North York is full of post-war bungalows and side-splits with low, unfinished basements, which is exactly why so many homeowners here call us about underpinning and lowering. Adding legal headroom turns a cramped basement into a rentable suite or a proper living space. IcyReno has underpinned, waterproofed, and drained North York basements since 2009.
Much of North York sits on clay-heavy soil that swells and shrinks with the seasons, which stresses older foundations and opens up cracks. Combine that with basements that were never built for full-height living, and you get two of the jobs we do most here: engineered underpinning to gain height, and waterproofing to keep the new space dry. We know the permit process at the City of Toronto and the neighbourhoods, from Willowdale to Don Mills, where the water table runs high.
We serve Willowdale, Don Mills, Bayview Village, Downsview, and the rest of North York.
Most calls we get in North York fall into two buckets. The first is headroom: the area’s 1950s and 1960s bungalows and side-splits have low basements that only become livable with underpinning. The second is water: North York’s clay soil holds moisture and swells against older foundations, so we see leaking cracks and failed weeping tile from Willowdale down to Don Mills. We handle both, and we know which streets sit lower and need exterior drainage rather than just an interior fix.
Across North York we work from Willowdale and Don Mills to Bayview Village, Downsview and Bathurst Manor. The area is full of 1950s and 1960s bungalows and side-splits with low basements, which is why underpinning to gain legal headroom is one of our most-requested jobs here. The clay-heavy soil swells and shrinks with the seasons and stresses older foundations, and pockets near the Don valley sit lower with a higher water table. We match the fix to the street, whether that is interior drainage on a dry lot or full exterior waterproofing where groundwater is the problem.
Yes. Underpinning anywhere in the City of Toronto, including North York, needs a building permit and engineered drawings. IcyReno arranges both.
Yes. Lowering the floor with underpinning is usually what makes a North York bungalow basement tall enough for a legal, rentable suite. We handle the structural work and waterproofing.
Yes. Underpinning anywhere in the City of Toronto, including North York, requires a building permit and engineered drawings. IcyReno arranges both as part of the project.
Bungalows and side-splits on the lower, clay-heavy lots near the Don valley tend to see the most, since they sit closer to the water table. We tailor the drainage to your street.
Tell us what your basement is doing and we will tell you how to fix it, no pressure.
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