Creating crawl space under a cottage

[tom coleman]

I am negotiating purchase of a lakeside cabin which has very limited crawl space beneath it making it difficult to hook up and repair plumbing. Cabin is in Maine and water run off has deposted debris beneath the cabin making plumbing access very difficult.

Anyone aware of a power tool that might be useful in removing a foot of accumulated surface debris

I need to very careful not to disturb the 6x6 longitudiinals that support the cabin. These longitudilanls rest on concrete block footings that go well beneath the frost line

[Caspar Hauser]

a shovel and somebody else.

[Caspar Hauser]

a good strong pump and a hose.

[Mitchell Andrus]

I've seen an attachment for a Bobcat that looks like a long rake. It's used by house movers to scoop out trenches for I beams. Likely scratch built for the purpose.
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[Stephen Tashiro]

One thought is some sort of flat scoop or plate pulled from one side of the crawl space out the other on a drag line with a winch. Of course, I have no idea whether you have access to the crawlspace all around the outside of the cabin.

[David G Baker]

If the cabin is not too large, jack it up and install a new foundation. It may cost some $$ but if you plan on keeping the cabin for a long time it will be well worth it.
I am spoiled, I have a basement and if I have a choice I will never own another home with out a basement.

[Mitchell Andrus]

.... if I have a choice I will never own another home with out a basement.


I'm with you on that.... but..... I just bought a house in NC without a basement. It's got a 22x40 shop out in the yard and 2, 2 car attached garages. I'm moving next month... We'll see in about a year whether I can get used to stepping out into the sun without first hiking up a set of steps.
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[Craig Summers]

Based on your need to preserve the foundation, you might try Vacuum Excavation, here is an example (http://vactron.com/equipment.html) of the tool

There is an outfit (http://services.eaglesws.com/item/all-categories/vacuum-truck-services/item-1016?&forward=1) in Tampa that can do it for you, or you might look in Blue Book (http://www.macraesbluebook.com/search/product_company_list.cfm?prod_code=6115050&region=Florida-FL) for Rentals.

Or you could get a conveyor and some well trained alligators with shovels. :rolleyes:

Happy digging

N.B. my links are Tampa based, i just noticed the cabin was in Maine per the OP. Maybe you can hire some land lubber lobsters instead?