Basement Conversions

Do you ever think about creating more space in your house? Perhaps you'd like an extension but don't have the land to do it, or maybe the mess would be too stressful? How about your cellar?

Danford Brewer & Ives are specialists in basement conversions and could give your home that extra space you need - even if you don't currently have a cellar.

You can rest assured that Danford Brewer & Ives will have the whole job in hand, from the plans and structure design, to accessing the planning permissions and having the building regulations passed, to the final lick of paint.

Various Work Included in Converting Your Cellar

Excavation & Underpinning
Waterproof Membranes
Drainage Systems
Interior Finishes

Excavation & Underpinning

You may think it's not possible to make an extra room out of your cellar because of it's low ceiling, or perhaps you don't currently have a cellar at all. Danford Brewer & Ives can create a new, livable space for you by lowering the foundation of your house through a method called underpinning.

Underpinning can extend existing foundations of a building by depth or width to either give a cellar more headroom where the current cellar is too shallow, or to create a cellar where there currently is none.

Danford Brewer & Ives will excavate soil from beneath the existing foundations, and fill most of this excavation with concrete. Once the concrete has settled, the remianing gap is filled with a sand and cement mix. This is carried out step by step to ensure the foundations are solid at all times.

A structural engineer will draw up the underpin schedule, and alongside building inspectors, will inspect the work as it progresses then approve it once the underpinning is complete.

Waterproof Membranes

Any basement conversion will need to be made waterproof. Danford Brewer & Ives ensure this by fixing a polyethylene membrane to the wall of the basement, which provides an air gap between the waterproof membrane and the wall, allowing any water to run behind it. The membrane is fixed to the wall with a framing system so that plasterboard can be fixed to it ready for plastering.

The high quality waterproof membranes that Danford Brewer & Ives use will stop dampness or salt problems, and also flooding where there may be harsh ground water conditions.

Drainage Systems

The water that flows behind, and is controlled by, the waterproof membrane system, is diverted to a drain that is fitted around the basement. This water is then passed through to either a natural drainage point, or to a drainage sump, fitted be Danford Brewer & Ives.

Interior Finishes

Once the main structure of your new basement conversion has been completed, an aluminium frame with insulation is built around the converted cellar. When this is fitted, plasterboards are attached onto the frame of the basement, and is then plastered and ready for the interior decoartion.

When Danford Brewer & Ives have completed the job, you can rest assured that your brand new basement conversion is well insulated, watertight, and built to the highest standard. If you are interested in having a basement conversion, please contact Danford Brewer & Ives on 01765 609990 for more information.