Foundation Works

My husband and I purchased our first house in the fall; it is an older home that had a cold room under the front steps. The steps were breaking and in need of repair, and the cold room was smelly and damp so we never used it. In the spring we discovered that water would leak into the house from the cold room in heavy rain. We called a few contractors to provide quotes and recommend a course of action. When Joel from Foundation Works visited our house to investigate, he was up front and suggested a few options, but told us that he would need to time to think about the best solution. When he provided a quote for the work, he recommended removing the steps and cold room as it would be the best solution and the most cost effective over the long term. With the quote he provided photos of similar jobs to illustrate exactly what he planned to do, and he provided reasons for using specific materials. The cost was very competitive and because the information he provided was detailed and fair we chose to go with Foundation Works and remove the steps and cold room.

The contract covered all the work described in the quote, and information pamphlets for the materials being used were attached as well. The work began sooner than expected, and was completed in the time frame suggested. The two guys who did the work were very professional, efficient and respectful. They secured the site appropriately at the end of each day and tidied up well when the work was complete. They also managed to keep the landscaping and plants intact, which was no small feat and a very pleasant surprise!

The one unforeseen site condition was brought to our attention immediately, and caused very little delay (the weeping tiles where clogged, so it was great to get that sorted too!).

At the end of the project Joel even stopped by to inspect the work. In the photos his crew took to show the work they had done, they did not show the final piece of insulation going in. He wanted to verify that they had installed it in addition to checking the site generally to ensure quality of work. We saw the installation and were not concerned, in fact everything we saw put our minds at ease, but the fact that that there was a follow up really shows care and professionalism. There was pride and care in the work that was done, and in the way Joel talked about his team’s work.

We have now made it through another winter and spring; the ground has thawed and it’s raining a lot. Our basement is dry. Our basement doesn’t smell weird. There isn’t a creepy room in the corner we try to ignore. There are no longer bugs in the basement. Our heating costs have gone down, and we are considering getting a humidifier for the winter it was so dry! We now make good use of the basement, and are actually enjoying the space! I am so glad we went with the recommendation to remove the cold room and steps, and I am so glad we went with Foundation Works. We will be contacting them for future work and recommending them to anyone in need of their services.