Toronto Basement Lowering Contractors

Basement lowering is a process that involves excavating the soil beneath an existing foundation to create additional livable space. Skillful excavation and support structures are crucial to ensure the surrounding underground walls and pillars are properly supported. Drainage details and waterproofing measures are also essential to keep the completed area free from water.

Basement lowering offers extra room without the need for moving or adding another story. It’s perfect for limited expansion areas, providing additional space for bedrooms, home offices, game rooms, and more, all without requiring extra ground area.

Is it feasible to transform a crawl space into a basement?

Turn your cramped crawl space into a functional basement with our expert crawl space conversion services. Crawl space conversions, or “dig outs,” are a great way to turn your old and cramped crawl space into a much more useful basement space.

Our process involves excavating the area beneath your home’s crawl space to create a full-sized basement. We reinforce it with concrete or cement floors and walls, ensuring a secure and dry basement.

Key Benefits Of A Crawl Space Conversion Project

• Improved Temperature Control: Converting the crawl space into a room adds stability and insulation which can help maintain a more consistent temperature throughout your home.
• Increased Value: Home buyers often look for houses with more living space which makes crawl space conversion projects an attractive investment.
• Safer Storage: Converting crawl spaces into rooms that can actually be used increases the amount of available storage, keeping potentially hazardous items off the floor and away from children and pets.
• Reduced Drafts and Allergens: Sealing up your crawl space helps reduce drafts and allergens, keeping your home cleaner, healthier, and more comfortable overall.

There are several common methods use for basement lowering:

• Underpinning: This involves extending the depth of the existing foundation walls to increase the overall height of the basement. It requires careful planning and structural reinforcement to maintain the stability of the building. Read more about basement underpinning methods in Toronto.
• Bench Footing: In this method, a series of concrete footings are installed along the perimeter of the basement, creating a stepped or bench-like foundation. This allows for additional headroom and increased usable space.
• Floor Excavation: This technique involves removing the existing basement floor and excavating the soil to create a deeper basement. The new floor is then constructed at a lower level, providing more ceiling height.
• Combination Approach: Sometimes, a combination of underpinning, bench footing, and floor excavation methods is used to achieve the desired basement lowering outcome. This approach allows for maximum flexibility in creating additional space.

Bench Footing

Bench footing is the most common method in Toronto to lower the basement. By adding bench footings to your foundation, you can lower your basement and provide additional structural support. There is no need to dig under the foundation in order to provide extra height to the basement. As an alternative, bench footings allow you to lower the basement floor level and widen the foundation structure.

How Is Bench Footing Done?

1. Our basement contractor will design and create a perimeter around the inside of the basement walls.
2. Next, the foundation will be dug up to the desired depth. When the digging process is complete, we will construct new footings that extend deeper than the new floor.
3. As soon as the newly constructed walls reach the original basement depth, we will cover them with concrete. This will resemble the effect of a concrete bench extending along the foundation wall of the house.

This ‘benching effect’ strengthens the foundation and provides it with additional support.

What are the Advantages of using the Bench Footing Technique?

Bench footing is a great option for homeowners who want to save time and money. It doesn’t require any changes to the existing foundation walls and involves minimal excavation work. Plus, if you have a shared wall with your neighbour and they don’t consent to digging under their foundation, bench footing is a feasible solution. On top of that, it creates an attractive display area with a luxurious appeal – making your basement space inviting for guests or potential tenants.

Things To Consider When Thinking About Bench Footing

Before starting a bench footing project, it is important to take certain precautions.

• First, examine the soil on which the house is built. This will affect the foundation of the house and whether a bench footing is suitable.
• Second, determine the required depth of the area in question. If a deeper foundation is required, alternative methods may be more suitable than a bench footing.
• Thirdly, consider the intended use of the basement or other structure that you are building on top of this footing. Different uses require different strengths in foundations.
• Finally, consider maintenance cost in the long run.

A more expensive investment up front may lead to lower costs down the road. Not all homes can support bench footing, so it is important to understand the structure of your house before you begin any work in the basement. Bench footing is an effortless way to lower the basement floor, but if it is done incorrectly, it can cause significant damage to your space in the future.