Add Height to Your Basement: Underpinning vs. Benching

A basement renovation is a great way to increase your living space. Sure, there are other ways to add space to your home, but the basement is the first place to look. And frankly, it’s the easiest to renovate. The thing about renovating a basement is that you are building within an existing structure, so you don’t have to worry about zoning bylaws and building permits. When you renovate a basement, you’re not building anything from scratch. And unlike a home addition, your basement already has finished walls, ceilings, and flooring. This makes a basement renovation project a much cheaper endeavour to increase the space in your house.

However, many basements in older homes were not built to be livable; rather, they were built mainly for storage, laundry, and utilities. Therefore, these basements often have very low ceilings and little headroom. This is where basement lowering comes in, and nowadays, you can choose whether you want to do basement underpinning or benching basement. Either way, Reno Duck is willing to take care of your basement.

So, how can you add height to your basement?

Well, to add height to your basement, you can either go with structural changes to the foundation of the basement, or you can implement interior design elements that give the illusion of a higher basement ceiling. In this article, we’re digging into the ways to add height to your basement by altering your property’s foundation.

Lowering the Basement Foundation

We recommend changes to the basement’s foundation when less demanding alternatives aren’t possible. This is simply because altering the foundation of your property is costly and time-consuming.

However, if lowering your basement foundation is the only option, we suggest either one or a combination of the following techniques:

  • Basement underpinning
  • Basement benching

We’re discussing both basement lowering techniques in detail so you can learn about them and ultimately make an informed decision regarding your basement project.

The golden rule of the day: a foundational renovation should be your last resort.

What is basement underpinning?

Underpinning a basement involves digging around the perimeter of the basement walls.

What we do in underpinning is remove the existing basement footings, excavate to a lower depth, and pour new footings at that new depth. We then rebuild the basement walls in sections and install new floors.

It’s certainly a tough job that should be done by a foundation contractor.

Hiring a skilled foundation expert to underpin your basement is the best way to guarantee your house’s foundation isn’t compromised.

Also, since basement underpinning requires a lot of excavation, it can be quite costly.

What about basement benching?

Basement benching (aka bench-footing) is another way to add height to your basement. Instead of excavating under the existing basement foundation, a bench or ledge is built around the inside perimeter of the existing walls. Then, we lower the basement foundation within the benched space. This method allows us to pour a new concrete slab at a lower depth without modifying the foundation walls.

Basement benching requires much less digging than underpinning, making it a lot cheaper and faster to complete. However, the most outstanding drawback to bench-footing is that it takes away from the square footage of the basement because of the fact that you have this new bench around the inside perimeter of your basement.

You can obviously take advantage of this bench and not let it become wasted space. Find a way to incorporate it into your basement decor. You can add cushions on the ledge to create some seating. You can also ask your contractor to turn it into a built-in storage space. Or better yet, you can even place your entertainment unit on it.

Basement Underpinning & Basement Benching

Underpinning a basement involves digging around the perimeter of the basement walls.

What we do in basement underpinning is remove the existing basement footings, excavate to a lower depth, and pour new footings at that new depth. We then rebuild the basement walls in sections and install new floors.

It is certainly a tough job that should be done by a foundation contractor. Hiring a skilled foundation expert to underpin your basement is the best way to guarantee your house’s foundation is not compromised.

Also, since basement underpinning requires a lot of excavation, it can be quite costly.

  • Improved structural integrity: The main advantage of basement underpinning is that it makes the foundation strong. The foundation of your structure may have been constructed improperly or has, over the years, been damaged by extreme climate changes, repairs or suffered wear and tear. Underpinning will not only make your foundation strong but also protect it from all manner of calamities.
  • Enhanced ceiling height and lighting: Underpinning involves the lowering of the basement. This increases headroom, and the additional usable space allows you to install better lighting fixtures. You will also have room to install more windows and doors that permit natural light into the basement.
  • Update electrical fixtures, plumbing, and insulation: With underpinning, you will be able to access the mechanics of your home, including insulation, wiring, and plumbing works. You can take care of any required repairs at this time.
  • Boost the value of your property: The grand beauty of underpinning is that it enhances the value of your property in the hot real estate market in Toronto. If you plan on selling your property, having finished underpinning will make your home more attractive. It is also possible to convert the finished basement into a rental unit.

Even with all the amazing benefits, basement underpinning is not without some demerits. Here are the two main disadvantages.

  • It is a big project: Basement lowering involves significant engineering and architectural components. These end up making the project huge. The project is resource-intensive. A significant amount of labour and time will be required during the preparation and action phases. It may take more than a month to get the job done.
  • It is expensive: Being resource-intensive means that the project will cost a substantial amount of money. The project will cost between $20,000 and $50,000 to complete. The total amount you spend will depend on the size of the basement and other appropriate considerations.

Basement benching (aka bench-footing) is another way to add height to your basement. Instead of excavating under the existing basement foundation, a bench or ledge is built around the inside perimeter of the existing walls. Then, we lower the basement foundation within the benched space. This method allows us to pour a new concrete slab at a lower depth without modifying the foundation walls.

Basement benching requires much less digging than underpinning, making it a lot cheaper and faster to complete. However, the most outstanding drawback to bench-footing is that it takes away from the square footage of the basement because of the fact that you have this new bench around the inside perimeter of your basement.

You can obviously take advantage of this bench and not let it become wasted space. Find a way to incorporate it into your basement decor. You can add cushions on the ledge to create some seating. You can also ask your contractor to turn it into a built-in storage space. Or better yet, you can even place your entertainment unit on it.

There are several benefits that come with bench footing. The key importance of bench footing includes:

  • Increased living space
  • Extra foundation support
  • Increased home value
  • Damp-free home with better air

As for the advantages, the main ones include:

  • Less time consuming
  • More affordable than underpinning
  • Requires less labour
  • Makes no change to the foundation walls
  • Less excavation work is needed
  • Benches can be modified to add effects to the room
  • It’s a great option if you have a common wall and the neighbour doesn’t approve of digging under the foundation.

Bench footing has disadvantages that make people prefer underpinning. Here are the main disadvantages:

  • Bench footing is often referred to as ‘thief of space’. This is because it will reduce the square footage area of your basement. You also have limited choices for efficiently using the bench structure.
  • It may not boost the market value of your property
  • Bench footing doesn’t involve the repair of foundation cracks. You will have to pay extra to get foundation cracks repaired.

How to Choose Between Basement Underpinning and Bench Footing Basement?

Are you torn between basement underpinning and bench footing? If yes, you are not the only one. Both options offer a fair share of pros and cons. Where one option lacks, the other excels. It goes without saying that one is better. Let’s take a look at both.

Do you need a solution that will increase the height of your basement without decreasing the square footage area? If so, underpinning is what you need. It involves excavating sections of earth under the footing of the house. Bench footing only excavates around the foundation and not under it. Consequently, the square footage area of the basement is reduced.

How is the soil around your house? If the soil is not stable, you should do everything possible to avoid disturbing it. This is because excavating under the footing will compromise the foundation or even ruin the house. If this situation applies to you, the best technique when lowering your basement will be bench footing.

When sharing a common wall with your neighbour, you will require their permission before lowering your basement using the underpinning technique. This is because when excavating, the soil under the foundation of your neighbour will also be affected. If your neighbour does not permit you to lower your basement using underpinning, the only option you are left with is bench footing.

When your house has a weak foundation, you don’t want to tamper with the foundation in any way. You should avoid excavating under the footing because excavating under a weak foundation increases the risk of collapse. If this is the case, bench footing will be perfect. The technique involves excavating around the foundation and not under it.

When what you need is a strong basement lowering technique that strengthens the foundation of your structure, what you need is the underpinning technique. On the other hand, if the foundation of your house is strong and does not require additional support, the bench-footing approach will be great.

Last but not least, if you are working with a tight budget, bench footing might just be the option you need. Bench footing involves less work, less time, costs less and has a lower risk. Underpinning is more expensive, resource-intensive and involves a significant amount of risk. Precision will be required when working under the foundation.

The right contractor to add height to your basement

There’s no doubt that lowering your basement is a demanding job. Changing the foundation of your home is not a simple task, which is why we encourage homeowners to do thorough research. And although finding the right basement contractor to do the job can be challenging, we advise you to check references and online reviews. It’s also best to go with a contractor who’s worked on this type of project before. With basement lowering, experience goes a long way. Your house’s foundation is no joke, so take your time and plan smartly.

FAQ about Bench Footing and Basement Underpinning

Older homes have low ceilings because the basements were not built with the intention of finishing them. To raise the roof of a basement, structural engineers and foundation experts dig down through the foundation of the house to make the basement deeper. This causes the ceilings to be higher.

Lowering the basement is, in most cases, cheaper than constructing an addition to your home. Therefore, it is a highly recommended option when adding more livable space to a home.

The time it takes to complete a basement lowering project will depend on whether your home had a basic slab or a full basement. It takes 2 to 4 weeks for a foundation to be laid. On average, a basement conversion takes between 8 to 20 weeks, depending on size.

The answer is a resounding Yes. The main purpose of basement lowering is to convert an unlivable basement space into a livable one. A 5-foot basement can be converted into a livable space with upwards of 9 feet. This is achieved by making the basement deeper.

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