230 Queens Quay W, Toronto, ON M5J 2X1
E-mail us: [email protected]
24 Hour Service - 7 Days a Week
Basement underpinning is a highly effective option that not only expands the usable space in your home but also improves its energy efficiency by stabilizing inside temperatures. This procedure greatly enhances the structural integrity of your building, which is particularly crucial in regions with unstable soil or older homes requiring reinforcement. Underpinning allows for the expansion of the basement, creating more space that may be transformed into functional sections such as bedrooms, home offices, or entertainment spaces. This makes underpinning a worthwhile investment for homeowners.
Fill out the form below to get started with your basement underpinning
Is Basement Underpinning Right For Your Home?
Your home’s foundation must be solid, and a basement underpinning can help your foundation structure stay secure and avoid cracks or leaks. This base serves as the foundation for your home’s structural framing and basement walls. Should evidence indicate a compromised basement, you should contemplate a foundation repair, unless the concerns are about uneven or sinking floors. However, if you plan to renovate and add a story to your home, you should talk to a foundation expert about a basement underpinning project. Our experienced contractors can determine whether your home requires basement underpinning in Toronto.
Why Underpin A Basement?
Basement underpinning is important for various reasons, especially when dealing with the difficulties caused by subsidence and other ground movement problems. Subsidence, the downward movement of the Earth’s surface caused by the extraction or mining of natural resources such as water, gas, oil, and minerals, can result in substantial structural issues for a residential property. This subterranean phenomenon can induce the displacement of the earth surrounding your basement, resulting in the separation from the foundation and jeopardizing its structural integrity.
Basement underpinning is the process of removing soil below a crawlspace or concrete slab, excavating the area to create a lower support level, and then adding new concrete footers, walls, and floors to extend the depth or reinforce an unstable foundation.
This worthwhile home improvement requires professional expertise in foundation walls, excavation, footings, and concrete floor replacement. Royal Work Corp. will do a careful evaluation of the foundation and surrounding area to determine job and building code requirements related to excavation depth, plumbing and electrical re-routing, and concrete work.
There are several reasons why underpinning is necessary, including: A homeowner may want to convert a crawl space or unfinished basement floor into a livable space, but the size or basement ceiling may be too small. A new finished basement would require additional support, and the basement lowering process can give you extra space, while underpinning can increase your load capacity.
With the initial evaluation complete and your goals established, an engineer and architect will be brought in to design the new space. These experts will draw plans that detail the moving and extending load-bearing walls required with this project. They will submit stamped drawings to the Toronoto municipality to obtain the necessary building permits before any work begins.
Following the completion of plans and issuance of permits, the site needs to be ready for construction. Rerouting furnace connections is necessary to relocate all ductwork and equipment out of the way. Technicians must install temporary supports or vertical jacks in the next phase to secure the home or commercial building during the underpinning process. Once the project is complete, technicians remove the wooden boards or steel beams that disburse the structure’s weight.
There are several methods for completing the underpinning process, depending on the purpose of the project. For shallow underpinning, we use the traditional mass method. In this instance, the soil underneath the foundation isn’t strong enough to support the home. We excavate the weak soil and replace it with mass concrete. This provides both strength and a more efficient distribution of weight. The beam and base method utilizes the traditional mass base but also incorporates concrete beams. Constructed underneath the concrete base, these beams evenly distribute the load for improved support. The structure can rest on stable ground 5 to 15 meters below the current footers using a third method known as mini-piled underpinning. We construct and case the piles in steel. We drive the 15- to 30-cm piles into pre-drilled holes to rest on more stable ground.
Removing the existing concrete floor is necessary for the fourth, more aesthetic purpose of basement underpinning. We excavate the soil in sections filled with concrete, leaving small gaps between the old and new concrete. Each section is filled with non-shrink grout.
Once the basement underpinning process is complete, our experts can install new plumbing to fix the old plumbing problems. Our experts will now install a waterproofing system to keep the area dry. To prevent water infiltration from outside, we add a waterproofing membrane. Next, we backfill the exposed foundation walls. It’s now time to waterproof the interior of the basement. We install an internal weeping tile system around the room’s entire perimeter, below floor level. This drainage pipe will capture ground water and re-route it to a newly installed sump pump that will safely discharge it outside. A layer of gravel covers the entire floor area, providing a secure base for the new concrete floor. Lastly, we provide a lifetime warranty for your peace of mind.
Read our customer reviews to see why we are widely considered to be the most trusted underpinning company in Toronto
Although their is a cost, basement underpinning might be essential and worth the investment. Things happen from time to time that cause the foundation to become less stable.
There are many possible causes for this, including the natural deterioration of the foundation as a house age, as well as poor workmanship, damage from other repairs, climate change, soil change, and events such as a flood or an earthquake. You can save your basement against flooding.
Another possibility is adding an addition to the house, which places additional strain on the foundation. These events may cause the foundation to shift, rendering it incapable of properly supporting the house.
Once underpinning is completed, the likelihood of major structural issues is reduced. In the most basic terms, you are guaranteeing that the foundation of your home is stronger, safer, and has a longer lifespan.
Underpinning can also be used to increase the amount of living space in your property. It’s becoming more popular as a way to obtain extra square footage, particularly in older homes.
Many older homes were never designed with the goal of utilizing the basement for residential living purposes. Basements were only used for storage, such as coal storage, oil tanks, or produce chill cellars.
If you need more space but don’t want to move, underpinning is a good option to consider. Underpinning is a great choice to consider when looking for a way to add the additional room you require, and the potential uses for this additional area are virtually limitless.
You can use an underpinning basement for a spare bedroom, office, playroom, entertainment room, or in-law suite. Many homeowners are now using underpinning to build an apartment that they can rent out as a secondary source of income.
This project is quite extensive and will require a substantial investment of time. At each stage of construction, time must be allowed to completely cure each concrete pour area. This will ensure the proper tensile strength is reached before removing the temporary supports and adding a load. While the Royal Work technicians will work hard to complete the job with as little disruption as possible, there may be some inconvenience during the labor-intensive portion of the project.
Any time extensive underpinning or structure removal is required, it’s very important to contact a professional like Royal Work Corp. to prevent damage to the home. Our team is trained in all methods and have helped hundreds of homeowners in Toronto and the GTA area expand their living space or strengthen their foundation safely and efficiently. Call us today for more information, to schedule a free on-site inspection and estimate.
To serve our customers better we have now expanded our services to these areas:
Book your consultation to speak with one of our experts
© Royal Works Corp 2024
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions
