DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hello,

I have a cellar in my house, unfortunately its not tall as a normal by a fair amount. I dont want to convert it into a habitable space, but thinking of damp proofing it and increasing the depth to make it a proper storage space.

I am enquiring about damp in the damp section of these forums, but does anyone know how feasible it is to make a cellar slighly deeper (say a 1-2 feet)?

I'm guessing the main problem is essentially this is digging into the foundations and I'm guessing this isnt really possible or requires major work / underpinning -- in which case I can deal with a short ceiling!

Any insight would be great, the house is English, 1900's traditional dual brick no cavity.

Thanks,
Jon

I would be very carefull about excavating the cellar,A structural engineer is the best way to advise you before starting this kind of project.

yeah thats my worry, its somthing I'd probably avoid even if it could be done. Thanks for the help.

The scenario you present is not that uncommon. There are several companies that have appeared which do exactly as you describe. They create a basement in your property or extend an existing basement to make it deeper.

If you are in a fairly big town then you should be able to speak to them to get an idea of cost. They usually provide you with a one stop shop, they organise structural calcs, damp proofing and bg regs.

People do it, so it cannot be that cost prohibitive.

good luck

xavi