Basement underpinning or lowering your basement is not a fun project you can embark on without an ultimate purpose. The project requires hiring professionals and financial responsibility to achieve the overall with basement underpinning.
Lowering your basement is not a cosmetic process; it has more structural value than meets the eye. Meanwhile, here are some of the purposes of basement underpinning;
- Conversion of the crawl space into usable space
- Reinforcement of a weak foundation
- Provision of additional support to cracked foundation walls
- Increasing the depth of the basement to raise the ceiling levels.
Here are the 5 main benefits of basement underpinning:
1. Rental Income
During the process of basement underpinning, you can install a new entrance to the basement. This will open it up for possible rental purposes. The basement will become a suitable, rentable apartment that will be a source of additional income to you and a medium of recovering the cost of lowering the basement. Within a few years, you will recoup the money spent on underpinning your basement in addition to increase the value of your home.
2. Support for another Story
If you are considering another story to the existing building, basement underpinning is the perfect solution to support the structure and the new load capacity. If your home is old, it may not have sufficient footings to keep the building from shifting or moving under the new additional weight. However, basement underpinning is the perfect solution to compensate for the extra weight of the new store.
3. Increased Desirability
Basement underpinning makes a home more desirable. People usually love homes that have a finished basement and effective basement waterproofing. When your home has extra rooms in the basement that can be used as a game room, kitchenette, home office, etc., it will appeal to several potential buyers. The chances of selling the house more quickly and at a higher price are higher.
4. Enhanced HVAC Performance
Lowering the basement allows the insulation of the home to be upgraded as well as the basement waterproofing. This gives you a drier basement as all cracks and holes will be plugged. The HVAC in the home becomes more efficient as the energy-efficiency of the home has been improved through basement underpinning. As a result, you spend less on energy bills and HVAC maintenance and repairs.
5. Healthier Home
Basement underpinning promotes the health of the residents of the house. Older basements may have holes or cracks that let water seepage into the foundation and the home. With excess moisture or humidity in the basement, there will undoubtedly be mold growth, mildew presence, and musty odor that can pose a lot of health hazards to occupants of the building. However, all these issues will be fixed during the basement underpinning.