | #6

      future root cellar?

       

      The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -Albert Einstein

      http://www.peteforgovernor.com

    2. Shep | Jul 21, 2006 02:25am | #7

      Beginning of an escape tunnel?

  6. Jer | Jul 21, 2006 03:45am | #8

    People in them Smokey Mtns do some strange things.  I was concieved and almost born down there and I swear when the moon is full on a summers night.....

    Well anyways.  Hard to tell what was intended there.  Maybe something was set there at the time and they poured around it.  Is there a toilet & running water upstairs?  Quien Sabe? 

    1. GregoryPaolini | Jul 21, 2006 03:07pm | #9

      Well, I've been digging out the section to pour concrete, and havn't found any bodies yet.  The only thing I've been able to come up with as a reason is perhaps it was some way to bypass a code or somthing - Not really sure, just curious...

      As I said I'm filling it in, and plan on painting the walls with dry-lock, and caulking the basement perimeter.  My house had radon readings of 4ppm and 6ppm, measured in the sealed off basement during the real estate test - I beleve the threshold is 3ppm, so doing these 3 steps should fix it.

      1. calvin | Jul 21, 2006 03:17pm | #10

        How about a passive radon drain, or at least a pipe you could activate later.  Lay some perf tube in that space, run the pipe up and out the house.  I think something all the way up is suggested, but what the heck.  Lay something in there and cap it above floor level.  If you need it later, you got it above the floor.A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.

        Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

        Quittin' Time

         

      2. MikeHennessy | Jul 21, 2006 03:23pm | #11

        Hmmm. Just a thought, but ....

        I'm in Pittsburgh and around here, (don't know if it's anywhere else), there is a common feature in houses built in the early 1900s known locally as a "Pittsburgh toilet". That's a toilet in the basement, often without any walls or door, but usually just surrounded by a beadboard enclosure. I am presently doing an addition to my house and the guy doing the cement and block work asked me why I didn't include a "Pittsburgh toilet" in the basement of the addition. I replied that I had thought about it, but the sewer line wasn't low enough at that end of the house to work. He suggested I just put in an upflow toilet and he'd leave a hole in the concrete for me to add one later if I wanted. Maybe that's what you have -- "Future home of Upflow Toilet".

        Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

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