This is part 2 of the program I made about repairing a basement wall. This repair turned out to be a great opportunity for creating a daylight basement. The basement wall repair solution is a new below grade window wall and covered entry door area.
The Design
The plan for this daylight basement project was to terrace the adjacent grade, allowing for a wall of lower level windows and a set of steps dropping down to a new exterior entry door. We had just enough room in the side yard setback and driveway area to fit it all in.
Project Safety
The focus of this program will be adding the structural steel that replaces the concrete wall that we removed, as well as looking at the temporary support structure that allowed this work to take place. This shoring system was installed to assure no sagging or collapse of the building happened once the existing foundation wall was removed. A daylight basement project such as this is no small matter with regard to safety issues. I have a lot of respect for the fearless yet professional manner that Jason Smith of Ozz Construction showed in order to executed this difficult project.
Structural Steel Installation
This temporary support shoring allowed the Ozz construction crew enough working room to put in the structural steel and wall framing that holds up the entire south side of the building. This was a larger piece of tube steel that was very heavy and difficult to handle. Smith was very imaginative in the way they brought the steel in on a trailer and moved it into place.
The completed daylight basement transforms the feel and functionality of this formally dark and dreary area. This new natural light will be a great improvement to this future finished apartment space.
