How do I deepen my basement to meet the 7 foot minimum standard? I live one block from the lake. The ground is graded down toward the lake. The soil is made up of heavy clay. The basement height is 6 feet and 8 inches, the floor is 2 in deep concrete, the wall is concrete block and finished with 2x4 and 1/2 inch drywall for cover. Can I saw an inch from the drywall around the room, breakup the concrete, dig up 8 inches of sand/soil/dirt (then level and put 2" gravel, 2" sand, 2" concrete) without any danger to the footing? How will this effect the drainage? I don't know how far below the slab is the footing. Some say 12". The house was built around 1945-1950. If the house was already built--for such an old house--does the 7 foot rule still apply?
Answer:
I'd leave all that alone. I'd rather detach the house from the foundation and raise it at least a foot and a half and then fill in the gap with concrete block. This gives you the opportunity to add proper sized windows and all kinds of other neat things.
