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Basement Underpinning Oakville

Foundation underpinning is a cost-effective way of giving you higher ceilings in your basement and increasing your usable living space. It can also be used to address structural issues. Sometimes called “basement lowering,” this procedure involves dividing your basement into sections and carefully removing your old foundation section by section. Each numbered section is sequentially replaced with new, more substantial concrete footings. Basement underpinning is also helpful if you need a more robust slab to accommodate a second-storey addition.

When done correctly, underpinning your house improves the value of your home and gives you better headroom in your basement area. It’s crucial to choose the right contractor to carry out an underpinning project. Handled incorrectly by an inexperienced contractor, this process can weaken your structure to the point of total collapse. Choose an underpinning contractor that has good reviews and the respect of both clients and industry professionals.

Clients, contractors, and engineers trust MAGCOR to get the job done right. We’ve built our reputation on outstanding customer service and results that meet the highest standards. We’re fully licensed and insured, with an award-winning team that delivers projects that are well-run, on time, and in-budget. They keep everything moving smoothly, including getting your permits, inspections, plans, and taking care of demolition, construction, and waste removal.

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What is Basement Underpinning?

This specialized basement lowering process simultaneously supports your home while carefully removing your old or damaged foundation. Qualified underpinning contractors excavate to a specified depth and then build a stronger foundation to carry your home forward into the future you’re working toward.

Basement underpinning Oakville homes opens up more accessible storage areas, protects your valuables from water intrusion and mould damage, gives you a lot more headroom, and brings natural light into your basement. Save money on the cost of adding living space to your home while having the opportunity to fix any existing structural problems or prevent future issues.

We aim to please, and our customer service culture means you’ll feel well taken care of throughout each phase of your underpinning project. MAGCOR makes sure our underpinning specialists are well-trained, safety-focused, and experienced. Each team has members who:

  • Assess your home’s needs
  • Assist with permits, planning, and design
  • Ensure your home is adequately supported while work is carried out
  • Excavate the dirt from your crawlspace or under your concrete slab
  • Handle upgrades, like radiant floor heating, new wiring, drain systems, and sump pumps
  • Pour and float new concrete footers
  • Add walls
  • Install a new floor

Underpinning your foundation has the potential to deliver substantial benefits. Higher ceilings make for a living space you’ll want to spend time in, or one you could turn into a rental. Tearing out old wiring and updating the plumbing goes a long way toward convincing potential home buyers that your home is the one they want to invest in. Also, since you’ve already got all these systems exposed and accessible during the basement lowering process and you’re not trying to build a much more complicated addition, this is often a cost-effective way to make upgrades while increasing your home’s liveable square footage.

Benefits of Basement Underpinning

Bonus Living Space with Less Hassle

Building an addition to your house is a significant expense and comes with its own set of headaches. Permits are generally more expensive, and it takes longer to get them approved. With a basement lowering project, you take an existing structure and extend the walls after the foundation is dropped. On the other hand, additions involve the construction of not just a new foundation but walls and a roof, as well. There’s a lot more to consider in complexity when it comes to tying this new structure into your original home, and more complexity means you’ll have more decisions that need to be made. Building an addition usually takes longer than the four to six weeks required for most foundation underpinning projects.

Increase Your Home’s Property Value

A poorly maintained property can’t hold its value or compete with other comparable listings. Take care to prevent or address structural problems and manage your water drainage effectively. Don’t allow mould and moisture to spread from the basement to the rest of your house. Consider installing rental space in your basement for another income stream. You can also use that space for elderly family members as an alternative to a nursing home. Game rooms are another great addition that helps your home stand out from the pack.

Reinforce Your Foundation

You may need to reinforce your foundation for several reasons, including damage or the need to build up a thin slab so it can adequately support another storey. Foundations are subject to enormous pressures and extreme conditions. Hot summers and freezing winters bring a cycle of expansion and contraction that, over time, inevitably weakens your slab. Storms, flood events, and earthquakes can shift the earth under your foundation and cause settling, leaving unsupported sections that sag, buckle, and crack. Even having sup-par drainage around your house is problematic. When soil is waterlogged, it exerts enormous pressure on load-bearing walls.

Protect Better with Modern Waterproofing

Keeping water out of your basement and away from your foundation is important for the overall health and longevity of your home’s structural integrity. Modern waterproofing works with the materials your house is made with to make it difficult for water to enter the basement. High-tech Delta membranes line the walls and foundation, while the perimeter of your foundation is often equipped with a specialized drain system that catches accumulated water and carries it safely to the sump pump, where it can be pumped away from your house.

Replace Obsolete Plumbing, Wiring, and Insulation

During a foundation underpinning project, it’s the perfect time to go through your electrical wiring, insulation, and plumbing systems to make sure what you have works well and is adequate for the task. These systems are, by necessity, exposed, and contractors will have easy access to remove obsolete equipment and replace it with something more appropriate. These updates help increase the value of your house and make your property more attractive to potential buyers.

Taller Ceilings + Improved Lighting = Better Living Space

In the process of lowering your foundation, you’ll end up with taller ceilings and room for better lighting solutions. Increased wall space means you have the option to install more windows or replace existing ones with larger models that let in more natural light. That increased headroom also allows you to put in better overhead lighting. Consider ceiling fans with integrated light fixtures. Fans help control moisture levels and circulate heat more effectively in the winter while keeping you cool in the summer.

The Permit Process Can Be Less Expensive and Complicated Than Building an Addition

Traditional additions require permits and approvals that are much more expensive than a similar basement lowering project. Both give you extra livable space, but the permit fees and time until approval differ vastly. You can expect to pay around $2,500 for an average underpinning job, while the same size addition could cost between $4,000 to $10,000 and take a lot longer to process your permit application.

Do you have any question?
Feel free to contact us anytime.

Contact us now

Basement Underpinning Process

Assessment, Planning, and Permits for Basement Lowering

Our experienced basement underpinning expert assesses your site and develops a suitable plan in conjunction with the structural engineer and architect. They also can handle the permit application.

Secure Your Possessions

Before we start work, remove all valuables, household goods, and furniture from the basement so our crews have a clear space in which to work.

Basement Demolition

We’ll remove your old foundation after installing temporary supports. This is the step that also involves excavation and removal of systems you want to update, like wiring or plumbing.

Underpinning the Foundation in Sections

The structural engineer divides your space into alternating section groups labelled 1, 2, or 3. Each section is excavated and filled with the desired concrete support footing. When all the ones marked with a 1 are finished, the cycle continues until all number groups have been completed.

Drainage, Waterproofing, and Upgrades

Next, we’ll relocate drains to the appropriate depth and add sewage ejectors, if necessary. We’ll also install waterproofing systems and the sump pump and pour your new concrete floor.

Cleaning Up the Work Area

Once the job is complete, we’ll clean up after ourselves inside and finish taking away the excavated dirt and chunks of old foundation concrete.

Hire an Experienced Oakville Underpinning Contractor

MAGCOR has built its reputation on a history of reliability, integrity, and transparency. We’re with you every step of the way. Our award-winning team is trusted by homeowners, business owners, and contractors. We make sure our crews are friendly and well-trained. At MAGCOR, we look at your project as a partnership, putting the focus on solutions that work for your situation.

  • Award-winning Demolition and Underpinning Contractors
  • Only High-Quality Materials
  • Modern Technology and High Tech Equipment
  • Competitive and Fair Prices
  • We Always Give Unbiased Advice
  • We’ll Warranty Our Work
  • Industry Best Practices Are Our Practice
  • Licensed and Fully Insured

Recent Underpinning Projects in Oakville

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Address
82 Advance Rd., Etobicoke, ON M8Z 2T7

Phone
(416) 887-8833