With the increasing cost of land and the soaring property prices in Toronto and the GTA, homeowners are looking to take advantage of their basements for additional living space.
Just think of the possibilities! You can turn your basement into:
- A spacious family room
- Additional or guest bedroom
- Entertainment room
- In-law apartment for extra income
Although these may seem like big projects, they will only take about 4 to 6 weeks to complete.
Basement renovations have been a big part of our projects over the past 18 years. We will be happy to use this experience to make your basement renovation run smoother and design your dream space.
Here are some things to consider when you are planning to renovate your basement
Will your new basement be accessible only from the interior of the house, or will you have a separate entrance? Of course, if you think of it as an added space to your living quarters – no separate entrance will be needed. However, if you plan to rent it out as an independent unit, it will require a separate entrance.
There are a couple of solutions to accommodate the basement entrance. It can be done directly in the foundation of the house, or use extra space on the ground floor, bypassing the foundation. We will advise you which way will work best for you.
Is a building permit needed to renovate your basement?
Before starting your basement renovation, you will require a building permit. Even though it is your own house, any major alterations to its structure require a building permit. The purpose of this is to ensure that the new construction will not compromise the integrity of the building and will be safe to implement. If you are not sure where to start , your basement renovations contractor should be able to help, as we always do.
What is a retrofitted basement?
When you are adding an extra living space, whether you are planning to use it yourself or rent it out – it has to meet the fire code requirements. This is called a basement retrofit. The retrofit requirements have to be planned during the beginning stages and approved by the municipality. Your basement renovations contractor should be familiar with the process.
Is my basement tall enough to convert it into a living space?
According to the code, the minimum required height of the finished basement floor-to-ceiling is 7-feet. Of course, you will have to have an extra space factored in to allow for ceiling drywall, vents, and flooring.
If your basement does not seem high enough to accommodate the 7-feet requirement, there are structural solutions such as basement underpinning and benching. Both methods allow excavating in-depth to add the required height to the space.
The added advantage of renovating the basement is that your renovations contractor will have a chance to examine the foundation and any unseen cracks, leaks and problems will be addressed. As a result, the foundation will serve you more and will keep the moisture out.
Bost Construction – Toronto basement renovation experts
Basement renovation has been an important part of our business. We have offered a variety of solutions for big and small spaces for 18 years in Toronto, Vaughan and across the GTA. We have finished spaces where our clients splurged on expensive finishing details, and where others kept it strictly on budget. What is important to us in all these projects is to listen to our clients and exceed their expectations.
By coordinating a team of dedicated professionals, we deliver the best results and keep the project both on time and on budget. Give us a call and you will enjoy your added space in a little over a month!