The Big Dig: Hand Digging Out A 100-Year-Old Basement

We dug out our basement and finished it to add a gym, home theater, and golf simulator. 80,000+ pounds of dirt and concrete out, 30,000+ pounds of concrete back in. Glad I did it - won't do it again. Oh, the gravel and plastic are for radon, not carbon monoxide - and it worked!
If you liked this project, subscribe and check out our remodel and kitchen addition on an 1880 house: • Remodeling a house bui...

[@PoppasCottage]

Thanks for watching The Big Dig! If you liked this, be sure to subscribe and check out our other vids, including the new Northwoods Cottage Adventure series: kzbin.info/aero/PLiqwpyKCVgsotmUkytdqE5ox_QpstM6lS. We're getting our hands dirty at our new (soon-to-be) idyllic lake cottage.

[@casandramcneely6188]

I've been a cement finisher for 25 years I know how long it takes to take out old concrete what a painstaking job my hat's off to you

[@KevintheScienceNerd]

I was a basement waterproofer for a decade and I know how much work you put into that. I too have a short basement and have thought about doing this but damn... You're a man of commitment.

[@robertpeters2741]

That's nothing, I installed a new handle on my toilet this morning all by myself

[@buck-6922]

Robert Peters u think your cool, I changed a light bulb

[@fahralyacoub8970]

That's cute, I made a peanut butter jelly sandwich ALL BY MY SELF!

[@richosuna8033]

I got you all beat, I installed a water hose nozzle. I can now water my yard form a distance. No more thumb woohoo!!

[@Rsenior1981]

@@fahralyacoub8970 Psh, bet you couldn't even cut the crust off!

[@i_am_alive_inside9656]

@@fahralyacoub8970 thats cute i made my bed with out help

[@adamskinner5868]

I used to be a gravedigger as a young fella and I still remember an old guy watching me smash the concrete top off a grave I had to dig. He smiled and pointed out that by smashing the concrete into rubble I'd made my job harder. He showed me that with some well placed shots I could break it into larger hunks that I could lift out as big pieces which took less time and effort to break and was much easier to clean up.

[@jtriendeau9016]

Just seeing the bags of concrete move from one location to another caused me to throw my back out. This is an amazing amount of labor you put into this.

[@Mar-rk3yg]

Wow this just made me realize how lazy I am... I think I would rather sell the house, buy a new one than do all this myself with friends

[@patjohn775]

This will be a fond memory. Some peoples put their soul into their homes. Some just see it as a place to sleep

[@tranvi007]

Respect for this man... I’m never seen such great dedication and hard work like this in my life. It’s not just the hours put in, but the endurance of hard back breaking labour.

[@basspig]

Back in '39, I helped my dad dig out a crawlspace into a full basement. It took well over a year to accomplish.

[@omnilife691]

Your children will be 60 years old one day and still tell the story when their dad made "the big dig"

[@erikthompson3274]

"our ceilings were a little low so I added a golf course." lol. it looks amazing. Bob Ross and Bob Villa would be proud

[@Uranusfog]

I had a panic attack watching this. I simply couldn't believe he was going to do it. I was just waiting for the video to get to the gotcha part. But holy moly this guy is one of the rarest breeds of man on this planet. The amount of effort, stamina, rigor, and aplomb this guy has is just unmatched. Wonderful job man.

[@MikeMellor76]

I'm glad you had an Engineer provide help and there were no issues. Where I live you need to make sure you only remove a 3' wide section then leave at least 6' before removing the next section. Digging straight down beside the footings removes the angle of repose under the existing footings and is a very common mistake that can lead to a structural failure. Anyone doing underpinning should always consult an Engineer and get a building permit.

[@dougtheslug6435]

The 3 pin method you describe is the standard where I live also but it wasn't always the case. It used to be dig 5 leave 5 and the slope had to be a 5/7 from the footing and you couldn't dig 2 corners on the same wall at once. This case here has here is basically all clay and it will hold if there isn't torrential rains leaking in or earthquakes, it may be risky but he pulled it off with no problems. The 3 pin method was put into place when people couldn't see the difference between clay, soil or sand and dug straight down in sand leading to collapse....they ruined it for the rest of us as all my basement digs pretty much doubled in price.

[@himhim3344]

Imagine being able to use the "I dug out our basement by hand" card in an argument with your wife😁

[@bobm7275]

I did a similar job 50 years ago, ( different reason and I only went down about three feet) I was 23 and it almost killed me. It was not too far out of the ordinary then and I saved over $10,000.00 . Today you are one in a million and saved a bit more, if you could even find someone to do it, Congratulations .

[@ptrgr72]

Ha, I did same when I was 24, I'm 31 now. I would never repeat the experience ever. :))))

[@tp360]

i have done it also....i was in my 20s.... it was great....

[@DOLFINOWOLF]

Ehhhhhh...... Bobby M...... Agree 10,000% sir !!! I think the video is "GOLD" !!! Hell, nobody would Believe SOMEBODY / anyone could do it !!! AND ya show 'em the vid !!! ... EXCEPT...... , I saw a fellow do a DIG, and it was EXCELLENT but it was a Movie.... Shawshank Redemption ; ) Heck he SHOULD get a Prize from KZbin for DOING the Project..... Pretty MESMERIZING considering ..... I could be told........ "You either do it or your dead".....my reply...... " go ahead and kill me cause even if I COULD do it.....it would Kill Me Anyway " ; ) 👍👍👍✌️😷😱😳🤪😋🙄😬🤔🙃👍

[@mbda1]

probably would have been 150k job depending on where he is. This is a LOT of work. Not many would take it on at all.

[@DavidSprogis]

Wow! Nice job! I built a retaining wall in my basement to shore up a pudding stone foundation that was structurally compromised and creeping in. I hauled, mixed and poured 96 bags of Quickcrete. I thought mine was a major project until I saw your video! Congrats!

[@doitnow3291]

Many moons ago I did this type of work all the time...it kept me in good shape when I was young! But, I didn't know when to stop and now in my mid 70's.....getting out of bed is a feat! Keeps you young and makes you old....all at the same time!

[@AlgoCurioso4]

Husband - “I’m going to do a man cave in the house.” Wife - “You can only use the basement” Husband - ⛏⛏⛏

[@lurchie]

I don't think I've ever seen a more perfect definition of "sweat equity."

[@Jamesthemerciless]

48 seconds in and I am so happy that you went ahead and did the electrical while you could reach the ceiling pretty easily. My goodness, I have no idea how many times I thought of something like that after I've started a project. Great thinking!

[@ourcafehouse]

Thanks for sharing. I live in a 10,000 square foot, early 1900s general store. It has a huge basement with really low ceilings. I’d love to do something like this some day. Thanks for sharing!

[@jasonolson6401]

Next time I hear someone fuss about something being to much work I will make them watch this. Very inspiring!

[@tedboch7753]

Your efforts in attempting and completing this project are only surpassed by your outstanding video work in documenting it from start to finish and editing it to a watchable length . Kudos!

[@sebastiencharette6637]

This is alot of work... My dad earned a living most of his life by doing full basements under houses and buildings. Either by digging like you or lifting the house as a whole. Some houses can be lifted but some houses have too many extensions or are too heavy to be lifted. When I was a kid my dad digged a basement under an apartment building. It was the las one he did before retiring at 57. I think it was enough for him. lol

[@erixariddell2172]

It's absolutely ridiculous how talented you are. A master of all trade.

[@davidr3648]

You are going to look back on this decades from now and say “ I can’t believe I did that!”

[@joecampmybro1]

One of the most awesome jobs I have ever seen done!

[@roni2977]

I've got a basement that needs lowering and pretty much everything you've done.. however, I got no friends and I work 12h shifts monday to friday... ☹ What a marvellous job. I'm planning to get the builders in to do it for me... not sure how deep can I go through, I'm in the uk and our grounds can be tricky once you start digging.. I'm well inspired by your work though!!

[@oldtimer43]

Very impressive, I am well aware of what was involved, I single handily built a 450 sq ft extension to my house a couple of years ago when I was 75, including hand digging 130 tons of soil and concrete

[@scokin5207]

Great job, man! When I rebuilt my house, I lifted it 14" and hand dug a foundation to replace the piers. Love seeing projects like these done by the homeowners is a safe and professional manner. And theres no better full body strength workout, than a shovel!

[@aaronmit6584]

In the 1930's my grandpa's house didn't have a basement so he dug it out by hand. Cool to see people still do this!

[@Moistnsquishy]

Crazy, this video was recommended for me to watch. It was a nice time lapse. You did a great job man.

[@sliv5sliv]

that's an insane transformation! I have a 150 year old house and I gutted the top floor. Removed all the plaster and lathe myself. This video makes my job look easy. Awesome job!

[@Crabby_Abbi]

Alright “Clint Eastwood,” sounding man, this is one of the next level basements I have seen! Amazing!

[@misssweetie3091]

Wow the work that went into this, and the knowledge and the skill are awesome. Some never take advantage of their basement and use it just for storage. I finished ours and in 2012 had to fix a leak that ended up causing a complete gutting of our bathroom to fix it and remove the mold from the leak. Just grateful I knew someone with a backhoe that dug out where I needed to fix the leak, saved me a lot of digging.

[@westend3019]

Brings back memories for me. Relatives and friends thought I was crazy. I built a folding form, mixed my mud and poured into the form. The first work was a concrete block bearing wall down the center of the basement. What I had for bearing wall was ridiculous and I don't worry about sagging floors in my old house. I framed out a bedroom, a laundry room, a storage room and a computer center. The finished basement is worth it. Your space looks good and I bet you are the same as me, now. Digging a hole or handling a shovel is now an easy task.

[@law35penn]

This job is no joke. Talking about labor intense. Man oh man. I have no words but 🙏🙏🙏👍👍👍👏👏👏

[@DIYDanCars]

I have a hard enough time trying to find the motivation to paint a room. No way in heck could I do something like that! Nice work!

[@YC80087]

Blows my mind what you have done. Not only labor intensive but your are an artist too.

[@joerogan8723]

You my friend are insane in the membrane! Mad RESPECT

[@robertbragg9364]

You did an amazing job and added a huge amount in your properties value. This gives a whole new meaning to sweat equity! Great job 👏🏽 👍🏽 👌 🙌🏽 🎉🎉🎉

[@dukesilvergold]

Absolutely admirable! Tenacious spirit, determined. God bless you, your family and your friends!

[@Cody6918]

Hard work never killed anybody. Nice job mate. You saved big time on Gym fees.

[@AnthonyRBlacker]

Dedication. Great work, passion of existence.. looks really nice and i'll bet you wouldn't trade it for the world. I've been contracting for over 20 years, and it's so rare to hear a story like yours, of someone who actually jumped in and got it done the right way. Kudos

[@kevincannon8811]

What a Great video and project! We live in a 100 year old home, so I can relate to the amount of work any project requires. I appreciate and respect ALL of the hard work it must have taken to complete it. Now it's time to go get some S**t done... Rock On!

[@popperbits]

Man! That's one heck of a weekend DIY project my back aches just from watching the video! Nice work!

[@SMaamri78]

I got exhausted just watching this video. Wow. That was a lot of work.

[@dakota5660]

I plan on doing same thing to my basement, only difference is I live on sheet rock and will need a jackhammer

[@scottshaw4880]

Man! I have taken the tops off of two houses to add a second story to each. And I thought I was badass! Nothing like you!

[@lanceperley3144]

Little tip for anyone about to do this... always break out enough wall for a skid steer, and always order a truck for concrete. Saves tons of labor and concrete trucks are fairly cheap!

[@PoppasCottage]

Yes, skid steer would have been a much easier way to go, but I wouldn't have gotten such a good workout. Concrete truck would have been tough for the walls, since those had to be done piecemeal - we did get one for the floor.

[@jonmoseley8434]

Nice job! Huge undertaking! Happy for you! Thanks for sharing, I feel much older and lazier now. I never knew there was a shovel option for hammer drills. Interesting.

[@Dsok0314]

Dedication!!!! Love how you kept going!!! Such motivation!!! I don’t think much people realize how much of a hard work and dedication you put into this. This why I don’t judge people!!!

[@cccarter9858]

Love how you say "we" dug out our basement.....and finished it. You mean you did most of the work? Hard working dude.

[@bluecordprecisiongrading2504]

Great video! I owned an old farm estate in Northern Maine with a very low basement ceiling. Lowering the floor was one of many home improvements that were never completed before selling the property a few years back. My current home sits on the side of a hill with a nice, finished basement with 8' ceilings but I've often though about adding another floor below the current basement that goes under the side of the hill so only the access stairs would be inside the footprint of the house

[@paigerosner8574]

Lol! I love the sing-a-long. This is outstanding. You can live a proud life after this project. You’re done.

[@williamnichols2067]

Gotta hand it to ya. Great job. I don't see how anyone can have the time and energy to manage a family, work life, and still do this project.

[@CHEEZNIP12]

Amazing!! Nice to be young. I used to take on projects like that. Killer job!!!

[@wiseguy8828]

OMG. WOW. OMG. Good job! Impressive. Im finishing my basement now, (just drywall, ceiling, floor and a bit of new framing). Its 8’ tall snd for a minute I considered looking into digging out another couple feet to get higher ceilings. For a minute.

[@danpayne380]

I remember thinking "wouldn't it be great to have higher ceilings and dig out the basement?" ...huge respect to you...I think I'll pass now.

[@WB-zr7pq]

Thanks so much for sharing this, i was digging out so much hard clay soil with a pick axe then was debating what level of better tool was needed. The SDS 12lbs really does the job. Really impressed by the new form footer walls you did. Great work!

[@ToniM10]

With.. Vision.. Determination and Talent... No tellin Wat u can Achieve!!... I'm surprised u still need a Home Gym after ALL that WORK!!!... Lol.. Much Respect!!

[@BlackKnight-ll8qh]

That home gym is to maintain the gains he got from doing this lol

[@valentine34]

all the above but money to

[@YouTubestopsharingmyrealname]

I keep finding myself coming back to this video series for inspiration. I am contemplating digging out my crawl space a bit deeper just to have room to do maintenance. Belly crawling is for the birds.

[@ridgmont61]

The trolley ramp and winch is pure genius.

[@pabloski1964]

I admire your visualization to the space. Congrats to you and your friends for the finished project. WOW!!

[@jacobelliott5792]

That is seriously one of the coolest transformations I've ever seen!

[@Tigerraj]

WOW ! That transformation was amazing, great effort. 😊

[@nathangebben5738]

Renovating a Home with my dad at the moment. This is A LOT of work. But you just got to keep reminding yourself to take it a little bit at a time. If you take a BIG job and break it down into little jobs it wont seem so overwhelming

[@vincentbarkley9121]

Terrific video. Personally, there's a greater chance of me moving to the moon that undertaking a job like that.

[@kyriehuehue473]

Oh Boy, i need the shovel bit too! I'm saving for the same project right now, gonna be around 83m² and 1m deep digging. Greetings from germany!

[@thcenterprisellc112]

There’s so much more room for activities now ! ! Great job that’s a lot of hard work and determination but I’d say it pays off beautiful

[@unosgallosgarcia2668]

Man can do anything as long he has the motivation and view... good job ser.. be very proud.!!

[@xochiconan]

Caught myself watching your entire video. Bought back a memory of building a wine cellar in my old home years ago but nowhere near the size of your project. Nice work all the way around

[@pbuhler1]

Love your project. In the 1960s, my parents decided to do something similar. They put an elevator through a basement window that emptied into an old dump truck. It was our collective goal to dig out the basement to get a reasonable head height and also install a sump pump. My brother and I, elementary school kids were charged with filling two buckets each, each day, to dump onto the conveyor. My mom and dad did the most work. Anyway, “How do you eat an elephant”? “one bite at a time”. Good job. Enjoy your efforts, and beer is good. Have another.

[@dancrawford2690]

Absolutely spot on mate, what a fantastic job, I love the artwork too,you should be very proud ,much love from England 🇬🇧

[@tedspens]

Last time I used a jack hammer I forgot to take off my Seiko self winding watch. I still have to get that watch fixed, someday. You did a fantastic job on that basement. Very well done!

[@samwilson3235]

This is amazing, you should be very proud of that

[@bethcochran1646]

Thanks for showing all hard work awesome job

[@palladiodecor6340]

Amazing work, fair play to you for hand digging, your hard work definitely paid off..

[@billmcdonald2445]

I love seeing big projects. Very impressive. Some knowledge, a vision that was bugging him to death, a lot of persistence, YOUTH, helpful friends and hopefully, a patient wife. He earned his man-cave. I've kinda been there with some overly ambitious large home and landscaping projects in my 40s and early 50s. You work full time then spend every evening and weekend on your vision. Several times into the project you wonder about your sanity. Wife and most visiting female relatives will usually remind you how crazy you are (just gives you more determination). Later you look back with pride and sometimes amazement that you did that yourself. Great job.

[@shirothehero0609]

I need some help with mine. I've got beer! Lol Frickin amazing. Your tenacity is amazing.

[@Ripper36068]

When I was younger fella, I did a lot of underpinning/basement construction; by hand here in London the UK, as many older places in London sit on a very weak (London Clay) Clay! A lot if places would easily subside on this Clay! Back breaking work! You did a good job!👍👍🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇺🇸

[@buulam5971]

Truly amazing. It show when hard work and some thought, you can achieve anything! Thank you for sharing.

[@bloodandcarnage]

I swear that is one of the coolest basements I have seen yet and that's just the decor.

[@fawiek]

9:25 there are no mistakes! Well done sir! Quite the weekend project! ;)

[@kimblastein]

Wow you sir are one heck off a builder amazing work

[@Leo413623]

this guy did all the electrical, concrete, drywall, and painting. what a skill set!

[@oldtimeengineer26]

That looked like a labor of love. God bless you and now enjoy

[@Michael-mz6uf]

I have a feeling this dude is a professional of sorts in the trades...and Very well may be an artist. Impressive regardless. It takes courage and confidence to do that to your own house.

[@matthewk2725]

holy crap that's a big project!....I don't feel so good about my DIY skills anymore ;-). Looks awesome, maybe I missed it but how long did it take you to complete?

[@PoppasCottage]

Digging was a couple months, but the whole thing took almost a year (working part-time)

[@scrumptiousjdp]

I think he said he spent about 750 hours, plus 80 hours from friends.

[@DOLFINOWOLF]

EXCEPTIONAL! Bet ya make a million view👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍✌️

[@frankenbeans6930]

The talent here is off the charts. I just hung 5 rolls of wire rat cloth under my front porch and hated every second of it. This guy is just built different.

[@mzlittle]

Absolutely HEROIC man, well done!

[@sharkysmachine9248]

So much better when you Do It Yourself,... some people just won't understand. Best to do this when you're young and healthy!!

[@XroorX]

Winch idea=EINSTEIN LEVEL thinking! Was Planning on doing the same with 5gal buckets!!! Hahaha I’d have 20” arms but quickly need reconstructive back surgery….great idea about insulation/electrical when you can still REACH the ceiling!

[@windowzombie]

"I did have a little help from my friends. That's what beer is for." quote of the century

[@boodro2122]

You're a smart cookie! Fantastic job, man! You seem to have an inclination to this type of work. Really great job!!!

[@beveryveryquietiamhuntingr7009]

Sir, you need to be very proud of yourself. You and your family will enjoy this for years to come. I wish I had 10 percent of your dedication.

[@fredricklogan7256]

I am honestly freaking amazed and mostly freakin jelious. Man you did an amazing job. You should be very proud of yourself. AMAZING

[@marcusmason3440]

Done a few basements.....there rarely nice to do, this is a credit to your hard work and determination. Well done and enjoy........

[@gkk2001]

Very nice work and video. $10,000 materials investment and a priceless return. Good to see your hard work paid off as it should have. I am starting a dig out not quite as massive as yours and not to be finished as nicely but I expect it to be worth the effort. Again, thanks for your inspiring video. 👍

[@objuan6]

WellDone! BRAVO! I have been contemplating a dig project for a while, you have provided inspiration. My last project was. barn, completely above-ground. I’m going to miss people parking truck, walking across field to stand there with their hands in their pockets, to tell me that I could have built a pole barn. I recognize a little bit of what drives you, by the artsy touches. Great Project, good luck to you, in your every endeavor.