I just have to tell you that you got SO lucky you didn't have OSHA come out and shut you down for not having it benched back every 5 feet, etc. We did a similar excavation, digging out a basement right next to the existing house, and the city (we're in Nevada) and OSHA shut us down for a while. Had to get soil tests, fill it back up 1.5 foot at a time, re-compact it, then try again. What a nightmare

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And... AWESOME room!