Are you a homeowner? Do you need more room for yourself or your family? Growing families can suddenly find themselves in need of additional space. This can create its own set of problems. You may feel very comfortable in your neighborhood or at home and have no desire to move. It is possible that you will lose your garden space or the area where your children play by trying to expand in the backyard. Additional constructions may be against local zoning ordinances. The cost of building is prohibitive – read here!
Expansion of your basement can help you meet your spatial needs. The basements of older houses, in particular, were not meant to be habitable. They are usually very small and have very low ceilings. Their sole purpose is to support the house’s skeletal frame.
Most homes have crawl spaces in their basements. You will have to alter your foundation to increase the area of your basement. There are two ways to lower your basement floor. Underpinning and benching are both methods. In both methods, structural changes will be required to your foundation walls and footings. In return, this will allow you to waterproof your cellar and gain valuable habitable space. It will all depend on your budget as well as the amount you want renovate and the space you would like to create.
Each has advantages and drawbacks.
Benching
Benching can be cheaper than underpinning. Benching is less expensive than underpinning, because it does not require digging below existing footings. The soil, and the existing footings, are not affected. This method involves pouring a new foundation in the old one to the same depth as the new floor of the basement. This method creates a new wall in the basement. It will create a ledge of equal height to the basement.
This is called benching, because you now have a seat around the perimeter. This bench could be used to build a new wall. You can get creative with cupboards.
The width will depend on how much extra height you need for your basement. If, for example you wish to increase the height in your basement by an additional 18 inches you would need to extend the width of your benches.
Benching is less expensive. You do not lose space in your basement with underpinning. It’s because you won’t need to build an extra wall. Underpinning requires a high level of expertise and should only by undertaken by seasoned, veteran contractors.
Underpinning is a process that involves digging and pouring to the depth of a new basement floor. In order to support foundation load, this process is carried out in sections. This is a slow, but very careful process. This is because by temporarily compromising foundation integrity, you will be lowering your basement.
There are several advantages to installing underpinnings. First, you get more space in your cellar without losing square footage. Second, you can forget any concerns that you may be having about the state of the foundation in your home.
Please note: , for all its benefits, is underpinned by a complex engineering solution.
As contractors with extensive experience in Cumming and basement finishing, we are familiar with the challenges homeowners face when converting a basement. Fortunately, a contractor with experience can make your remodeling project easier. They will also create the basement you have always wanted at an affordable rate.