Basement Lowering
Foundation Underpinning

Lowering a Basement Floor

Most basements of older homes within the older areas of our cities and towns are not high enough to walk around comfortably. - In many of these century homes and pre 1940 homes the basement was often referred to as the 'cellar' and was used as a utility space where such items as the furnace, (coal storage / oil tank storage in older homes), water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, systems were located.

With proper engineering and modern construction and waterproofing technologies it is possible to convert these basement storage spaces into livable space by lowering the basement floor and waterproofing the foundation.

Are you considering having your basement lowered to increase the basement ceiling height and gain some additional living space?
Are you avoiding remodeling and finishing your basement because the ceiling height is too low or the floors are buckled and cracked and the walls are damp or have water leaks?

If you are looking to add space to your home, lowering the basement to add additional ceiling height may be the solution.

You might be surprised how much space can be created when finishing a basement by lowering the basement floor and the base level of the foundation by means of foundation underpinning or bench-ledging. Make your basement a useful, livable space that adds value to your home now and when it's time to sell.

Benefits of Lowering your Basement

• Increased amount of extra living space
• Increased home value - as the total finished square footage has increased
• Possible rental income from renting out a basement apartment
• Improved air flow in the house
• Improved air quality, no more damp smelly basement

IMPORTANT: If basement lowering is not done correctly, the basement excavation could damage or undermine the foundation and lead to a collapse of your home. Therefore, a basement dig out must be done by professional basement foundation contractors who are knowledgeable, licenced, equipped and experienced.

Cochren Foundation has over 40+ years of foundation construction and engineering experience. We specialize in aspects of basement lowering, foundation repair and foundation waterproofing projects. We work with you every step of the way to ensure that your basement lowering project is completed on time, and on budget and with excellent quality results!

Please contact us using our email form or call toll free 1-888-610-4959 today for a free estimate and get your basement lowering project underway with proven professionals whom you can trust and rely on!

Basement Lowering Project Stages

Basement lowering by digging out the basement and excavating is a multi-stage project and a major renovation for any home. Contract with the experts at Cochren Foundation to complete your basement floor lowering project. We employee only the most experienced engineers and foundation contractors. Our company has over 40 years of construction expertise. We are experienced with all stages of the basement dig out / basement excavation project.

Click here to contact us or call 1-888-610-4959 today for a basement lowering estimate.

Below are the main stages of a typical basement lowering project:

• Obtain all drawings and a building permit approved by your municipality for the basement lowering project (which may involve any of: foundation underpinning, bench-ledging, bench lowering, bench footings
• Locate the water supply line
• Locate existing floor drains sewer lines
• Remove existing concrete slab
• Excavate / Dig Down the existing basement floor elevation
• Relocate water meter
• Relocate basement drain system
• Install new floor drain(s)
• Install sump pump
• Install new beam columns
• Install new beam(s) (if required)
• Pour new concrete slab
• Basement foundation waterproofing

Basement Lowering Methods

Before the existing basement floor can be lowered, the foundation must be stabilized to ensure that the basement excavation does not compromise the foundation resulting in cracks, sinking or worse ... collapse of the home.
Basement Lowering, also referred to as Basement Dig Out, Dig Out Basement Floor, Basement Excavation, Basement Floor Lowering, Lowering Basement Floor, Lowering Basements, Increasing Basement Height, Digging Down a Basement, Digging Out a Basement is accomplished by underpinning the foundation or installing bench footings and removing the existing floor, excavating the basement to the new elevation and pouring a new concrete slab. Aside from stabilizing a damaged foundation, the most common reason one would underpin a foundation or constructing bench footings is to accommodate lowering the basement floor to increase the ceiling height of the basement.

Benching - Bench Ledging - Bench Footings

Benching or Bench Ledging or Bench Footings - A new foundation wall is installed by digging down away from the internal wall just above the existing footings. The ledge or bench will extend into the basement reducing the finished floor space slightly. The depth of the ledge (or bench) that is created will determine the width it will extend horizontally into the basement. Typically the width of the bench footing will be equal to it's height.
With benching there is a slight loss of floor space.

Foundation Underpinning

Foundation Underpinning involves excavating sections under the existing foundation wall to the desired depth and pouring new concrete under the existing foundation. This maximizes finished size of the lowered basement since there is no loss of horizontal space as there is with the bench footing method of basement lowering.

Dig out your basement floor, increase your home size and enjoy your new space!

Contact us or call 1-888-610-4959 today to discuss how increasing your basement height through basement lowering can add value to your home.

Basement Lowering Service Areas

Cochren Foundation & Repair Company, a basement lowering contractor, provides basement lowering services in the following locations throughout the southern Ontario and the GTA:
Basement Lowering in Toronto, Basement Lowering in Brampton, Basement Lowering in Markam, Basement Lowering in Mississauga, Basement Lowering in Guelph, Basement Lowering in Acton, Basement Lowering in Caledon, Basement Lowering in Halton Hills, Basement Lowering in Georgetown, Basement Lowering in Milton, Basement Lowering in Oakville and Basement Lowering in Burlington.

Other Basement Renovation and Foundation Structural Repair Services we provide:

• Basement Walk Outs
  Adding a pool or simply looking to reduce traffic through the house, now you can have direct access from the garden to the basement. We have some innovative ideas to save time and money. We provide the engineering, design and construction.
  
  
• Column & Beam Replacement
  If the existing beams are undersized or the first floor is sagging, we can design and install stiffer beams with longer spans for openness.
  
  
• Exterior and Interior Foundation Waterproofing
  
  
  
• Sump Pump & Pit Replacement, Weeping tile