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Outside basement Doors/Steps ?

TOMLESCOEQUIP

TOMLESCOEQUIP

Just Plinkin Away the $$
I need a outside entrance into my basement as my access is limited. My inside steps are in a closed hallway, and the steps have a landing & 90* turn due to the cape cod style of our house. That combined with a 30" door makes taking anything of any size down there a real PITA ! Since I didn't make provisions for a walk out basement when the house was built, I need a way to easily get large items (IE my new to me 1955 arcade bowling machine) as well as furniture & appliances down to the basement. Has anyone installed the double outside ground entrance doors with the short stairwell ? I need a rough idea as to what I'm getting into. The dirt work I can handle, but the step & door installation as well as any concrete work I'll have to sub out. Any ideas/suggestions are welcome..............Tom
 
Tom, you can actually buy kit doors for the exteriors and some companies sell preformed concrete steps too! But if I was going to do it I'd have the side walls and the steps poured rather than blocked and poured.

I'd strongly recommend a 36" steel door, or even a set of double doors and a wide stair case, if you have room for them.
 
I made the same mistake when building my home, and I corrected it about 10 years ago. I have a 10' cellar depth, so stairs were a problem. I figured out that if I were to start the cut 12" above the floor, and to use the deepest pre cast cellar steps. I had the cut made as wide as possible and then had a specially made metal door pre hung in a wooden jam. I then installed the door directly to the cut opening. My door is either 48" or 54" wide (can't remember) and 7' high. I wanted the extra hight in the door opening so it would make getting big items into the cellar easier. My cost them with the concrete cutting, pre cast steps, and metal cellar door installed was about $1200. The special order metal door was $175 and a days labor to get it installed. I know that the concrete cutting was a large part of the expense since my foundation walls are 4500# concrete reinforced with 3/4" steel rebar & 12" thick.
 
Junkman said:
I made the same mistake when building my home, and I corrected it about 10 years ago. I have a 10' cellar depth, so stairs were a problem. I figured out that if I were to start the cut 12" above the floor, and to use the deepest pre cast cellar steps. I had the cut made as wide as possible and then had a specially made metal door pre hung in a wooden jam. I then installed the door directly to the cut opening. My door is either 48" or 54" wide (can't remember) and 7' high. I wanted the extra hight in the door opening so it would make getting big items into the cellar easier. My cost them with the concrete cutting, pre cast steps, and metal cellar door installed was about $1200. The special order metal door was $175 and a days labor to get it installed. I know that the concrete cutting was a large part of the expense since my foundation walls are 4500# concrete reinforced with 3/4" steel rebar & 12" thick.
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I too was thinking of a 48" door. I didn't realize that you could get precast cellar steps-I figured they would form them in place. as for the ground level doors......are they steel or fibreglas ?
 
Mine are precast concrete steps that are bolted too the existing wall once the entrance has been cut. Then they drill holes into the foundation for the threaded rods that hold the stairs to the wall. A sealant is used between the foundation and the steps. I will take some pictures tomorrow in the daylight to show you the detail. In the mean time, here is a site that has some good information. Junk
 

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If possible, put a drain in the bottom of that outdoor stairwell. You may be able to connect to any french drains you have around your footer.
 
If he already has a footer drain, that is all that is needed since the stairs sit above the drain on the wall. Backfill is important to have drainage so no puddling accrues around the stairs. If he doesn't have drainage around the foundation, then adding some form of drainage will be important to keep water from the stairwell.
 
Junkman said:
If he already has a footer drain, that is all that is needed since the stairs sit above the drain on the wall. Backfill is important to have drainage so no puddling accrues around the stairs. If he doesn't have drainage around the foundation, then adding some form of drainage will be important to keep water from the stairwell.
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Got a footer drain & house sits on a knoll, so all I gotta do is find someone in the area that sells the steps.
 
You could always find something to bring East to deliver to one of us New Englanders and take the steps back on the return trip...... :yankchain:
 
I found a distributor/installer about 45 miles from home. They're working up a quote as we speak for the steps & outside Bilco doors installed..........Now the bad news..........They don't excavate or cut the wall for the entry into the basement.......they just come & drill & set, then bolt the unit in & then leave. I hope they give me exact measurements for the excavation. They're saying a 40" door opening is max at the basement wall. I guess I won't be putting in that 48" man door I was considering......................
 
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