Finished basement with musty odourMany older homes in Toronto have basements with low ceilings, uneven floors and moldy walls that are little more than cellars. Their owners often only go there to check their boilers, or store something they’ll never use again. That’s a great pity, because they never know the potential that they wasted as they closed the door behind them.

These days, basement lowering specialists use modern building methods to dig out cellar floors and convert dead space into living space, with good headroom at a fraction of the cost of attic conversions. The common method is known as underpinning, or basement lowering.  They use technology to preserve the home above from any risk of damage as they go about their work. When their job is complete, they have added considerable value to their client’s home at a fraction of the cost.

Five Reasons to Do a Basement Conversion

  • Create More Living SpaceThere’s hardly a home that wouldn’t benefit from an extra room. Teenagers suddenly need their privacy. Mom or dad decide to work from home. The family is growing up and needs an informal place to meet, or at least a place where the kids can play without driving anyone crazy. There’s no end of reasons. It just costs too much to move.
  • Add Value to Your Investment – There’s no doubt that a home is still one of your safest investments, notwithstanding the fact that the real estate market’s taken a knock lately here in Toronto, but it always rebounds with a bang. It’s important not to over-capitalize. Digging out a basement costs significantly less than attic conversions and home extensions. This means greater profit when you sell someday.
  • Create a Healthier Environment – Neglected basements accumulate dirt, damp and mold. Nobody in their right mind would leave the spare-room looking like that upstairs. If they did, they would be at risk of respiratory infections. The same applies when there’s mold and decay on the far side of the door leading to the basement.
  • Benefit from Extra Income – As time passes, kids leave home, and retirement age is reached, many Canadian’s suffer income contraction as they enter a new phase. There are always clean and decent youngsters looking to establish their first base. This brings income that makes holidays affordable again. While there are hoops to jump through in order to have a legal basement apartment in The Bay Area, it can be done.
  • Achieve the Impossible Dream – Many of us have “secret hobbies” that we enjoyed when we were younger. These could include dressmaking, building model cars and boats or even something more artistic. A lack of dedicated space often holds us back from rediscovering them. Dig out the cellar, and you’re on your way to doing what you love….or even replacing your day job one day!

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A Word of Caution

A cellar or basement with low head height still bears the full weight of the home above it. This is definitely not something to be done by amateurs as you can see from the news lately here in The Bay Area.  I the hands of professionals, it’s a safe and painless process.

There’s good reason to hire a foundation specialist who also understands the importance of effective ground-water management. They can ensure that there’s no structural danger at any time, and that the living space above is unaffected while the job is on.

 

 

 

Ideal Humidity in Toronto basementDoes your basement feel like a jungle in Central America during the Winter?  Maybe it’s time to check the humidity levels in your basement.

Humidity refers to the amount of moisture in the air. When air has absorbed all the moisture that it can, we say that humidity is at 100%. When the humidity level is at say half of that, it is defined as being at 50%. In other words, measures of humidity are relative, which is why we speak of RH, or relative humidity.

The Effect of Seasons

Everything expands as it gets warmer, and that applies to the air itself. As a consequence, it absorbs more moisture when the ambient temperature’s warmer. This is why us homeowners in Toronto are plagued by humidity when the heating’s turned up in their basements – especially in winter when the windows and doors are tightly closed.

You can track humidity by purchasing a mechanical or electronic hygrometer that records the RH, although you do need to allow the instrument to settle for twelve hours first. Note that the same absolute moisture-level will produce a different relative reading at different ambient temperatures.

The Human Factor

What we described so far is theoretical. Humans have a habit of changing their environment everywhere we go (and that includes our homes). Air pollution and global warming are extreme examples. It may come as a shock to know that even breathing affects the relative humidity in your home.

Most everything we do in our home involves the use of energy. Energy that is released warms the air. Warm air absorbs more moisture. Up goes the humidity level. It’s as simple as that. But we don’t stop there, do we? We release moisture into the air every time we bath or shower, wash dishes or do the laundry.

The Right Humidity

Our bodies require a level of humidity for health. When it’s too high we may develop respiratory problems because of mould spores drifting through the air. By contrast, if the RH is too low we get scratchy throats and noses, and chapped skin and lips. These are Mother Nature’s natural hygrometers we need to listen too.

After you’ve purchased a mechanical or electronic hygrometer, you can assess humidity more accurately, although do remember that hygrometer readings are relative to ambient temperatures. When your home is nice and snug in winter, it should range between 30 and 50 percent. However when the outside temperature drops to -10c / 14F, you should aim for 30.

When Humidity’s Too High

You can use humidifiers and dehumidifiers to control relative humidity selectively. However you can also influence things by venting clothes-driers, opening doors and windows daily, and taking cooler showers and baths. As you bring your humidity levels down you’ll also have less mould. And that should make your family healthier, happier and more relaxed.

 

photo credit: Flckr

 

 

Many older homes have a basement or cellar but the likelihood is that this isn’t being used for anything other than storage, if it’s being used at all. Yet in cities, where space to expand is at a premium (like in The Bay Area), converting your cellar can give you useful extra space and add value to your property with relatively little disruption. The advantage of a cellar conversion over converting your loft is that it’s usually nearer to other living areas of the house. This makes it ideal for things like games rooms, gyms, studies or home cinemas.

The key to a successful project is to find an experience renovation contractor.  When I searched for a home addition contractor near me, I found several good ones but the one I ultimately chose was the highest rated on Google.

Converting a cellar or basement into habitable space is a relatively rare task people take on in the UK due to moist air and land. It doesn’t have to be a scarce home improvement though. In most cases a conversion won’t need planning permission as you’re not changing the external appearance of the property. The exceptions are if you’re creating a completely separate living unit, a basement flat say or you’re excavating a new basement from scratch. Building regulations of course will always apply with regards to things like escape routes, ventilation, damp proofing, electrics and so on.

Is My House Suitable?

If you have an existing cellar then the answer is almost certainly yes. You’ll probably need to carry out some remedial work like water proofing and fitting a better staircase but otherwise it should be a relatively painless process.

The modern trend is to add new basements to properties that don’t already have them. Most older properties have a suspended timber floor which means that disruption to the house is minimized because most of the work can be carried out from the outside. However, some older homes have relatively shallow foundations so you may need to underpin the walls before work can commence. It’s important to get a professional to advise you here.

The biggest problem with any below ground conversion is likely to be water and how to keep it out. Rainwater may seep from the outside boundaries of the property or from blocked gutters and drains down towards the basement. Because it doesn’t get direct sunlight it can be difficult to get damp to dry up, leading to mildew and other problems. The most common solution to dealing with rainwater problems is to lay drainage pipes around the base of the outside walls so that the water is carried away before it seeps down.

Groundwater seeping into the cellar may also present a problem. In these cases the best solution is to install a lining membrane behind a secondary wall; this allows water to collect in a sump from where it can be pumped away to the outside. This is more effective than the older technique of tanking with a cement lining and works even in locations where the water table is high. Before undertaking any kind of conversion you should check if your area is liable to flooding.

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Other Things to Think About

If your house is terraced or semi-detached then you’ll need to consider the neighbors. They’re entitled to inquire about the possibility of subsidence and request a report at your expense. A good architect or surveyor should be able to advise you here but it’s still worth having a chat to your neighbors before you start work.

Your cellar conversion will also need services like electricity, plumbing and heating so it’s important to work out how you’re going to provide these. Depending on the use you intend to put it to you may also need phone and TV points. To ensure safety it’s a good idea to have a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide alarm too.

If there’s a wooden floor above you’ll need to pay attention to soundproofing so that you’re not disturbed by people moving about upstairs. Don’t make it too soundproof though, you still need to hear the phone and the doorbell!

Because there’s likely to be little natural light you’ll need to pay particular attention to lighting in your cellar. The use of halogen spot lights can produce a bright, white light and they can be embedded discreetly in ceilings or walls. The décor can help here too, opting for lighter colours can help to give the whole thing an airier feel.

There are lots of uses to which you can put a converted cellar, you’ll find plenty of inspiration online if you’re stuck for ideas. Whatever you want to use it for a cellar conversion can enhance your lifestyle by allowing you to utilize an under-appreciated resource in your home. It can also add significantly to the value of your property.

 

Do you have a crawlspace in your home?  Often times, the crawl space is the dark, damp space in your home where funky things grow and live….and the place you stay out of unless absolutely necessary.

“Crawlspace” is an area in your home where you have to crawl around on your hands and knees. This can include tight areas in attics as well as under floors. The lack of access is why we often don’t see what’s going on there, but it can effect the rest of the home if left unchecked.

Why It’s a Problem

If you want to avoid larger repair costs later on, and potentially a reduced price (or lost deal) if you sell your home, you have to worry about the things you don’t see. For example:

 

  • Mold only grows where there’s humidity caused by moisture. Where’s the moisture coming from?

 

  • The mold may cause the floor timbers to rot, and eventually collapse – although this usually takes many years.

 

  • Property inspectors know about these problems. Mold in crawlspace is something they look actively for.

This all adds up to a very real threat to the value of your biggest asset – and that could mean the price of your home coming down quite sharply if a home inspection reveals water and mold infestation problems up there.

mold in crawl space

Gaining Access

As a general rule of thumb, builders should provide access to space beneath a floor. However, with builders, this isn’t always the case. It’s often simplest is to install a simple trapdoor. If your home is carpeted (or you love wood too much to do that) then your only remaining option is to create access from the outside.

Remedial Action

You must find out where the moisture coming from first and fix it. In theory, it’s unlikely to be rain water, because of damp courses required by building regulations. However, it’s not uncommon to find rockeries and flower beds set against walls that are meant to be above ground. If that’s the case, get rid of them immediately, and make sure the garden slopes away gradually, everywhere.

A second cause may be ground moisture welling up. This is especially possible if your house was built on trench foundations as opposed to on a concrete slab. The best solution is to lay down a vapor barrier. This is a series of polyethylene plastic strips with at least a one-foot overlap and taped joints. It’s a good idea to pin them down with a few bricks here and there.

Architects and builders know that crawlspace close to the ground inevitably becomes humid because of warmth transmitted from above. Every wooden floor should be ventilated with airbricks, which should be positioned to benefit from prevailing winds. Many houses are built off spec plans that take no account of spatial positioning. Sometimes, a few well-placed additional airbricks may solve a crawlspace mold problem on their own.

Practical Considerations

Many times accessing the crawlspace in your home can be difficult, even by professionals.  If you suspect water and mold problems and are unable to determine where or the extent of your moisture problems, you’ll probably want to call someone in to find the source of your moisture and mold problems.

Nusite Group has been serving Toronto and the GTA for over 30 years.  We specialize in foundation waterproofing, moisture and mold removal, and foundation repairs.  Contact us today to schedule a free estimate.

There are anywhere from 100 thousand to 10 million dust mites living in the average family bed.  Wait, what?  Yes, they are all over the place, they’re just so tiny, you can’t see them.  I bet you’ll start washing your bed sheets more often from this day on. 

Dust mites are just one of the tiny friends living inside the average home.  While most are harmless (in small amounts at least), others, like mold, can possibly lead to respiratory problems if exposed for an extended period of time or if you have pre-existing respiratory conditions.

Before you go and take a shower, and start scrubbing your house clean, check out the infographic below.  It’s provided courtesy of AllergyBGone, and has some great statistics and tips about the allergens living inside your home.

Mold mites and dust Mites and other allergens in the home

 

Courtesy of ClutterBGone