A home renovation project can be an exciting (and stressful) time, especially when you're adding in something new you've always wanted to your space. Some people choose to add in a luxurious home theater or a chic deck for the simple pleasure of dining al fresco. Others, however, choose to expand in different, more uncommon ways, like this woman who's DIYing a secret tunnel system underneath her home. And no, it is not an elaborate Halloween decoration in the making.
A TikTok from user @engineer.everything recently went viral after she posted a one-year recap of her progress building an underground tunnel system beneath her home. In the video, she takes us through all the incredible steps that have led up to where she was at the time of posting. In August of 2022, she started her little home project off by cutting out a human-sized opening off the side of her sub-basement, then carving into the brick foundation to get started on this tunnel. She takes us through her process, which included creating her own custom elevator to haul 1,000 pounds of materials from the outside of her house down to the below-ground level. (As implied by her username, she does appear to be an engineering professional who knows what she's doing.)
It's quite impressive what this engineer has accomplished in just a year, but most commenters are unsurprisingly focusing on another aspect: Why is she doing this? "Do we have a goal, or are we just expressing ourselves through tunneling?" one commenter eloquently asked. The answer is shockingly not sinister. She has provided a playlist on her profile titled "Secret Tunnel" that has videos from the very beginning of her "journey to the center of her neighborhood," the very first being an explanation that she's building a storm shelter off the side of her basement. She's since added 75 videos to the playlist, and her progress is extremely fascinating to watch.
Are we a bit disappointed that her custom tunnel system isn't leading to a haunted house? Slightly, but just imagine the excitement and wonder years from now if a new occupant moves into the house and discovers these dark additions. Maybe we'll get videos like the people who discover wells under their houses or the man who stumbled upon an ancient city. In the end, as long as she knows what she's doing and stays safe, we look forward to following her endeavor.
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