Digging a House... Literally

[GhostWithTheMost]

Do you realize how much work it would be to dig over 860 cubic feet of dirt and rock by hand (12x12x6)? Underground shelters are a fine idea, but they're generally just bermed, not totally buried. Since you're doing this without help of motorized equipment, I'll assume you don't anyone to find out about it. Depending on where you're digging, this undertaking could take many months of work hours. You should seriously consider getting help with the digging. Also if you want to not risk death while putting in supports, you'll want to take the top of the hill off and fill it back in when you've finished the main structure and piping. I would also recommend reading the Fifty Dollar and Up Underground House Book by Mike Oehler. Be safe, and good luck!

You're making this sound A LOT more technical than Im actually planning, think simplified Hobbit House Im gonna add the supports as I get back into the hill, so It should be ok. I am Completely ok with Hours of manual labor. But thank you for the Ideas

 

[RVLG]

I've thought about building a hobbit hole myself, but the way you want to go about it is very dangerous. You want to make it like mines are dug. Mineshafts are cut into rock and very hard earth. If you are digging into a random hillside, it's going to be mostly dirt and clay, which probably won't stable enough to construct such a large hole in the way you want to go about it. If it is stable enough, then the hill is probably rocky. The safest place to build would be into solid rock, in which case you'll want dynamite. Depending on where you're digging, you might run into boulders, in which case you're probably going to be unable to build your house alone. I love alternative housing and DIY projects, and I support your endeavor, but I also don't want you to die. Read a lot of books on mining, tunnelling, and digging in general, and research the potential build sites. It might be a good idea to post progress pictures on here, if not for instructional and inspirational purposes then so more people can keep an eye on it.

 

[Thoreau]

heres something that may be usefull, quite catchy indeed, makes me want to build something like that

 

[RockerBilly]

Yeah digging into the hill through where the roof would be, then piling on the dirt afterwards is a good way to do it. Yew is also very rot resistant and easy enough to get ahold of on the west coast. However I wouldn't fill pallets with dirt, as they would rot quickly. I'd fill them with sand instead. Also, don't try and dig out under a tree unless you've got some serious fucking power tools. Trying to saw through the mass of thick central roots getting in your way will drive you insane. Also you would probably kill the tree. If not, as the tree grows it will fuck up your structure.

 

[slurricane]

billy are you the one who built that groundhut in eugene? gabe found it and lived in it when after he got jumped.

 

[Wotan]

All depends on the kind of dirt you're digging into. Scavenged pallets, plywood and plastic or rubberized tarps (as used in previous years for water beds) would be best for shoring and water proofing the place.

 

[kennacoconut]

I read that too in 8th grade.... he eventually carved/burnt a hole into a tree

In the book my side of the mountain the kid builds his house under a big tree so the root system will support the top. An ok read btw but a bit simplistic

 

[landpirate]

I was lucky enough to get this book for my birthday, it shows some amazingly innovative ways to build some spectacular shelters, i don't know if you'd be able to find a copy in a library but if you get the chance to look at it then its worth the time.

Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter By Lloyd Khan

 

[RockerBilly]

billy are you the one who built that groundhut in eugene? gabe found it and lived in it when after he got jumped.

nah i actually never used to hang out there until the later of my eugene days. fishin with dodds. i do like to biddy the old huts now and again.

 

[Skooky]

I think the main reason why homeless people don't live in ''burrows'' is because there's a lot of work involved in something that could end up pretty bad.

Make it simple, make yourself a fox hole. Dig/find a hole enough for you and your gears, put something on top, add earth + debris on top. That's it.

It's more realistic than anything else.

Spot on advice.

If you want something bigger than a foxhole style debris hut do some research on Hidatsa and Mandan style Earth Lodges. That's my dream house. About the keeping it simple, round and arches are better/stronger/simpler than squares or rectangles and can still be supported. If you are digging your cave in the dirt, you'll need some kind of footing stonework, concrete for your supports to keep them from settling/sinking into the ground

I would imagine as hard work as it will be digging this hole, it would be even harder digging yourself out after it collapses.

good luck.

 

[iamwhatiam]

ugh..i sure wouldn't want to do it here (hawaii). too much hard red clay dirt...that shit's too hard to dig thru. not to mention all the centipedes that love to nestle underground during the daytime. dem things are creepy. . . . . . while i've always fantasized about diggin meself an abode in a hillside, after reading The Hobbit, i think i'd rather go a treehouse route

 

[Thoreau]

ugh..i sure wouldn't want to do it here (hawaii). too much hard red clay dirt...that shit's too hard to dig thru. not to mention all the centipedes that love to nestle underground during the daytime. dem things are creepy. . . . . . while i've always fantasized about diggin meself an abode in a hillside, after reading The Hobbit, i think i'd rather go a treehouse route

Ah yes it would be a cool alternative, that or you can spread alot of poison around the doorway and windows of your underground house, that and not leaving the door open, also have a great insulation

 

[GhostWithTheMost]

I've thought about building a hobbit hole myself, but the way you want to go about it is very dangerous. You want to make it like mines are dug. Mineshafts are cut into rock and very hard earth. If you are digging into a random hillside, it's going to be mostly dirt and clay, which probably won't stable enough to construct such a large hole in the way you want to go about it. If it is stable enough, then the hill is probably rocky. The safest place to build would be into solid rock, in which case you'll want dynamite. Depending on where you're digging, you might run into boulders, in which case you're probably going to be unable to build your house alone. I love alternative housing and DIY projects, and I support your endeavor, but I also don't want you to die. Read a lot of books on mining, tunnelling, and digging in general, and research the potential build sites. It might be a good idea to post progress pictures on here, if not for instructional and inspirational purposes then so more people can keep an eye on it.

Thanks for the suggestions, Though as fun as using some good old TNT might be...Not quite sure how to even aquire such a fantastic item But Yeah....My initial Idea is to dig back a little at a time (think square/rectangularish) and as I go along Building up the side walls with either Brick (Which I could dumpster or get of Craigslist fairly cheap if not free) Then adding Plywood or the similar to the Roof/top.

I'll try to post pics As I get in to it

 

[Sc0ut]

dynamite is pretty easy to make

 

[Prometheus]

I'm building a large semi-subterranean "burrow" but as opposed to digging out the side of a hill I leveled the side, built the structure using debris/ logs/ tarps/ recycled material and am now working on burying the structure, returning the hill to it's original form 'cept now it'll have a house in it.

 

[soapybum]

I'm planning on doing something similar outside of Boulder, I'll post pics whenever I finish it. Might just be digging straight down instead of into a hillside. I'm assuming if I make the support structure solid then I'll be able to put maybe 6" of soil on top of the structure and have it still hold.

 

[GhostWithTheMost]

Yeah, Ive recently come to leveling out the side as well..sorta looks like a sunk in "L" if that makes sence..Im now gonna use some 4X4's and 2X4's to build a frame...Then after I roof it Im gonna put earth back over it. I couldnt get dug into the hill like I wanted to go under it. Ill try and get some pics.

 

[cport420]

I know this will not help you but if you could get an old bus or cargo van. You could bury it and cut a hatch in the top. People have been doing this for years.... but I think this is a kick ass idea bro. I live too far near the coast so there is no hills and the water table is too high. Take some pics for us. Very cool idea. Just make a large spider hole and no one would even know you were there.

 

[GhostWithTheMost]

I know this will not help you but if you could get an old bus or cargo van. You could bury it and cut a hatch in the top. People have been doing this for years.... but I think this is a kick ass idea bro. I live too far near the coast so there is no hills and the water table is too high. Take some pics for us. Very cool idea. Just make a large spider hole and no one would even know you were there.

Thats actually a pretty rad idea...Id just have to figure out how to get a bus or Van some place I could bury it.

And once again I sorta came up with a new plan....Sorta thinking Im gonna go the way or basically Digging a basement/cellar ....Gonna dig a hole, roughly 12'x12' and about 5' Deep..then Build the walls up with staked 2x4's with caulking in between for "water proofing" of a sort and laying Reflectix Over it for Insulation...And then after I get the roof on, putting all the dirt from the hole on top and planting grass on it after...We'll see how this goes.

 

[cport420]

I was digging a septic tank today and was thinking. Get some of those bags they do the earth bags with. Could you combine both ideas? Both digging and then putting the dirt in the bags for the top? But yeah the live roof would be tight. I was day dreaming today of a spider hole of my own Seems like a kick ass idea still. Maybe camoflauge the shit out of it and no one will even notice. Wonder with the live roof and it being sorta underground if it would cut through the summer heat. Just coolin in the hobbit hole.