"oo Mike oo" wrote in message
...
Hope someone here can give me some helpful information about this.
Here are some photos that might make it more clear.

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3jrb8/holes/

Basically looks like rain water has washed out the soil over the
years. House is about 50 yrs old. Seems like quite a sizeable void
under the steps.

I have several questions about this.

Can I just shovel dirt in to fill the void wait another 50 years and
see how its doing?

Or, fill it with concrete?

Where HAS the dirt gone?

If it requires a professional, what type of person would I call?

Thanks a lot, you guys are great and always come up with helpful
suggestions!

Impressive pictures, especially since the interior ones look like they were
taken as one-arm-in-the-hole point'n'shoots. As to where the dirt went- is
bottom of stairwell, or any drain there or in basement floor, full of mud?
Most of it looks like simple settling, although you would think a 50 year
old house would be done with that. Did you or a neighbor do any major yard
regrading that would change drainage? Are there new holes anywhere else in
yard? In many parts of country, this was a very wet spring- if preceeding
years were extra-dry, that may be enough to explain it. I only saw a few
animal holes there, taking advantage of the predug shelter. If concrete is
still uncracked, I'd definitely try the cheap solution first- shovel the
space full of pea gravel or sand (you'd never be able to tamp simple dirt
down there), or have a mudjacking company pump it full of slurry. You may
get another 50 years out of it before you have to bust it out and repour the
steps and slab. Looks like a good retaining wall- any cracks in the mortar
joints on the brick, or inside the house right there?

I don't think it is anything to lose sleep over- more of a curiosity than
anything else.

aem sends...