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Bulding an outdoor basement stairway entrance

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Bulding an outdoor basement stairway entrance Beta-42 10-10-2009
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Posted by Beta-42 on October 10, 2009, 11:52 am


I have a property that has an outdoor concrete stairway that leads to a
basement entrance. The steps run down below grade along the back wall of
the basement to a landing, and then by turning right one can enter the
basement through a door in the back wall. The landing is about 18 inches
above the basement floor level, so after entering the basement door, there
are 2 or 3 steps down to the basement floor.

What I would like to do is add a few more steps down along the back basement
wall, beginning at the end of the first landing (where the existing door
is), and then create a second landing that is about 18 inches lower than the
first landing. Where the new landing will be, I would like to add a second
entrance to the basement.

The present concrete steps and landing are bordered by a concrete block
wall -- one along the side of the steps, and one at the end of the existing
landing at the bottom of the steps. The new design will require knocking
out the concrete block wall at the end of the existing landing to continue
the new run of steps down to the new (second) entrance to the basement.

The existing landing has a floor drain that I think goes to a French drain
type of setup under the basement floor. It doesn't go to any sewer line.
What I think I would like to do is have the existing floor drain and the new
floor drain for the new landing go to a similar French drain type of setup
under the basement floor which also can drain into a new sump pump pit that
I will have installed.

If it's a straight-forward job, I may just go ahead and do it myself with
the help of a friend. Or, I could get some estimates from concrete
contractors and see what they say needs to be done. If the concrete
contractors know what they are doing and it doesn't cost too much, I may
just have them do it -- but I have a hunch that they will want a lot more
than I would want to pay when I could do it myself for a lot less.

The part of all of this that I don't know about is how the new landing and
new added concrete block surrounding and retaining wall should be built. In
other words, is there a certain type or amount of footing that needs to go
under the new section of retaining wall? And, is there anything special
that needs to go under the new landing, other than a stone base underneath?
Is rebar required anywhere?




Posted by RicodJour on October 10, 2009, 12:47 pm


> I have a property that has an outdoor concrete stairway that leads to a
> basement entrance. =A0The steps run down below grade along the back wall =
of
> the basement to a landing, and then by turning right one can enter the
> basement through a door in the back wall. =A0The landing is about 18 inch=
es
> above the basement floor level, so after entering the basement door, ther=
e
> are 2 or 3 steps down to the basement floor.
> What I would like to do is add a few more steps down along the back basem=
ent
> wall, beginning at the end of the first landing (where the existing door
> is), and then create a second landing that is about 18 inches lower than =
the
> first landing. =A0Where the new landing will be, I would like to add a se=
cond
> entrance to the basement.
> The present concrete steps and landing are bordered by a concrete block
> wall -- one along the side of the steps, and one at the end of the existi=
ng
> landing at the bottom of the steps. =A0The new design will require knocki=
ng
> out the concrete block wall at the end of the existing landing to continu=
e
> the new run of steps down to the new (second) entrance to the basement.
> The existing landing has a floor drain that I think goes to a French drai=
n
> type of setup under the basement floor. =A0It doesn't go to any sewer lin=
e.
> What I think I would like to do is have the existing floor drain and the =
new
> floor drain for the new landing go to a similar French drain type of setu=
p
> under the basement floor which also can drain into a new sump pump pit th=
at
> I will have installed.
> If it's a straight-forward job, I may just go ahead and do it myself with
> the help of a friend. =A0Or, I could get some estimates from concrete
> contractors and see what they say needs to be done. =A0If the concrete
> contractors know what they are doing and it doesn't cost too much, I may
> just have them do it -- but I have a hunch that they will want a lot more
> than I would want to pay when I could do it myself for a lot less.
> The part of all of this that I don't know about is how the new landing an=
d
> new added concrete block surrounding and retaining wall should be built. =
=A0In
> other words, is there a certain type or amount of footing that needs to g=
o
> under the new section of retaining wall? =A0And, is there anything specia=
l
> that needs to go under the new landing, other than a stone base underneat=
h?
> Is rebar required anywhere?

Depends where you are and your local codes and weather conditions.
Call up the contractors and get some prices and advice.

R

Posted by Beta-42 on October 10, 2009, 12:54 pm


RicodJour wrote:
>> I have a property that has an outdoor concrete stairway that leads
>> .................,
>> The part of all of this that I don't know about is how the new
>> landing and new added concrete block surrounding and retaining wall
>> should be built. In other words, is there a certain type or amount
>> of footing that needs to go under the new section of retaining wall?
>> And, is there anything special that needs to go under the new
>> landing, other than a stone base underneath? Is rebar required
>> anywhere?

> Depends where you are and your local codes and weather conditions.
> Call up the contractors and get some prices and advice.

I should have added, I am in New Jersey near Philadelphia, PA.




Posted by John Grabowski on October 10, 2009, 12:58 pm



>I have a property that has an outdoor concrete stairway that leads to a
>basement entrance. The steps run down below grade along the back wall of
>the basement to a landing, and then by turning right one can enter the
>basement through a door in the back wall. The landing is about 18 inches
>above the basement floor level, so after entering the basement door, there
>are 2 or 3 steps down to the basement floor.
> What I would like to do is add a few more steps down along the back
> basement wall, beginning at the end of the first landing (where the
> existing door is), and then create a second landing that is about 18
> inches lower than the first landing. Where the new landing will be, I
> would like to add a second entrance to the basement.
> The present concrete steps and landing are bordered by a concrete block
> wall -- one along the side of the steps, and one at the end of the
> existing landing at the bottom of the steps. The new design will require
> knocking out the concrete block wall at the end of the existing landing to
> continue the new run of steps down to the new (second) entrance to the
> basement.
> The existing landing has a floor drain that I think goes to a French drain
> type of setup under the basement floor. It doesn't go to any sewer line.
> What I think I would like to do is have the existing floor drain and the
> new floor drain for the new landing go to a similar French drain type of
> setup under the basement floor which also can drain into a new sump pump
> pit that I will have installed.
> If it's a straight-forward job, I may just go ahead and do it myself with
> the help of a friend. Or, I could get some estimates from concrete
> contractors and see what they say needs to be done. If the concrete
> contractors know what they are doing and it doesn't cost too much, I may
> just have them do it -- but I have a hunch that they will want a lot more
> than I would want to pay when I could do it myself for a lot less.
> The part of all of this that I don't know about is how the new landing and
> new added concrete block surrounding and retaining wall should be built.
> In other words, is there a certain type or amount of footing that needs to
> go under the new section of retaining wall? And, is there anything
> special that needs to go under the new landing, other than a stone base
> underneath? Is rebar required anywhere?


What can you do for a lot less? This is a very physical job and also
requires some skill and experience.

In NJ plans would have to be submitted to the building department indicating
the below the frost line footings as well as the lintel or other means to
support the building above the new doorway. They don't like uncoated rebar
in the footings here. I suggest that you check with your building
department as requirements vary from state to state.


Posted by fftt on October 10, 2009, 1:02 pm


> I have a property that has an outdoor concrete stairway that leads to a
> basement entrance. =A0The steps run down below grade along the back wall =
of
> the basement to a landing, and then by turning right one can enter the
> basement through a door in the back wall. =A0The landing is about 18 inch=
es
> above the basement floor level, so after entering the basement door, ther=
e
> are 2 or 3 steps down to the basement floor.
> What I would like to do is add a few more steps down along the back basem=
ent
> wall, beginning at the end of the first landing (where the existing door
> is), and then create a second landing that is about 18 inches lower than =
the
> first landing. =A0Where the new landing will be, I would like to add a se=
cond
> entrance to the basement.
> The present concrete steps and landing are bordered by a concrete block
> wall -- one along the side of the steps, and one at the end of the existi=
ng
> landing at the bottom of the steps. =A0The new design will require knocki=
ng
> out the concrete block wall at the end of the existing landing to continu=
e
> the new run of steps down to the new (second) entrance to the basement.
> The existing landing has a floor drain that I think goes to a French drai=
n
> type of setup under the basement floor. =A0It doesn't go to any sewer lin=
e.
> What I think I would like to do is have the existing floor drain and the =
new
> floor drain for the new landing go to a similar French drain type of setu=
p
> under the basement floor which also can drain into a new sump pump pit th=
at
> I will have installed.
> If it's a straight-forward job, I may just go ahead and do it myself with
> the help of a friend. =A0Or, I could get some estimates from concrete
> contractors and see what they say needs to be done. =A0If the concrete
> contractors know what they are doing and it doesn't cost too much, I may
> just have them do it -- but I have a hunch that they will want a lot more
> than I would want to pay when I could do it myself for a lot less.
> The part of all of this that I don't know about is how the new landing an=
d
> new added concrete block surrounding and retaining wall should be built. =
=A0In
> other words, is there a certain type or amount of footing that needs to g=
o
> under the new section of retaining wall? =A0And, is there anything specia=
l
> that needs to go under the new landing, other than a stone base underneat=
h?
> Is rebar required anywhere?

Conceptually this is a pretty straightforward job but the devil is in
the details.

Visualizing the desired the result is only the first step (a first
that that many cannot get right). You seem to have a good handle on
it.

But then you start asking questions that indicate a total lack of
understanding of the details"
how to build the new wall & landing
footing design & construction
footing base
rebar

Get a couple guys out to look at the job. I think you;re going to get
major "sticker shock".

Where are oyu located? Oregon? Texas? New Jersey? Arizona?

The cost & the effort to do this.........is it really worth doing just
to eliminate those extra steps inside the basement?


cheers
Bob


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