Basement underpinning helps add more strength to the building’s foundation. Learn how it can solve structural issues in your property.
Besides supporting the foundation of your building, underpinning the basement also helps expand the livable space in your house. The old homes in Toronto had basements to store old, unused items. With time, the need for liveable space in the same house increased. Therefore, the basement became a living space for the house members.
However, if this structural issue does not allow you to convert the place into a bedroom or other usable space, then you can consider basement underpinning. It works by adding more concrete material under the foundation. As a result, it becomes stable, and you can convert your basement into a livable space.
What Is Basement Underpinning?
It is a way of deepening the existing building floor by digging beneath the foundation and constructing new footings below the present foundation. The concrete footings installed underneath the foundation will help distribute the building load on the soil.
Professionals dig 2 to 3 feet below the present foundation to place the footings. As a result, the existing can be lowered and more headspace can be created in the basement.
Alternatively, if the building has structural issues in its foundation, with a reliable basement underpinning, you can resolve them completely. Professional companies that specialize in foundation repair in Toronto can help you resolve issues related to the building foundation. With mass concrete underpinning, they can fix the building foundation.
Signs Your Older Home May Need Underpinning
So, how do you understand that the old house you own in Toronto needs underpinnings? Let’s take a look at the following.
Visible Cracks in Foundation Walls
The basement wall might develop visible cracks. It means there might be a ground settlement issue in the soil, which puts pressure on one side of the building, and you can see the visible cracks.
Uneven or Sloping Floors
If you notice that the basement floor has become uneven, then there is a serious problem of ground settlement. In such cases, basement underpinning can be a good option to fix the issue.
Doors/windows Sticking
If you notice that the doors and windows are sticking when you try to shut them, it means that one side of the foundation is not strong enough to support the building’s load. It has already developed foundational issues.
Chronic Basement Moisture or Water Leaks
If you feel a constant presence of moisture or water leaking into the basement, then you have a serious issue in your basement.
Structural Benefits of Underpinning
If you choose to go for a basement underpinning in Toronto, your building will become structurally strong. The foundation will stabilize and will be able to support the building load properly.
If there is any settlement issue in your building, then the basement underpinning can resolve the issue by installing concrete metal footings under the basement.
If the basement underpinning is properly installed and the structure of your building is still strong enough, then the existing building will be able to carry more loads vertically.
Added Bonus: Increased Usable Living Space
To properly install basement underpinning, professional workers might have to dig significantly deep. As a result, you can lower the floor and increase the livable space in your basement. This creates more headroom for you to use the basement as a gym or family room. Moreover, the increase in ceiling height also improves the property’s value.
Why Underpinning Is Ideal for Toronto Homes
If you own a home in Toronto that was built more than 50-100 years ago, it might have a shallow building foundation. With a building underpinning, you can increase the depth of the foundation and add more strength to it.
Additionally, the freeze-thaw cycle that is common in Toronto may weaken the structural strength of the foundation. Basement underpinning can resolve that issue by adding a structural support to it.
Risks of Ignoring Structural Foundation Issues
If you ignore the risk of foundational issues for your old home in Toronto, you might cause long-term damage to the building. For example, if there is a ground settlement issue in your old house and it goes unattended, the building will settle more. It might lead to widely visible cracks in the building.
At this point, even if you want to sell the house to a property developer, it will not attract much value as you would expect. Otherwise, you can repair the damages caused by the delay of addressing the foundational issues, but the repair will be costlier.
So, the best way to address the foundational issue would be to hire a company for foundation repair in Toronto.
Hire a Basement Underpinning Service, Increase Your Property Value
Basement underpinning for the old Toronto home can add strength to the foundation. Besides, the building will have a higher load-bearing capacity vertically. So, you can increase the upper structure if the foundation strength permits it. If you properly care for your building, it will yield you excellent returns.