Underpinning Definition
One of the first things you must understand before moving ahead with plans to underpin your basement is the meaning of the word “underpinning”. What exactly does this mean? It sounds like an odd term to apply to a construction site, after all, and it is likely that it is not something you have heard used in casual conversation.
Underpinning is essentially the process of excavating the current foundation of your home in order to extend it lower. Let’s say that you currently have a rather shallow basement, for example, that is cramped and does not even allow you enough room to stand up straight. Underpinning can help take the basement floor and lower it by a certain amount – several feet, in some instances. This would allow you to no longer have to duck every time you have to access the water heater or circuit breaker.
How Basement Underpinning is Performed
One of the first things you must understand before moving ahead with plans to underpin your basement is the meaning of the word “underpinning”. What exactly does this mean? It sounds like an odd term to apply to a construction site, after all, and it is likely that it is not something you have heard used in casual conversation.
Underpinning is essentially the process of excavating the current foundation of your home in order to extend it lower. Let’s say that you currently have a rather shallow basement, for example, that is cramped and does not even allow you enough room to stand up straight. Underpinning can help take the basement floor and lower it by a certain amount – several feet, in some instances. This would allow you to no longer have to duck every time you have to access the water heater or circuit breaker.