Many Toronto area homeowners can gain extra living space by underpinning their basements and turning them into finished rooms. This enables you to turn dark, damp storage cellars into luxurious and bright living quarters at an affordable price. It also saves you the hassle of looking for a larger home for your family or building an add on or additional story.

What is Underpinning?

Also called Basement Lowering, Underpinning a basement basically refers to lowering the basement floor of the home to increase the ceiling height or to reinforce the unstable, existing foundation. The basement floor and soil below it is excavated and lowered which results in the basement height being increased. This increased height can turn your dark and cramped basement into a fully functional living space.

 

When all is said and done you’ll have a basement level with a similar height to the rest of your home and will still have easy access to your home’s insulation, plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems which will let you inspect, repair and upgrade them when necessary. In addition, when the basement is being lowered you’ll have the chance to upgrade or install a waterproofing system.

Underpinning your basement will enable you to address any of the building’s structural problems such as missing or undersized footings, sagging beams, and unstable exterior walls. The process strengthens and stabilizes the foundation which in turn will also add resale value to the home as well as making it much safer.

Adding living space

Even though there are other benefits, one of the main reasons for underpinning a basement is to add suitable living space below ground level. Here in Toronto, where land is at a premium and lot sizes tend to be small, underpinning is a great way to increase your livable space without increasing your home’s overall footprint.  

What you do with the space is up to you since it can be customized to meet your lifestyle and needs. For example, you can use it for a family room, an office, a games room, recreation room, in-law suite or home theatre etc.

Economical method

Underpinning a basement is typically considered to be the most economical, quickest, and least disruptive way of adding valuable square footage to an existing home. The ceiling, walls and floor are already in place and you’re building within the existing structure of your home.  And since you are improving an existing space, there is less paperwork (red tape) than if you were going to build an extension on to your house or add a second story.

Find a helping hand

The job of underpinning a basement isn’t a do it yourself type of project as it’s a detailed process which will extend the lifespan of your home. It can also be dangerous and cause major damage to your home if not done correctly.  It’s recommended that you seek the help of a professional contracting company which fully understands the implications of the task. At Novacon Construction we have the expertise and manpower to tackle the job in a fully professional and timely manner. We work hand in hand with our clients to fully maximize your basement space and work within your budget.

If you’d like to finish your home’s basement and add some height then underpinning it may be the perfect option. For more information on strengthening your existing foundation or adding some valuable living space under ground please feel free to contact us today for a free consultation.