Turning Basement into Functional Space, Newburyport, MA

Thursday, February 3rd, 2022 by Travis Kellogg

Challenge

This homeowner in Newburyport, Massachusetts had been living in their early 1900's home for 8 months. In an effort to gain more space, the homeowner wanted to transform their basement area into a livable space. However, in order to do so, they first had to improve the foundation and the concrete floor, as well as the air quality in this lower level of the house. The homeowner reached out to Erickson Foundation Solutions for a free inspection and to discuss solutions.

Design Specialist Chris Greenwood was up to the challenge, spending several hours inspecting the basement and foundation.

One issue with the space in the basement was the height of the ceiling. With the HVAC ducts installed beneath the floor joists, the clearance from the ducts to the floor was only 5.28'-6.19'. Chris recommended a basement dig out in some sections, which would allow the ceiling height to be around 7' at the minimum.

As the homeowners were really looking to convert the space into a finished area, Chris also recommended upgrading the columns and supports in the basement. New supports would not only improve the sagging floors above but would allow for reconfiguring the layout of the columns, maximizing the space the homeowners were hoping to gain.

Another concern was the humidity levels and the presence of water. The homeowner stated there were times when water came through the walls during wet seasons.

The homeowner also wanted to ensure the air quality in the basement was safe since they would be spending a lot more time down there. Chris assisted with arranging an electronic continuous radon monitor test, which would allow them to know if radon levels were high and harmful.

Overall, the list of items to address for the homeowner included;

Gain more headroom
Replace old support columns
Keep basement warm and dry
Improve the quality of air in the basement

Solution

Upon completion of the inspection, Chris discussed all the possible solutions with the homeowner, solutions designed to provide them with exactly what they were hoping to achieve. Overall, Chris proposed three main projects to complete the job. The crew leads for the various aspects of the job were Nick Melo, Scott Crandall, and Branden Edwards.

The first team to arrive was Scott Crandall's. They were tasked with the installation of the SmartJack's, which were the new support posts to replace the older, failing columns holding up the first floor above. They would also be the team to remove the existing basement floor to help create more headroom. In total, the crew dug out 2' of dirt and concrete throughout the basement to allow enough space for the 7' clearance the homeowner wanted. The crews then installed 5 SmartJack's to replace old support posts. Once the SmartJack's were secured to new footings below and the support beams above, the base of the columns was cast in place with concrete.

The next aspect of the project was led by Nick Melo and his team. The homeowner wanted some extra insulation, as well as to clean up the older stone and brick foundation walls. To achieve this, Poly Wall Restoration was installed, which is a polymer foam that quickly bonds and expands over the wall as it is applied with a spraying technique. It took Nick and his crew one day to apply the Poly Wall Restoration.

With the SmartJack secured and the walls restored, the last step of the structural aspect of the project was to pour the remainder of the concrete to complete the new floor. Concrete was fed directly into the basement on a shoot through an existing window. Matt Erickson, Sr., and Project Manager Nate Erickson were on hand to assist with laying out the new concrete and applying the finishing touches of the new, smooth concrete floor.

For the next step, seeing as the goal of the homeowner was to finish their basement to create a comfortable living space, Chris designed a waterproofing system. The last thing the homeowner wanted was to have a newly finished basement suddenly destroyed by moisture or leaking water. To solve this problem, crew lead Branden Edwards

installed the Super Sump Triple Pack and WaterGuard system. This system would ensure that any if any water did penetrate the foundation walls, it would be contained at the base of the wall and pumped directly out before causing any damage.

Lastly, air quality was a concern for the homeowner as well. The CRM test results did show signs of high radon levels in the breathable air. Branden and his team also installed a radon mitigation system, which captured the radon particles beneath the concrete slab before it entered the home, and released them on the exterior of the home above the roofline.

With all these designed systems fully installed and warrantied, the homeowner had peace of mind they could move on to finishing their basement and complete the dream space they had been wanting for their home.