Basement Underpinning And Lowering

Basement underpinning is the process of reinforcing an existing foundation of your home. Most often it is performed when a homeowner wants to dig out the foundation to increase basement room height. Basement lowering and finishing are good ways to increase the value of your home, both for you, a current homeowner, and for the subsequent buyers.

Even if you have only a crawl space, it can be deepened. You can create a livable space out of it. But digging out basement may upset the foundation, cracks in the walls and dangerous living conditions practically guaranteed if you hire amateur contractors or get uninsured help. 

So make sure you get a licensed contractor, even if your uncle claims he did it before, your wife doesn't want to hear about expense associated with it, and contractor seems to charge an arm and a leg. Too much is on stake if you do this one job wrongly. 

On the other hand, finishing your basement and making it livable opens so many opportunitites, especially for the families living in the urban areas where home prices are high. You can increase the value of your home by as much as 10%, and enjoy extra income from renting out that basement - or extra room for your family to enjoy. 

Very often, along with basement lowering, homeowners also want to install a bathroom in the basement. 

From the plumber's perspective, basement underpinning is a perfect time to check the conditions of your pipes. But there is more that needs to be done. 

You see, when you lower your basement, you may go below the level of water in the soil. You need to waterproof your basement by installing a sump pump. Moreover, lowering process entails removing the concrete floor, locating all your drain, water supply, and sewer lines. 

Sometimes, drain pipes need to be replaced or relocated. Sometimes, new plumbing needs to be added for the future bathroom.

Always have a certified plumber work on your basement lowering and underpinning projects.