If you’ve ever wished your wine collection was just downstairs – ask us. We’ve excavated and constructed many wine cellars under existing homes.
Your custom-designed wine cellar, excavated safely
We can find a way to put a basement under most houses. It’s not for the faint-hearted but it can be done under the supervision of an experienced professional master builder like Buildwyse director Scott Wellings.
First we engage a structural engineer to assess and certify a safe method of excavation and support. The primary challenge is maintaining the support of all existing building elements, so strong beams are used to breach the internal piers, whether brick or concrete. This is where the most common challenge – the aged or dilapidated structure of the house – often needs addressing as well.
After you and Scott have collaborated to design your basement, including stairwell access and ventilation, we remove the earth and rock adhering to best-practice safety practices and excavation machinery, if access permits. Access is usually the major challenge in building a basement. If we can’t get machinery in, we excavate by hand – yes, with jackhammers, shovels and buckets.
When complete, the perimeter walls of your new basement will serve as retaining walls, acting as structural support for the residence above. When designing your cellar we also pay very close attention to subsoil drainage, which can create substantial problems later if not taken into account during construction.
Scott will be onsite to closely co-ordinate the various trades involved in the construction of a basement so its construction runs as efficiently as possible. All issues that arise will be sorted promptly, reliably and in consultation with you.