6 Steps Your Commercial Underpinning Company Follows to Save You Time and Money

The cost of owning or renting commercial space for your business is high. As your business grows, you may find yourself outgrowing your existing building. In other cases, your current building may have structural problems. While the idea of finding a new larger office may seem attractive, there are other options. Still, sometimes its easier to expand your current building by contacting an underpinning company. Remember, your business is already established in that location.

Many businesses under utilize the basements in their building. And there’s good reason for this. Buildings with improper underpinning have damp basements that are unsuitable for commercial use.

In most cases, these problems can be fixed and you may be able to convert the basement and put it to use for storage or as additional office space.

Solving these problems can help you find extra space in your building, fix structural problems, and remove any headaches associated with finding a new building. And, of course, the cost is far lower. Interested in learning more? Here are several tips your underpinning company will use to transform that dank basement into a usable space.

1. Examining Architectural Plans

The first step is to carefully examine existing architectural plans for your building. Working with an engineer, the construction company will be able to identify where to place the concrete pockets to have a stable and proper foundation. This step is essential if you are planning to add additional floors.

2. Permits Before Construction

Before construction begins, proper municipal building permits must be obtained from your city. Depending on how large your building is, roads in the area may need to be closed. Your underpinning company can handle obtaining the building permits for you if you want.

3. Minimize the Disruption of Utilities 

A fairly large construction project such as underpinning a basement can interfere with utilities like electricity, heating, and water. The company you hire will contact all of the relevant utilities and work out how to perform the underpinning without damaging power lines or water pipes.

4. Hoarding for Safety

Your underpinning company will handle the hoarding process for you. Hoarding involves building a temporary solid structure around the construction project in order to hide it from view and prevent unauthorized access. This will help keep your customers, residents, and employees safe during the project.

5. Access to Heavy Machinery and Large Tools

In order to protect the walls and structure above the basement, excavation tools are needed. These tools will be used to dig out pockets in the floor of the foundation to pour concrete into. You do not need to rent or otherwise deal with this equipment. The underpinning company you hire will handle all of it.

6. Finishing the Waterproofing

If you want to use the basement for your business, as opposed to just solving the structural problems in your building, a waterproofing project needs to be completed by your underpinning company as well. Once completed, your basement will be a fully usable space for storage, work, or anything else you can think of.

If you have decided that you want underpinning done in your basement, NTL Contracting is a reliable and experienced underpinning company. Our fully Canada-owned and operated business has served Toronto and the GTA for over 20 years. We offer free online quotes for your specific situation. For your peace of mind, our fully insured work comes with a guaranteed, transferable 25-year warranty.

  • If your building has structural problems, or you want to use your basement for your business, underpinning is a good option for you.
  • An underpinning project is a specialized construction project that needs an experienced underpinning company.
  • NTL Contracting is a company with expert workers who are guaranteed to get you the result you want. Contact us today to learn more.