EPISODE 11: UNDERPINNING OUR BASEMENT - RENOVATING MY VICTORIAN HOME

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Lots of progress has been made sine our last episode including the completion of our navy blue kitchen renovation!

Renovating my Toronto Victorian Home - Episode 11!

What a trip around the sun it has been! This time last year Adam and I were nearing the end of our Toronto home renovations and putting the finishing touches on our Toronto Victorian home. Since then we have moved in, planned our destination wedding, and got married in Tuscany at the beautiful Abbazia di San Galgano Abbey before jetting off on our Croatia honeymoon.

To add a cherry on the figurative cake, Adam and I came back from our honeymoon to find out I was pregnant!

It was a little to early to share our big news with everyone here and on social media, and with Christmas around the corner, we decided to wait to tell our families first before sharing this amazing news with all you.

With that being said, this new discovery motivated us to start preparing for phase 3 (the final phase of our home renovation) - basement underpinning!

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We had to clear the front yard of our house (which included the removal of our beloved smoke bush) to prepare for phase 3 of our renovation, underpinning the basement. Don’t worry, I have plans to bring the smoke bush back!

What is underpinning?

Underpinning a house is when you reinforce or strengthen the foundation’s structure by excavating small, spread-out, portioned-out sections, before filling them back in with concrete. House underpinning can be required for a number of reason like:

  1. When the original foundation is no longer strong enough to hold the house and is in need of serious repair.

  2. If you want to increase the capacity of the existing foundation to support another story.

  3. To dig out the basement so as to lower the basement floor and achieve a higher ceiling height (as in our case).

How much does basement underpinning cost?

The cost of underpinning varies depending on the state of your current foundation walls, the square footage of your basement, how deep you want to go with the underpin/how much you want to lower your basement floor and how much additional work (i.e. waterproofing, installing radiant floors, main drain replacement/lower, additional plumbing rough-ins) is required.

We received a range of quotes for our basement between $55,000 - $80,000 but in generally, it is said that you should budget for $80 a square foot (as an average) to underpin and dig out your basement two feet.

In order to set ourselves up for success the first thing we needed to do was call our Toronto structural engineer Ken Davis. Having previously worked with K H Davis Engineering on the first two phases of our Victorian home renovation, we knew he was the perfect man for the job.

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Our Toronto Structural Engineer Ken Davis doing a site inspection during the underpinning of our basement.

Since 1999 Ken has worked on over 3000 residential projects and has a great reputation for helping homeowners and contractors alike achieve their design and renovation goals. From new builds to additions, laneway home and garden suits, K H Davis Engineering can do it all. He has also worked on many century homes in Toronto, including many Victorian homes like ours, which has provided him with a knowledge base we are always keen to leverage.

A couple site visits and a few measurements later, we were well on our way to finalizing revised plans! In the meantime, we had enough ironed our to start reaching out to contractors that specialize in basement underpinning and waterproofing in Toronto to solicit quotes.


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Our kitchen from Domani Design Group is finally complete after the installation of our range vent cover and under floating shelf lighting!

As we waited for underpinning quotes to trickle in, we were able to turn our attention over to finishing off the kitchen.

Since the last episode of our home renovation series we still had two items to check off before the kitchen was FINALLY finished. The first was get our electrician back in to install the last of the lights, and the second was to install the range vent cover. Thankfully we were able to complete both items with a month to spare before Christmas which meant Adam and I could get familiar with our new stove and practice our menu before hosting our family and friends for Christmas dinner. Having now spent a few months putting it to the test, Adam and I are so happy with our kitchen from Domani Design Group. Not only is it beautiful, but very well made. Every door and cabinet is soft close, I have more storage than I know what to do with, the layout is designed with functionality in mind and we absolutely love how much counter space we have!

Needless to say, celebrating our first Christmas at home was absolutely magical. Adam and I splurged on a 9 foot Fraser Fir and rented tables and chairs for our 20 person Christmas dinner. Not only were we able to show off our newly renovated house for the first time to many of our family members, but we were also able to share our pregnancy news with them, which made the whole season even more enchanting.

Following the holiday season, we received a call from our structural engineer Ken Davis to discuss our architectural drawings for the basement. It was concluded after a soil test that we would need to take a hybrid approach to our basement renovation that would involve underpinning about 75% of our basement and bench footing the remaining 25%. Given the sandy consistency of our basement and the fact that our neighbours house on one side is only 6 inches away (and their basement was slighting shorter than our current basement), there was a concern that underpinning that 25% section could undermine our neighbours foundation wall. To ensure everyone’s safety and the integrity of both houses, going with a hybrid underpinning and bench footing approach was the best option.

What is bench footing?


Unlike underpinning where you have to dig under the foundation wall, a bench footing is another way to support a foundation wall and lower the floor in your basement by creating a ledge or ‘bench’ out of concrete that sits along the existing wall. The downside to a bench footing approach is that it encroaches on your usable space. In our case, we have plans to build storage cabinets over-top of our bench footing as a way to not only hide the bench but make use of the space above it.

In addition to the hybrid underpinning / bench footing approach we also decided to turn one of the existing windows into an egress window. This would allow us to have a safety exit, should we ever need it and although we don’t have plans to rent out the basement or put a permanent bedroom down there, it’s good to have in case of an emergency. Given we are in the midst of doing a big renovation as well, there is probably no better time than now to action installing one.

What is a basement Egress window?

A basement Egress window provides a quick and safe emergency exit for your home, and an unobstructed opening from which someone can escape from. This means that a window, large enough for a human body to fit through (see Egress Window Size specifications based on your municipality code) must be able to open from the inside so that an escape can be made via an Egress window well or clearing in front of the window.

Once we were all in agreement regarding the best course of action, Ken was able to submit our architectural drawings to the city and get us our permit within two week! Remarkable!

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Allow me to introduce our Toronto Basement Underpinning & Waterproofing Contractor - ICYReno! #Partner

Meet our Toronto Basement Underpinning & Waterproofing Contractor

As we waited for our underpinning permit to be approved, Adam and I settled on an underpinning and basement waterproofing contractor in Toronto. Enter ICYReno, a fully insured and licensed waterproofing and underpinning company with over 10 years of experience. Not only have they helped homeowners across the GTA lower their basement floor but they are pros when it comes to interior and exterior waterproofing, back water valve and sump pump installation, drainage systems, concrete work, and more. They also came with an impressive endorsement from our structural engineer who had overseen a few of the basement underpins they had worked on in the past and was impressed by their quality of work. And if that wasn’t enough to seal the deal, their price was also one of the most competitive!

Within a week of receiving our permit, ICYReno began work on our basement. Before they could begin underpinning the foundation, they first had to demo the remaining drywall, stripping back all the layers until it was bare bones. Once complete they divided up the basement into small sections and began excavating and reinforcing each section, pouring new concrete footings before moving on.

Now, two weeks into our Toronto basement renovation it’s clear that ICYReno not only runs a tight ship with well organized bin drop offs and concrete pouring schedules, but their crew is highly trained and hard working. Having completed 50% of the underpin in just two weeks, it’s clear that they need no micro managing and can take care of everything from scheduling site visits with our structural engineer Ken Davis to booking appointments and sharing progress photos with our city inspector. They also sometimes work on Saturday, and given that I’m currently 7 months pregnant and ICYReno promised a 4-6 week timeline for completion, I appreciate their outstanding work ethic! Time is of the essence after all and at this rate they may even be done early! *fingers crossed*


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Meanwhile, I have been gathering inspiration for the basement. Given that we have to move our upstairs office into the basement to make room for our future nursery, we plan to divide the basement up into three major sections, a closed off front office that could double as a spill over bedroom should we need it, a larger open concept recreational room with a wet bar and perhaps a small play area where we can attempt to keep all the kids toys contained, and a conjoined bathroom-laundry room at the back where we can finally install our washer and dryer (which have been sitting in our living room for almost a year now)! YAY!

FUTURE FINISHED BASEMENT INSPIRATION

A few additional things we were able to check off our ‘To Do’ list since the last episode was install some new light fixtures on the main floor, finish off the powder room, make progress on the upstairs hidden linen closet and order new windows for the basement.

Next up on our list of things to tackle: prep the nursery for the baby’s arrival (I have plans to install a feature mural on one wall and paint the other walls), finish the underpinning, rough-in drains for the basement bathroom/laundry room and wet bar, install weeping tile and complete interior basement waterproofing, install radiant floors, dig and landscape for a new basement egress window, pour a new concrete slab floor and install a new basement egress window. Hopefully while this is all happening I can also source some tiles for our future basement bathroom!

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Basement renovation in progress….

Although Adam and I are not putting any pressure on ourselves to finish the basement before the baby arrives, it would be nice to have it as a functional space to work from and do laundry in. As much as I love visiting my parents every weekend to do laundry, it’s only going to get tougher once a newborn is in the picture. Anyways, that is all I have to share with you in this episode and blog post. If you have any questions about renovating a Victorian home, what it’s like to live in Toronto or need recommendations for Toronto contractors, hit me up in the comments below!

Before I sign off, I’d also like to say a big thank you to K H Davis Engineering and ICYReno for partnering with me on this project. I’m so excited to be working with such reputable companies on our Toronto basement renovations but want to reiterate that, like always, all opinions remain my own.

Until next time,
- Soheila



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EPISODE 10: IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING - RENOVATING MY VICTORIAN HOME

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We finally installed the Victorian mosaic tiles I ordered from Winckelmans in the powder room!

RENOVATING MY TORONTO VICTORIAN HOME - EPISODE 10!

I know it’s been a few months since I last released an episode of my home renovation series but that is not because Adam and I have been relaxing and enjoying the summer, quite the contrary! Since moving back into the house and getting ourselves settled in, we have had to put our bigger renovation plans on the back burner and switch gears to concentrate on planning our wedding and getting married in Italy!

If you missed our big news, this past September Adam and I got married in Tuscany at the beautiful San Galgano Abbey. We kicked off our trip with a whirlwind weekend in Florence with friends before heading to Tuscany to check into our wedding villa where we would be hosting the majority of our wedding event. On the first night we hosted a large welcome dinner under the stars for all our guests before getting married the following day in front of all our family and friends. It was such a beautiful wedding and reception - a total dream come true! After one week in Italy, Adam and I headed to Croatia for our honeymoon where we spent a few days at a luxury boutique hotel in Hvar before sailing around to a few Croatian islands and finishing up in Dubrovnik for the last couple nights.

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My dreams of having Victorian Tiles in my house have finally come true!

Installation of My Victorian Mosaic Tiles From Winckelmans Tiles

Before leaving for our wedding, we were able to get a few things off our to-do list including the installation of our new Victorian mosaic tiles from Winckelmans Tiles that we had previously picked up from their distributor in Toronto, Deco Tile.

It felt so good to finally have my tiles from Winckelmans installed! Adam’s dad ended up helping me with the foyer install (making sure to add in some Schluter Ditra lining for extra waterproofing protection) while Duran from DuWolf tackled the powder room to ensure we could get both spaces done before we left. Although the sheeted tile format (which my Winckelmans Tiles came in) does make the installation process easier, it still takes a lot of thoughtful planning to make sure everything lines up properly and is measured and cut perfectly, so the install is no easy feat! In the end, both spaces turned out even better then I or Adam could have imagined and the black and white Victorian tiles with a matching boarder design turned out super sophisticated/elegant. I love how when you walk into the house the foyer plays off the black and white staircase in the background too which makes the whole entrance way feel cohesive and inviting.

There is still a lot of work we have to do to the powder room following the tile install on one of the walls and floor but I can already tell it’s going to look great once it’s done and the custom Victorian stained glass window I’m having made is installed. Stay tuned for the final look in the next episode!

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Our arched bar with wine storage is looking better than ever!

Installation of Our Wine Cabinet With Fridge for Our
Home Bar & Coffee Nook

Another job we were able to check off our to-do list before heading to Italy was the installation of our little arched bar/coffee nook!

Do you remember back in episode 6 when we started drywall and framed out an interior archway for a future little bar area with wine cabinet and wine fridge? Well the custom cabinetry we had ordered was finally ready for install! I went for a super simple design that played off the kitchen’s navy blue palette by having a small cubby with slanted shelves (perfect for storing wine bottles) made with a small drawer on top to hold bottle openers etc. We used the left over Calacatta Gold porcelain from the kitchen for a counter top and duplicated the natural oak shelves to add additional storage for liquor bottles and bar paraphernalia. All we had to do once the navy blue bar cabinet and shelves were installed was plug in our new dual zone wine fridge and Nespresso machine, and decorate! Adam and I saved a whole case of wine from our wedding that we are planning to stash away and open on future anniversaries so I’m really happy to have a nice space to store them. Not to mention a little area separate from the kitchen to mix cocktails for guests while hosting over the holiday season!

DID YOU KNOW the perfect wine fridge temperature ranges between 50 °F (11°C) and 65 °F (18°C) for red wine and 45 °F (7°C) and 50 °F (11°C) for white wine. Neither did I, I had to look it up. Also, needing to rotate your wine bottles every few months is a total myth. As long as they are stored on their side you’re fine! Learn something new every day! Haha!

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The plastic sheet draped over the front 2nd floor windows was becoming a huge eye sore!

Restoration of Our Original Victorian Windows

If you’re new to my channel or blog you might have been wondering why there is a big plastic bag draped across the front second floor window of our house. Well, do I have a nightmare story for you!

The evening before Adam and I were set to start drywall there was a massive rainstorm that called our attention to the badly deteriorated and rotted state of our 2nd floor windows. The water from the rainstorm was just pouring into our main floor front room and with drywall starting the next morning, we had no choice but to temporary fix it by draping a large plastic sheet of vapour barrier over the 2nd floor window as a way to keep water off of it as much as possible. This temporary solution worked very well. Amazing actually! The leaking instantly stopped but living with a large plastic sheet on the front of our house was a huge eye sore I was getting sick of looking at. So when Adam and I got back from our wedding and honeymoon, I called our carpenter and asked him to come work his magic.

Restoration of our front windows took a couple days but our carpenter quickly identify the obvious culprit. He started with removing all the rotten wood before replacing it with new wood and sealing any remaining gaps around the edges with spray foam. He did a great job replicating the original Victorian trim work and mimicking the original style just as I asked, and even primed the window with some primer paint to seal it in preparation for painting and a fresh outline of caulking.

It felts so good to not only get that plastic sheet off the front of our house but checking this off our to-do list gave me the reassurance I needed to feel confident that this window will no longer be a problem moving into the winter months.


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Giving the front of our house a little refresh!

Exterior Painting of Windows, Gable and Trim

After our carpenter wrapped up his work, Ariel and his painting crew came in to sand down and paint the front windows, gable, balcony and trim before sealing the windows off with some fresh caulking. Originally the gable, windows and trim was this dull grey colour and our front door and balcony spindles were black but none of it did anything to bring out the beautiful orange hue of the brick. I wanted something complimentary, that helped the house stand out and appear vibrant and glorious in its old age, and what better choice for that than orange’s most complimentary colour, blue! It’s my favourite colour after all!

So off I went to the paint store, with one small kitchen cabinet door tucked under my arm to find the perfect matching colour! Imagine my shock then to find out there is no Benjamin Moore colour that matches! The gentleman at the store ended up mixing the paint colour by eye and after a few small tweaks, we landed on the perfect formula! Thank god for paint snobs!

Now that the windows are restored and everything received a fresh coat of paint, the house is looking really sharp! I love how the navy blue paint accentuates the rich orange hue of the brick and how it changes colours (it sometimes almost looks black) depending on what time of day it is. To help underscore the navy blue trim we kept the front door, cast iron railing, 2nd floor balcony and eves/drain spouts black as a way to emphasize the difference in colour despite the navy appearing black at a quick glance.

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Louis stopped by to drop off the completed stained glass window I had her custom make for my powder room!

My Custom Victorian Stained Glass Window Was Delivered!

Prior to leaving for the wedding, Louis had invited me to her studio in Etobicoke to finalize the design of the custom stained glass window she was making for the powder room. It was so cool to visit her studio and learn more about the stained glass classes she offers. The pieces she was working on for me looked incredible and exactly like the mock up design I had drawn for her months earlier. During my visit she showed me some final jewel options and glass colours she had selected, and asked me to choose what I liked the best before she began the welding phase of the production.

A few weeks later, while Ariel was still painting the house, Louis stopped by to drop off the finished stained glass window! IT LOOKED SO GOOD and I was so happy to see it installed and in all its glory in the powder room!


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Our La Cornue Cornufé range was finally installed!

Installation of Our La Cornue Range

It finally happened! After months of waiting for our new vent to arrive, two weeks ago we were able to get not only get it installed but we got our new La Cornue range installed too!

Originally, Adam and I had planned to have our stove installed in May when we moved in but the inspector saw the hole for the vent exhaust and said it was too big and not to code. Pivoting as best we could, we ordered a new vent that required a smaller exhaust hole but the kicker was we had to wait 16 weeks for it to arrive. In the meantime our new La Cornue stove lived in its crate in our dining room while Adam and I cooked all our meals on the BBQ.

After months of waiting our new vent arrived and we had our kitchen cabinetry maker from Domani Design Group come in to retrofit our range hood cabinet (because of course the new vent had to be a different size than our old vent) before having a professional appliance installer come in to finish the rest of the install.

By the way, if anyone is doing a kitchen renovations and needs a vent, we still have our old, unopened, Elica vent available for purchase! Model number is EAR140S4 if you want to check out the specs!

Now that our La Cornue stove is installed, Adam and I have been cooking up a storm. We love the duel electric ovens and powerful gas range. We also later learned that they discontinued making the La Cornue Cornufé range in the navy blue colour so it’s not even available for purchase anymore which makes me love it even more. I’m so excited to continue to play around with it over the holidays and feel way more confident about hosting family and friends for dinner now that we are not limited to just the BBQ. It’s going to make things so much easier and more enjoyable not to mention it looks like a piece of jewellery!

Overall, I am ECSTATIC about all the progress we’ve made on the house since moving back in. I even bought some lights on Black Friday which I can’t wait to arrive so I can install them! Christmas is also around the corner and I’m looking forward to getting our first Christmas tree and starting to host our friends and family for drinks and dinner.

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The current state of our basement - a sandbox!

2024 Plans: Tackling the Basement & Underpinning

In the new year Adam and I have plans to start tackling the basement which is currently a large sandbox. We want to do a big underpin in hopes of achieving an 8+ foot finished basement so it’s a bit more of a functional space and we can actually install our laundry machines (which is the last thing we need to install)! Until then they will continue taking up space in our living room. YAY! * eyeroll *

In preparation for the underpin (and before the ground froze) we had to cut away the bushes and smoke tree out front. Having to get rid of the smoke bush tree broke my heart, I loved that tree! Unfortunately it was so old, overgrown and wild that it produced less blooms each year and blocked all the light making it impossible to grow anything else. We have plans to re-landscape the front in the spring after the underpinning is done but for now we needed to prepare that front area for a demo bin.

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The house after window restoration work and a fresh coat of black and navy blue paint!

Thank you so much for joining me today and for checking out my new Toronto home renovation series on Youtube. I am super excited to be modernizing a Victorian home while still keeping the charm of an old Victorian house. If you have any questions about my Victorian house renovations, what it’s like to live in Little Portugal, Toronto or recommendations for Toronto contractors, hit me up in the comments below!

Before I sign off, I’d also like to say a big thank you to Winckelmans Tiles and Deco Tile for partnering with me on this project. I’m so excited to be working with industry experts on our Toronto home renovations but want to reiterate that, like always, all opinions remain my own.

Until next time,

- Soheila

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