Forum Archive: Excavation

We have a cellar and we want to put in a couple casement windows. It would involve going through some cement (a stairwell) and then through some earth – I don’t think it will involve the foundation. Any recommendations? It’s a relatively small job.

Who to ask? Who much? Which one is better? Breath explonation on how excavation contractors work…

I have dreams of finishing the basement of my townhouse (16.67 x 45 feet). Currently, it has a dirt/cracked concrete floor; the ceiling is probably under six feet high, so I assume we’d have to do at least some excavation. It’s not perfectly dry but there’s been no flooding. We wouldn’t want a fancy renovation—just a dry space with a floor that we could use for a play/rec room and some storage.

I’m sure the cost can vary widely depending on what you have done. But if anyone here has done it, how much did it cost? Can you recommend workers? And are there considerations you think it’s important to keep in mind? Potential pitfalls? (Thanks; I did a forum search on the topic but didn’t find much.)

Our Boerum Hill neighbors are building a parlor floor deck and digging out their garden for a foundation.

Their contractor unearthed some circular, “well”-looking thing (see picture) about ten feet from their back wall, and about ten feet below current grade. They unearthed the outside of a similar circular brick wall along our shared property line (meaning there’s one under our patio as well).

Is this:
a) an ancient well,
b) a recent septic tank,
c) an old outhouse, or
d) part of George Washington’s original 18th century fortifications against the British in the Battle of Brooklyn

I have also dug up rows of vertically placed flagstones in our back yard while putting in swings. So any tips on what that could be, would also be appreciated.

It’s so cool to see what’s under the ground!

While renovating our garage, we found a box of large conch shells in ashes. Does anyone know if this was used for a specific purpose or just a shell collector? Our house is from around 1840-50s. Thanks

We have several bags of dirt from work on our back yard…but no matter how light we make the bags the weekly garbage pick-ups continue to refuse to take…

Its not enough to rent a bin (probably 10 bags around 50-60 pounds each), can anyone recommend a pick-up service or drop off location in Brooklyn?

Thanks!

After identifying a “bad lead” as the source of electrical issues in our 2 family brownstone on a landmarked block, Con Ed has decided to run new service to our building as they could not snake a new line from the street nor could they do so originating from the house to the street.
I anticipate this will mean excavation. Anyone have experience with this scenario? I am worried about the Bluestone sidewalk and what kind of track record the utility has with landmarked blocks and what rights I may have in dictating the scope and manner of excavation.

Our read yard has a lot line retaining wall which has been damaged by our neighbor’s large tree root system. The wall is cement and over the years, the roots have pushed the cement wall into our yard (it’s buckling).

There are a few issues here:

1) the neighbors claim that they have no responsibility for the damage

2) the cement wall is impinging onto our property and will need to be back-filled, the wall removed and re-poured with re-bar

3) they won’t let anyone onto their property to inspect, even though the wall is on our side of the lot line

Who in the city can we turn to get resolution to both the lot line wall and how we can fix the damage without having to sue them.

This was covered by a piece of wood and a patch of concrete on the interior brick wall of our brownstone apt. It appears to be made of a thin metal, with a curved interior, and slots leading above and below. It is nearly a foot high,
about a foot off the floor, and 3 feet from the fireplace.

Any idea what it was for? In case this matters, it’s on the third floor of a Brooklyn brownstone built in the 1870′s.

Thanks!