Hey DIYmons. I have a storm cellar that has a nice basement room in it located under the house, kinda like a half basement. It's about 6 ft. tall. There are 2 windows to this room on the side of the house.
I'd like to build an extension onto the back of the house so that this room can be accessed without exiting the building. The extension would contain the stairs to access the basement, and maybe a door to the backyard. The floor of the house sits about 4 ft. higher in the back than the opening to the storm cellar, and the air-conditioner is unfortunately located directly to the left of the entrance (pic related).
Is this add-on even possible? I can't really find articles or pictures of this type of remodel. Would it make more sense to build a full-sized room addition? Would it be feasible to build stairs somewhere inside the house to the basement room? We're limited on space, as it's a fairly small house at 816 sqft., so small footprint stairs are a must.
Here's a shot of the windows in the basement area.
>>947145
>and the air-conditioner is unfortunately located directly to the left of the entrance (pic related).
Can you come off the upper floor of the house to the right of the basement access? What does the floor plan look like inside?
>>947145
Without a shot of what's above your access door it's a shot in the dark here, but you won't get a much smaller stair footprint than spiral stairs. Unfortunately, they would make moving things in and out of the basement room a total pain in the ass, but still kind of possible since you have windows. It would take some measuring, lots of thinking, and maybe a little excavation to make them fit.
I don't know what the layout of your house is. We need more pictures including pictures of the inside looking outwards to the cellar. Any piping/electric/AC shit getting in the way?
Based on my limited knowledge of your layout I made something in paint for thought.
Just put in a ladder
Here's a rough house plan.
Just put steps up inside the basement and a door to what I would guess is your kitchen that leads to the steps. Or just bust out the end of that concrete and dig that dirt up and pour concrete steps
just a guess at numbers but here's a simple plan
call a carpenter maybe, email inset if you want to talk details or show me results
>>948050
Thanks anon!
its 'do-able' just depends on how much you want to $pend and if you will need to have inspections and permits etc etc.
I would look at adding stairs that come up somewhere inside the house. you may loose a closet or some space in a room to do that though.
if you go the add on to the outside of the house I would definitely design it to also have a door to the outside at ground level - it just going to make things so much more convenient. and if that cellar door in the only access to the basement I think you might NEED to have that outside door in the add-on. think about it; if you close in that cellar door with an ad-on that doesn't have a door to the outside at ground level then how would one escape from the basement to the outside in a hurry in an emergency? 100% need to have that extra door IMHO.
>>948050
this seems like it would be the absolute smallest design but it leaves no room for an additional door to the outside at ground level... **maybe** squeeze one it on the side labeled "3004mm" but I believe the AC unit is right there. you don't want to have to move that if at all possible.
>>948554
here's my rough-ish sketch of typical stairwell add-on with ground level exit.
>>948563
Any reason to pour concrete vs. putting it on blocks? I've never poured concrete before. Is it hard to get it level?
>>948697
Well if your forms are decently level it wouldn't be an issue. Also you dont need to be spot on level. You kinda always want a gradual slope for water to run away off the slab.
>>948563
>cement landing
even better, mix in some water, sand and gravel to make it even stronger!
bust thru the floor somewhere in the house and make interrion stairs.
then the tax accessor / building permit ppl wont bother you
>>948697
>>948722
the slab is the floor of your add-on stairwell. would not need to handle run off water. it is indoors. this is a cut-away side view. there would be three new walls built with the fourth wall being the side of the house; simple shed roof on top.
you could sink footers and frame the floor with wood but I assumed since the cellar door and stairs going down look like they are cast concrete then the addition would be concrete as well... especially since it would be right on the ground anyway. wouldn't want a wood frame floor sitting right on the ground.
basically you are taking the doors and littel triangle side walls off the existing cellar door system then pouring a concrete landing in front of it then building up three walls again the house and adding a roof (and the exit door). plus maybe a small window or two for light. then a 2nd set of stairs (wood) going up from the landing to a new door or opening in the wall of the house.
is this really that hard to visualize?
>>948697
you will need some sort of foundation dug to the depth of whatever the frost line is in your area (for example; where I am its 42" down) because you are adding a room to your house. if it is not supported in the ground it will eventually sag/sink and pull away from the house.
