Basements & suites4 min read
The Crawl-Space Hatch Is Still Under the New Floor
A beautifully hidden hatch is less useful when opening it requires removing the kitchen.
Read the guideLayout & finishing
Guides 1-10 of 10
Guides in Layout & finishing
Basements & suites3 min read
A Window-Well Cover Still Has to Let You Out
Keeping leaves out was the easy part. We checked the cover from the basement side too.
Read the guide
Basements & suites4 min read
A New Basement Subfloor Changes the Bottom Step
Before adding basement subfloor panels, calculate the finished height at stairs, doors, drains, and low ceilings. A warmer floor changes more than comfort.
Read the guide
Basements & suites4 min read
Basement Ceiling: Removable Panels or Drywall?
A smooth ceiling hides the pipes beautifully. That is less helpful when someone needs to reach one.
Weigh the optionsBasements & suites5 min read
Basement Suite Soundproofing: Ceilings, Flanking and Channel Screws
Treat speech, impact and flanking as separate sound routes. Specify an exact ceiling assembly, keep board screws from bridging resilient channel into framing, and coordinate future fixtures and fire separation before covering.
Read the guideBasements & suites5 min read
Ontario Basement Ceiling Heights and Soffit Layouts
Use the current Code path for the room and project, then measure from the proposed finished floor to every finished obstruction. Secondary-suite ceiling and beam/duct allowances differ; compare local soffits, a continuous lowered strip and service rerouting before framing.
Read the guideBasements & suites5 min read
Ontario Basement Permits and Finishing in Stages
Describe the complete basement use and construction to the municipality. For staged work, plan both phases, inspect concealed provisions, define a safe usable stopping point and agree how the permit will be closed or continued.
Read the guide
Basements & suites7 min read
Basement Egress Windows in Ontario: Measure the Opening, Not the Glass
The sticker size is not the escape opening. Here is what Ontario reviewers look for and why the window well, sill, structure, and drainage all belong in the drawing.
Read the guideBasements & suites6 min read
Legal Basement and Secondary Suites in Ontario: Start With the House, Not the Stove
A kitchen does not make a legal apartment. Here is the approval and design sequence for an additional residential unit that is safe, useful, and documented.
Read the guideBasements & suites8 min read
Underpinning vs Benching a GTA Basement: The Honest Tradeoff
Underpinning can preserve more usable floor area; benching can avoid digging directly beneath some existing footings. Neither is a casual excavation. Here is how to choose without letting ceiling height become the only number in the room.
Read the guide