Water first, then finished · Toronto, GTA & Hamilton
Basement Renovation in Toronto
Wet, mouldy or just unfinished. The water is dealt with first, the mould removed properly, and only then the framing, insulation, drywall, floor and paint. One contractor from the leak to the last coat.
- Assessment free when you go ahead
- Lab tested
- WSIB covered
- Fully insured
Water first. Always.
A basement finished over a wet wall is a mould job a year later, with the new drywall as the fuel. So the first question is never the floor plan; it is where the water comes from and whether it has stopped. Walls and floor are checked with a moisture meter before anything is closed up, and the readings go on your page.
A musty smell with nothing to see usually means something behind the panelling or under the carpet. It is found, removed properly under containment, and the cause fixed, before a single stud goes up.
In a house built before 1990, the old panelling, floor tile and plaster can contain asbestos. They are tested before they are disturbed.
How it works
How a basement runs.
Look and measure
Moisture readings on the walls and floor, where the water has come from, what is behind the existing finishes, and what you want the space to be.
Fix the water
Grading, downspouts, a crack, a sump, a membrane: whatever the cause is, it is dealt with before the finishing starts, by us or by a waterproofing trade we arrange.
Remove what the water ruined
Wet drywall, panelling, carpet and insulation out under containment. Mould removed as a remediation, not sprayed and hidden.
Dry, and prove it
Air movers and dehumidifiers until the moisture meter says the structure is dry. The readings are recorded.
Build
Framing, insulation and vapour barrier, drywall and taping, the floor, paint, and a bathroom down there if you want one, with the licensed trades arranged as part of the job.
Record
What was found, what was done, the readings before closing up, and the finished space, on your page.
$295 for the on-site assessment, and it comes off the price of the work when you go ahead with us. Conditions apply: the work has to come to $2,500 or more, and the deposit has to be paid within 30 days of approval. If the material tests clean there is nothing to remove, so the assessment stands on its own — which is usually the cheapest result there is. Laboratory charges are separate either way, because the lab invoices us whether or not the work goes ahead.
On the job
Our own work, as it was.
Questions
What people ask us.
Can you finish a basement that floods?
Not until it stops flooding. We find where the water comes in and deal with that first; if it needs a waterproofing trade, we arrange it as part of the job. Finishing over water is the one thing we will not do.
Do I need a permit?
A finished basement, a new bathroom down there or a separate unit may need a permit from your city, and the rules differ by municipality. We tell you when it does and what it needs before the work starts.
It smells musty but I can't see anything.
Then something is behind the finishes. We look with a moisture meter and, where needed, open a small section to see. It is better to find it now than after the new drywall is up.
How long does it take?
A dry basement being finished is weeks, not days, and a wet one adds the drying time, which the meter decides, not the calendar. We tell you the plan before we start and it sits on your page.
What does it cost?
A fixed price in writing once we have looked and measured. If opening the walls finds something the price did not cover, we show you and price it before going further.
Related
Service area
Where we work.
- Toronto
- Etobicoke
- Scarborough
- North York
- Mississauga
- Brampton
- Vaughan
- Markham
- Richmond Hill
- Oakville
- Burlington
- Hamilton
Answering now
Tell us what the basement is doing.
Wet, musty or dry and empty: a phone call tells us which, and what to look at first.
Call 416-474-3978