When homes were built many years ago, they weren’t built with a basement in mind. Often, the basements in older homes have ceiling heights of about 5 feet or less, which makes them unusable for most purposes. Luckily, there’s an easy way to add more headroom to the basement and transform it into a comfortable living area: Underpinning.

Underpin basement is the process of lowering an existing foundation’s depth by pouring new footings BELOW the current ones. The new footings are constructed to support the weight of the house above and protect it from calamities like sinking, settling, and tilting.

Understanding the Need: When to Underpin a Basement

Whether you have a cracked or bowed wall, uneven settlement, or other structural problems in your basement, underpinning can correct these issues and ensure that the foundation is stable and safe for use as a livable space. It can also halt the progression of existing damage, saving you from more costly repairs down the line.

Another benefit of underpinning your basement is that it can provide more livable space for your home without having to build an addition on your property or go through the Committee of Adjustments. This can allow you to create a home office, theatre, exercise room or more living areas.

Regardless of the reason you need to underpin your basement, you’ll want to make sure that it’s done by a reputable company with a great track record. CAMM Concrete has both of these qualities and we’d be happy to discuss your needs.