Walk-Out Basements and Kitchens for Newmarket Families

Getting the most from a Newmarket walk-out basement

Once it is finished, a basement with a walk-out hardly feels like a basement. Daylight at one end, a door to the backyard and full-height windows mean the space can work as a family room, a guest suite, a gym or somewhere for older kids to spread out. The planning question is how to use that light well, because the back half of the space is still underground.

Layout first

We usually put the rooms people spend the most time in, such as a family room or bedroom, along the walk-out wall, and keep storage, laundry and mechanical areas toward the buried side. Where a bedroom is planned, we check before framing that it will have a window large enough to meet code for emergency exit.

What happens behind the walls

• Framing held off the foundation so insulation can run continuously
• Insulation and vapour control suited to below-grade walls, with extra attention to the exposed walk-out wall that faces the weather
• Drywall, taping and a finished ceiling, with bulkheads kept as tidy as the ductwork allows
• Hard-wearing flooring such as luxury vinyl or tile near the walk-out door, where boots and wet feet come in

Finishing only makes sense over a dry foundation. Damp patches, white mineral staining or a musty smell are worth pointing out at the first visit, and any leak has to be fixed by a waterproofing company before we insulate and close the walls. Most walk-out basements take four to eight weeks from framing to final paint. On many Newmarket lots the walk-out also opens onto a patio or a low deck, and planning the flooring and trim at that door together with the outdoor space makes the two feel connected.

Kitchens in late-1980s and 1990s houses

Glenway Estates was developed from the 1980s, Summerhill Estates mostly in the 1990s, and Stonehaven-Wyndham largely in the late 1980s and 1990s. Many of those original kitchens are reaching the end of their useful life: laminate counters, oak or thermofoil cabinets, and a wall that shuts the cook off from the family room. Taking that wall out is a common request.

Before a wall comes out, we confirm whether it is load-bearing and what runs through it. If it carries load, it has to be replaced with a properly engineered beam, and the Town of Newmarket will want a building permit for the change. We help you line up the drawings with the right professionals. Once the layout is settled, we install cabinets and counters, tile the backsplash, run new flooring through to the adjoining rooms and finish with paint. Most kitchens here are complete within three to six weeks.

Around Main Street and Fairy Lake

Closer to downtown, the streets near Main Street and Fairy Lake hold some of Newmarket's oldest houses. The Lower Main Street South Heritage Conservation District, designated by the Town in 2013, takes in the historic commercial blocks of Main Street along with some older properties nearby. If your home falls inside it, expect exterior changes to go through the Town's heritage review, while kitchens, bathrooms and other interior work are usually simpler to plan. Inside, these homes call for patience with plaster, original trim and floors that have moved over the decades, and we price that work only after seeing it.