Underpinning Services
Underpinning or Basement Lowering is a great way to utilize your space. With the growing costs of real estate in Toronto, why not take advantage and create a beautiful full height living space in your basement. It is also a great way to create an income suite. Our passionate, hardworking team works alongside the engineer and city inspectors to ensure all structural details are executed beyond the minimum standards. Our team takes all the precautions to maintain a safe, clean and organized job site, treating your home with the same respect we would our own. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you.
Overpour Underpinning
This is the newest form of underpinning where the new concrete reinforcement is overflows out and above the bottom of the existing foundation. This is the most efficient method. Due to the nature of the new foundation reinforcement overlapping the existing, the new wall does come out approx. 3-4”.
Dry-pack Underpinning
This is the best practice underpinning where the new concrete reinforcement is poured to approx. 2-3” below the underside of your existing footing. Once that concrete settles (typically 48 hours) the 2-3” void is packed with non shrink grout. This ensures a solid bond between the concrete reinforcement and the underside of the existing footing.
Bench footings
At times when underpinning is not possible (often partition walls or neighbouring foundations are too close) then our team can execute a bench footing. This is the least intrusive method as there is no undermining of the existing foundation. Depending on conditions the soil is either excavated flush with the existing wall or sloped from the wall. While this method is typically least intrusive and most budget friendly. It does result in lost space due to the bench style of footing that is left
