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Basement Lowering Services

Home » Foundation Repair »  Basement Lowering

Do you want to turn your low-ceilinged, dank basement into a fully liveable space that adds significant value to your home? Basement Technologies® basement lowering service can help you to accomplish this goal.

Basement Lowering Service Icon Increase Space, Increase a Home’s Value:

The process of lowering a basement takes a lot of work, skill and experience to fully understand how to maintain the structural integrity of the basement foundation. Basement Technologies® works closely with structural engineers in order to provide a basement lowering service that is safe, practical and is approved by local city building inspectors.

Lowering a Basement is Not the DIY Type of Work:

Many homeowners want to save money by trying to do the work themselves. Trust us when we say, this is NOT the do-it-yourself type of project. Many factors are in play when you lower your basement, including, but not limited to:

NOT a DIY
  • Maintaining the structural integrity of the foundation.
  • Keeping the “AOR” or angle of repose intact.
  • Understanding the needs of a bench footing required to lower a basement.
  • Meeting the Ontario Building Code.
  • Understanding and implementing requirements from engineered architectural drawings.

Peace of Mind, We’ve Lowered Many Basements:

Basement Technologies® has years of experience lowering residential basements, installing bench footings and increasing living space for homeowners.

Basement Lowering Service Process:

Engineered Drawing & Building Permit:
The first step is to engage with our Civil Engineer to assess the foundation walls and create engineered drawings needed to plan the project and to obtain the proper Building Permits and Engineered Drawings. Each home’s foundation is unique and needs to have a project plan specifically developed for your home.

Basement Prep Required:
Your basement needs to be cleared before the existing floor can be removed and then lowered. The project plan will coordinate the disconnection of plumbing or other services to minimize the length of time that they are not available.

Some steps that need to be taken are as follows:

  • Removal of all furniture
  • Removal of all flooring
  • Removal of all internal finishing's
  • Disconnection of plumbing
  • Disconnection and moving of hot water tank and furnace

Jackhammering Begins:
The existing concrete floor is broken up with jackhammers. Our crew will do everything in their power to minimize the noise and dust within the home by using drop sheets and other barriers to keep the dust from escaping the basement. Also, our crew will install “negative air machines” that vent the dust out of the basement and through a window.

Removal of Dirt/Native Soil:
As the jackhammering continues, our crew will be removing the original concrete floor and the earth underneath the floor slab one bucket at a time. These are carried out to a large clean fill bin outside for ultimate removal from the site.

Bench Footing Forms & Rebar Installed:
This process is the most important step to lowering a basement and is the main reason we require an engineering assessment and drawings. Since all foundations rely on the basement floor slab to create counter-pressure against the foundation footings, a bench footing is installed around the base of the walls to reinstate the structural integrity. Steel reinforcing rods (rebar) are placed between the existing footing and the new bench footing being installed to provide the required strength needed to manage the thousands of pounds of pressure that will be exerted on the foundation.

We work closely with structural engineers to create the wood forms to the correct specifications for the concrete being poured and to ensure we maintain the structural integrity of the foundation walls and footings.

1st Building Inspection Required:
Before concrete can be poured, a building inspector is required to visit the site to make sure all the re-bar is in the right place and to ensure that the bench footing will fully reinstate the structural stability of the home.

Concrete Poured – Bench Footings Completed:
Once the wooden forms for the bench footings are completed and inspected we are ready to pour the new concrete. Basement Technologies® will arrange for a concrete truck to deliver and pour the concrete. The concrete is usually delivered down a chute through a basement window. The workers inside spread the concrete around the basement and a concrete finished smooths the surface to complete the floor.

2nd Building Inspection Required:
At this point of the project inspections are required by both the Structural Engineer and the building inspector to ensure all engineered requirements have been met.

Drains Repaired and/or Replaced:
Now that we’ve excavated the basement floor to the correct height, and installed a structurally sound bench footing, all existing drains are currently too high to accommodate the lowered basement floor. At this point, we will start the process of removing and replacing any existing drains throughout the basement. This gives the homeowner a great opportunity to re-route existing drains to more convenient locations. Some of the tasks performed are as follows:

  • Sanitary Sewer Line Replacement
  • Water Line Re-Routed (ONLY If required)
  • Drainage Layer (Weeping Tile) Installed
  • Existing Weeping Tile Disconnected from Sanitary Sewer Line
  • Perimeter Drains Installed + Prime Lines
  • Cleanouts Installed

Interior Waterproofing Installed:
Now that everything is exposed, this is a great opportunity to install the first line of defense for any future penetrating water. This is accomplished through the installation of an interior waterproofing / weeping tile drainage system. This system includes, but is not limited to:

  • 4” Weeping Tile + Filter Sock
  • Air-Gap Membrane (Dimple Sheet) or Similar Bond Break
  • Sump Pump, Liner and Discharge System

For our Interior Waterproofing System Installation process, please click here »

Backwater Valve Installed:
The second line of defense to prevent your basement from flooding or experiencing sewage backup is by installing a city approved Backwater Valve. Both the Hamilton and Halton regional governments provide subsidies to help alleviate costs for this installation. Our skilled technicians will install a backwater valve at the exit point of the sanitary sewer line leaving the home. This will prevent any future sewer backups or floods from extreme rainfalls.

For our Backwater Valve Installation process, please click here »

Gravel Layer Installed:
One of the last steps is to install a new layer of ¾” clear gravel overtop of the basement soil. Basement Technologies® will install the correct amount of gravel as guided by the Ontario Building Code.

3rd Inspection Required:
At this time the building inspector will review all drain work, waterproofing systems and the backwater valve.

Drain Camera Feed and Video Recording:
If you live in the City of Hamilton, the city requires Basement Technologies® to provide a recording of all the downstream and upstream drains within the home to ensure nothing has been installed on the wrong drain line. This is also a requirement for the subsidy program. We at Basement Technologies® have our own drain camera and our drain video technicians will come in and record all existing drains for submission to the City. This step is optional for homeowners in Halton Region or elsewhere.

Concrete Floor Slab Poured:
After all the above conditions have been met, the building inspector is happy with our work and the Engineer is confident with the structural integrity, it is now time to pour the new floor slab over the gravel layer. Basement Technologies® will coordinate with a concrete delivery service in order to have the concrete delivered and installed within the same day. A skilled technician will ensure the new floor slab is level and to Code.

Site Cleanup:
Once our work is completed, our crew leader will go around with you to review all of our work. In the mean time, the rest of our crew will clean the entire area. All excess materials will be removed, tools cleaned up, garbage thrown out and the basement will be swept. The driveway will be washed and any remaining debris will be removed. We make sure you are fully satisfied with our work and are ready to finish your new full-height basement, confident that it will be safe and dry.

Click here to get your home estimate, or CALL: 905-527-3325 today to book an appointment.

GET AN ESTIMATE:

In-Home Estimate
or CALL: 905-527-3325 for your FREE ESTIMATE.

BUILDING PERMITS:

 Requires a Building Permit & Architectual Drawing

OUR CREDENTIALS:

IMAGE GALLERY:

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TESTIMONIALS:

Very personable and explained job thoroughly.

~ Ms. Biggane (Dundas, ON)

Ed was friendly and an outgoing person. The receptionist was nice.

RATING 10/10 ~ Mr. & Mrs. McLelland (Caledonia, ON)

FOUNDATION REPAIR TESTIMONIALS »

WARRANTY INFO:

 Warranty

GET AN ESTIMATE:

In-Home Estimate
or CALL: 905-527-3325 for your FREE ESTIMATE.

SERVICE AREA:

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