Home Repair Erosion Near Basement Steps

Has anyone dealt with erosion around your basement steps? Is it a DIY project? If not, any idea of the cost in hiring someone?

My steps look somewhat like this picture:

 

I have a bit of that by my front porch. It's where the groundhog was burrowing under. I haven't seen the groundhog lately though. Do you know how deep the hole is?

 

No, I can't reach the bottom. We've poured dirt in it (leftover from digging a hole elsewhere), thrown bags of rocks down it, even had a wheelbarrow of cement shoveled into it when we were having our patio put in. It just keeps getting bigger.

 

Wow...keeps growing even though you've put a wheelbarrow of cement down the hole? I am beginning to wonder if the hole is going through to China or if its beginning stages of a sinkhole? Seriously, if you've put a wheelbarrow of cement in it and the hole still keeps getting bigger, then I'd be worried because there is no telling how much bigger the hole will get and whether it will continue. This is scary because Im thinking there's got to be something that is "eating" what you've been putting in and its not staying put.

How deep is this hole if a wheelbarrow full of cement has gone down in it?

 

After further looking into the pic, Im wondering if that is because the hole is UNDER the stairs into a deep vat of nothingness.

Next to the hole, can you feel the wall of cement like a true wall? Or is it just going UNDERneath the stairs? That would explain why there is a hole where you'd have to put SERIOUSLY *ALOT* of dirt/rocks/cement to fill it up...If that is the case, then I'd hire a pro to handle the amount of dirt/rocks/cement to FILL up the ENTIRE hole that extends underneath the stairs if there is NO wall adjacent to the hole. It looks like a tunnel underneath the stairs so to speak.

 

Cement may have not been the best thing to put down there. It could have formed a plug and left a cavity underneath it in the hole. Best bet is to get a shovel out and start digging. I bet you'll find (along with your cement plug) large rocks that were used to back-fill the area. When the builders in this area dig the basements they excavate a large number of large rocks, then use that stuff as fill around the foundation. Not the best, as these rocks don't always fill in all the craveses.

If that doesn't work pour some vinegar on it.

 

The hole has openings in several places along the top of the stair well (that's not my house in the picture). I think Beazer did a lousy job in back filing under the basement steps and it's now somewhat of a hollow. I just stuck my fireplace poker down all the way to the hilt and didn't come into contact with anything.

Unfortunately, I think we're going to have to have a company come in and take a look at it and give us an estimate. I think it's too big of a job for us to tackle ourselves.

 

Get in touch with Concrete Jack (www.concretejack.com)- They are coming out to level our front sidewalk and fill the void under out front stoop - doesn't look as deep as yours, but we've tried filling it ourselves to no avail....

 

I guess you have a vinegar fetish....:scaredeyes:

 

I would be curious about what they will charge you to do so. We have the same issue in the exact same location (only a VM home) and have filled it to no avail.

 

It took four wheelbarrows full of dirt to fill ours!