At Direct Waterproofing, we offer full basement lowering services that give you the opportunity to create extra living or working space out of your basement or crawl space. Basement lowering is designed to give extra height to the space, which allows it to be comfortably inhabited.
Basement lowering refers to the process of digging out your basement or crawl space in a certain way, in order that the floor can be lowered, and therefore the ceiling gain relative height. There are several types of basement lowering that we offer at Direct Waterproofing.
UNDERPINNING:
You cannot simply dig out your basement floor in order to gain height. This could cause damage to the structure of the existing foundations. Instead, we dig under the existing foundations, and create new ones. This method is usually used to heighten the ceiling of an existing basement, in order to turn a storage space into a livable space.
CRAWL SPACE CONVERSION:
Using the underpinning technique, we can also convert your crawl space. What was once just an unusable room under the floor, can actually become a fully functional storage space, bedroom, or office. We dig under the foundations to add new ones, before lowering the basement floor.
BENCHING:
Benching is a less time consuming and expensive approach to basement lowering. Instead of digging right under the existing foundations, new foundations are installed which partly overlap with the old ones. This allows for structural stability, but does eat into the room, as it is left with a bench around the perimeter. This can, however, be worked into the design of the room.
COMBINATION OF BENCHING & UNDERPINNING:
Underpinning can be an expensive process, but helps to maximize the floor space. Benching is an easier procedure, but leaves a border around the perimeter. Many people opt for a combination of underpinning and benching. For example, they underpin one side of the room, and work a bench into the design of the other. The combination reduces costs, and allows for the best of both worlds.
Knowing what basement solution is right for you is important, but if you are unsure we can discuss this with you fully during the consultation phase. The decision will ultimately depend on your home, your requirements for the room, and on your budget.
Both the benching and underpinning procedure require a lot of work, but the benching requires less excavation, and we don’t have to dig out under your foundations in sections like we would do with underpinning. Underpinning is preferable because it doesn’t disrupt the livable space of the room, whereas benching can easily take a foot or two away around the perimeter.
Your decision then will depend on whether your first priority is to stick to a tight budget, or whether your priority is to maximize the space of the new room. In some cases benching can actually add to the design of a room, and so you may opt for a combination. The decision is yours, though we will always be here to provide professional opinions. Arrange a free consultation with us to find out more.
Whether you want benching, or underpinning we are here to help! Basement lowering is one of the jobs that should never be attempted without the professionals. Doing it badly will negatively affect the structure of your home, while having a professional lowering done will inevitably bring the value of your home up, and give you a lovely new living space to play and work in.
We work with top class engineers in order to draw up the plans, and can handle all of the contracting. With over 25 years experience in basement waterproofing and lowering, Direct Waterproofing are confident we can deliver an outstanding project each and every time.
