
Solid Support, Solid Results! Trust GJ MacRae for Professional Bench Footings in Toronto.
A common problem in every household is needing more space! The house you bought had enough space at first, but you felt the squeeze as years passed! You purchased a new couch but wanted to keep the old one, and now there’s no space to store it. Or you bought a pool table to play with your pals, but there’s no space to keep it. So you think about building up or sideways but don’t realize the enormous cost! Building up requires you to change the entire structure of your upper floors to increase the ceiling height, which will cost you a fortune. Building sideways is not ideal either; you must sacrifice much of your favorite garden or yard space!
But what if we tell you you can expand your basement without spending a lot or giving away your outdoor garden space? A special kind of underpinning method, called Bench Pinning or Bench Footing, can increase your basement’s ceiling height.
Bench footing or Bench underpinning is the process of expanding your basement height. You can raise the height of your basement without digging under the foundation wall and footing. This method supports the original foundation and is connected to the new floor at a lower height. This method is safe, quick, and economical compared to other basement height-increasing methods.
Bench Footing basement is ideal for homeowners whose houses are very close or attached to another building, and performing basement underpinning may be risky. Suppose you want to increase your basement height quicker and under a small budget. In that case, a bench footing is the ideal solution for you. Even though you can get the desired height, you must sacrifice a little of your square footage to install a bench footing. However, it is still a win-win. You get a taller, livable basement and more robust foundation support at a fraction of the cost of a complete underpinning installation.
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The first step is to contact an engineer to come to your home for a design drawing. The drawing is a detailed plan of the structure and a plan on how to extend the footings and remove load-bearing walls throughout the entire basement. This plan is then used to obtain a building permit from the city.
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Once the permit is in place, the next step is to prepare the site and clear everything out of the basement. After everything is cleared out, the excavation process starts. We dig a pit in the ground according to the desired dimensions and depth of the bench footing. The trench should be wide enough to accommodate the bench’s width and deep enough to provide stability.
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We then installed reinforcement bars within the trench and created a formwork. The size and spacing should be according to your desired bench footing size.
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After everything is set, we pour the concrete into the form. Then, the surface is leveled to create a smooth bench. The concrete structure is then left to cure.
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New drainage and weeping tile systems have been installed on the newly dug floor. This will help to keep your basement functioning and waterproofed adequately.
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After everything is in place, a new concrete floor is poured, and the new floor is a few feet below the original floor. You will get a taller basement and a new floor when the new concrete floor cures.
The Impolite Canuck2024-10-27 GJ MacRae did an amazing job on my cracked foundation. Highly recommend. Guys were professional, punctual, courteous, informative and left zero mess. They even fixed some rod leaks I discovered after the second deluge last August at no extra charge. Peggy Smith2024-08-25 Very happy with a recent job completed by GJ MacRae Foundation Repair at our home. The service was excellent, the owner and working crew were very courteous and knowledgeable about their trade. They completed the work on time and on budget and they did a great job! I would highly recommend this company for any foundation/basement you may have. bklodt2024-07-15 Used GJ MacRae for a foundation repair at our heritage house built circa 1894. The experience was positive from the quoting through 3 days execution of the work. Was done on time and on budget with a hard working crew who were experienced and left behind a strong and waterproof block wall. Gavin the owner was a pleasure to work with. Would use them again if ever needed. Lisa Kemp2024-07-15 G J MacRae installed a sump pump in my house to help with a water problem in my basement. The workers were professional and knowledgeable and took care with the quality of their work. They did an excellent job. I’m very happy with the result and would recommend them. Kyle Yamamura2024-06-21 Highly recommend the team at GJ MacRae. Excellent quality of work and customer service - which is hard to find these days. The waterproofing of my basement was fast, clean and effective - all at a very reasonable price. Thank you! Malique Ouedraogo2024-06-15 GJ MacRae repaired the foundation of my parents-in-law place in May of 2024. They had had a leak for quite some time and even with the heavy rains we had in late May/early June, their basement is now 100% dry. The team was courteous, patient with questions and very honest. They were reliable workers - showing up on time, cleaning up after themselves and tried to be as unobtrusive as they could when working in the house. They worked with a high level of integrity. My parents-in-law would highly recommend this company. Paitra VB2024-06-13 Dean and the team from GJ MacRae were great! Dean was super quick to reach out and come and check out our crawlspace where it was leaking, and got his team in as soon as possible to fix it up. Would definitely use them again! David2024-06-10 GJ MacRae went above and beyond to get our project finished. We're very grateful for their dedication and excellent workmanship! Kent Parker2024-05-25 We love in an attached house in downtown Toronto. A neighbour’s recent renovation to a shared wall uncovered an encroachment issue from 1948 that required us to move our footings. After a few quotes, we decided to work with GJ MacRae Foundation Repair. From the quoting process, careful planning and execution, their work was flawless, expertly explained and done to our (and our neighbour’s) satisfaction. Would 100% recommend.
There are many methods to increase your basement height. Still, if you want something budget-friendly, a bench footing is the way to go. Bench footings can be carried out without hindering the existing footing, and adding the new bench enhances the structural integrity of your foundations. Also, it is very cost-effective and can be done very quickly.
So, if you have a basement with too little height, weak footing, and cracked foundation walls, contact GJ MacRae, the finest bench footing contractor in Toronto. We provide the best bench footing service in Toronto, basement waterproofing, and other foundation repair services. Give us a call or fill out the form below, and our team will inspect your basement and provide an ideal solution. Feel free to contact us at (905) 824-2557 or complete the form below.
We’re honored to provide these resources to help you on your journey, and we know reputations are hard to build and easy to lose. That’s why our business is built around two simple promises:
Honesty and Transparency.
We genuinely want each step of your journey (from the very first Google search to a leak-free basement) to be positive!
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At GJ MacRae, we take pride in extending our services across the GTA to meet our valued customers’ unique needs, and our dedicated team is committed to delivering top-notch solutions all year long. Our expansive service areas are a testament to our unwavering commitment to the highest quality foundation repair services and customer satisfaction in the GTA.
Fill out our request form and we will contact you as soon as possible for a free foundation repair consultation!
GJ MacRae Foundation Repair has been the industry leader for reliable basement waterproofing in the Greater Toronto Area Since 1975. Nearly five decades of experience inform our proven multi-stage repair process based on below-grade drainage considerations that allow us to waterproof concrete blocks, poured walls, and stone rubble foundation walls properly for the long term. Our repair solutions for leaking foundation cracks include using bitumen-based barrier membranes and high-efficiency weeping tile systems, which give us the edge in reliability and allow for the most robust foundation repair warranty available today in the GTA. Experience the GJ MacRae difference for year-round basement leak repairs in Toronto, Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington, Hamilton, Milton, and Georgetown. If you spot cracked foundation walls, leaky foundations, or any other basement waterproofing issues in your house, reach out and call us today at (905) 824-2557.
Serving Toronto and the GTA Since 1975