Basement Renovations
Custom Finished Basements
Don't underestimate the importance of the human eye and skill of the human hand to meet the level of precision and quality you demand for your home. We are a company of designers, managers and skilled tradespeople. With over 25 years of experience, we've been designing and building cost-efficient custom finished basements without ever sacrificing quality. What has made our company successful? Referrals. It's the attention to value, quality and craftsmanship that we put into every project. Our measure of success is the high level of satisfaction we bring to our clients.
The Dark Ages are Over
Understanding exactly what makes most basements cold, dark and damp puts us in a unique position to incorporate specifications and details that will make your basement a dry, bright and comfortable space to enjoy. So often our clients are amazed at the transition their basement undergoes from the "dungeon" they lived with for years to the enjoyable and practical space that their basement has become, often brighter and more comfortable that the other "upstairs" spaces in their home.
Solving Basement Water-entry Problems First
The first step to any basement renovation is diagnosing and fixing water-entry, moisture and dampness problems in the existing basements. Dampness or leaks in the foundation walls or floor must be corrected to ensure your basement is a comfortable and healthy living space. Moisture problems will ruin even the most expensive renovations and make your basement unlivable. Damp walls and floors result from the ingress of water through the foundation, insufficient dampproofing on the exterior face of walls, poor drainage at walls and footings and site grading that slopes towards the foundation. Wetness may also be caused by a high water table, which exerts hydrostatic pressure on the walls and floor.
Solutions to water infiltration problem:
- Adjusting the grade around your house so that the soil slopes away from the building.
- Installing roof gutters connected to conductor pipes that convey the roof water away from the foundation.
- Excavating the exterior of your foundation and installing new footing drains and apply a waterproof membrane, backfill with coarse, clean gravel.
- Attaching the existing tiles to a sump pit equipped with an automatic sump pump activated by a float system. The sump pit should be sealed with a cover.
- Installing an interior French drain around the perimeter of your basement and connecting the drain to a sump equipped with a sump pump; and
- Installing a layer of dimple mat against the basement walls before insulating.
Reducing Heating Costs
Heat loss from an uninsulated basement can account for 20 to 30 percent of your home's total heat loss and heating bill. In Ottawa, an uninsulated basement is cold in the winter and expensive to heat. A properly insulated basement is the easiest part of the house to heat because it is below grade, provided the water table is below your footings.
Capitalizing on Unused Space
Basement renovations have some challenges, but can be as comfortable and as beautiful as any above grade room in your house. There are lots of things to consider when doing this type of home improvement, which will be addressed by your CastleCorp design consultant so that your renovation is done right, without ever cutting corners.
With basements making up 1/3 to 1/2 of your home's total indoor square footage, like attics, they offer a opportunity to increase the size of your house at minimum expense. The average return on investment in Ottawa, Canada, according to the Appraisal Institute of Canada’s latest Home Renovation Survey is roughly 75%; in other words, for every hundred dollars you spend, you get a $75 increase in the value of your home. With an average increase in home price of 1.97% in the Ottawa area, it would take only a couple of years to recoup the entire investment while you're enjoying the added space. Meanwhile you've taken the opportunity to improve your home and quality of life by making the most of that unused, dark space.
Let Us Help You
CastleCorp's well-trained design and renovation professionals can help you achieve your basement remodelling dreams. For the best home improvement services in Ottawa, Ontario, let CastleCorp help you do it right the first time. Contact us today to schedule an in-home design consultation at your convenience. We're here to help you enjoy every aspect of your home with custom renovations that are as unique as you are.