Basement floors · Toronto and the GTA
Basement Floor Repair Toronto: Crack Repair, Resurfacing and Leveling
Cracked, uneven, damp or dusting basement floors repaired, levelled, resurfaced or replaced by our own crews. We fix the slab itself, and we are honest about when the real problem is water, not concrete.
100+ reviews
Quick answer
What does basement floor repair in Toronto involve?
Basement floor repair covers cracked slabs, uneven or sunken sections, flaking and dusting surfaces, and floors damaged by moisture. Toronto Concrete Repairs repairs cracks, levels low spots with self leveling compounds, resurfaces worn slabs with bonded overlays, coats finished floors with epoxy or polyaspartic, and replaces failed slabs with a new pour over a vapour barrier. When the floor is fine and the water is the problem, we say so, and we can handle interior weeping tile and sump connections as part of a replacement.
Most basement floors can be repaired or resurfaced rather than replaced. Surface damage, hairline cracks and a low corner are repair jobs. A slab that heaves, sits on wet soil with no vapour barrier, or has broken through is when replacement is the honest answer. We do all of it in house, so the recommendation comes from your floor, not from what we happen to sell.
Local knowledge
Why basement floors fail in Toronto homes
Most of the basements we see were never built as living space. The slab was poured thin, with no vapour barrier and no reinforcement, over whatever soil was there. Decades later the house above is worth a lot more and the floor is showing it.
- Thin, old slabs. Many pre 1970 Toronto homes have basement floors two to three inches thick. They crack under normal loads and break up when anything heavy moves across them.
- No vapour barrier. Ground moisture wicks straight up through the concrete. The result is damp spots, white efflorescence, bubbling paint and floors that never feel dry.
- Clay soil and hydrostatic pressure. Toronto's clay holds water. Pressure from below pushes water through cracks and cold joints, and heaves sections of slab.
- Settlement and washout. Where the base was poorly compacted or has washed out, sections drop. A two or three inch difference across a room is common in older houses.
- Surface breakdown. Weak original mixes dust constantly, and salt tracked in from outside scales the surface near entrances and cold cellars.
Basement floor work by our crew in a Toronto home.
What we fix
Basement floor problems we repair
Cracked or fractured slabs
Hairline shrinkage cracks, wide structural cracks and cracks that leak. Routed, filled and sealed, or injected where water is coming through.
Uneven, sunken or heaved sections
Low corners, humps at cold joints and dropped sections that make finishing impossible. Levelled with self leveling underlayment or rebuilt where the base has failed.
Dusting, flaking and scaling
A floor that powders every time you sweep, or flakes near the door. Ground back to sound concrete, hardened and sealed or resurfaced.
Damp, bubbling or stained floors
Moisture coming up through the slab. We find the cause first, then fix the floor with a vapour barrier and drainage where needed, not paint over it.
Old floors with bad finishes
Failed paint, peeling coatings, tile adhesive and uneven patches from past renovations. Removed and the slab prepared for a proper finish.
Floors past saving
Slabs broken through, heaving, or sitting on wet soil with no barrier. Removed and replaced with a new reinforced pour over gravel and a vapour barrier.
How we fix it
Our basement floor repair services
Five ways to fix a basement floor, from a half day crack repair to a full new slab. Your quote shows the two or three that fit your floor, priced side by side.
Concrete crack repair
Cracks are opened up, cleaned and filled with a flexible or rigid repair material matched to the crack. Leaking cracks are injected so water stops coming through.
Floor leveling
Low spots and out of level rooms brought flat with cement based self leveling underlayment, so tile, vinyl or laminate can go down properly. Larger drops are rebuilt.
Resurfacing and overlays
A structurally sound but worn slab gets a bonded overlay: smooth, sealed and ready to finish, at a fraction of the cost of a new floor.
Epoxy, polyaspartic and polished finishes
For finished basements, laundry rooms and workshops: a sealed, easy clean floor over a repaired slab. Polished concrete where you want the concrete to be the finish.
Full floor replacement
Old slab broken out and removed, base excavated and compacted with gravel, vapour barrier laid, and a new reinforced slab poured and finished. Interior weeping tile and a sump connection can be built in at the same time.
Lowered floors, within your footings
Where the foundation allows, we pour the new floor lower than the old one to gain ceiling height without underpinning. If your project needs the footings dropped, we tell you that up front.
Real work
Basement floors by our crews
Basement entrance resurfaced: the steps and landing that lead down to the floor take the same salt and water damage.
The honest call
Is it the floor, or is it the water?
This is the question the waterproofing companies and the concrete companies each answer in their own favour. We do both sides of the work, so we can give you a straight answer.
Floor Repair or resurface
- Hairline or shrinkage cracks that do not leak
- Dusting, flaking or a failed paint finish
- One low area, a hump at a joint, or a slightly out of level room
- Slab is dry and sounds solid when tapped
Fixed in one to three days. Ready for finishing.
Water Fix the moisture first
- Damp patches that come and go with the weather
- Efflorescence, bubbling paint, musty smell
- Water at the wall to floor joint after rain
- Sump pump running constantly or missing
A coating over a wet slab peels. We address the water: vapour barrier, interior weeping tile, sump, then the floor.
Replace New slab
- Slab heaved, broken through or hollow underneath
- Thin old floor with no barrier that stays damp
- Drops of two inches or more across the room
- You want a lowered floor or in floor drainage anyway
Old slab out, gravel, vapour barrier, reinforced new pour. The permanent fix.
Budgeting
How much does basement floor repair cost in Toronto?
Every basement is quoted individually, but these are typical ranges reported across the GTA market so you have a realistic starting point. Your written quote comes with two or three priced options and is held for 21 days.
Ranges are general GTA market figures before HST, not a quote. Basement work is priced by access as much as by size: carrying broken concrete up a narrow stair and gravel down it is a large part of a replacement. Text three photos for a number specific to your floor.
How it works
Our basement floor repair process
Photos or site visit
Text three photos and we price from those, or we come and look. Damp floors get a moisture check before we recommend anything.
Options in writing
Two or three priced ways to fix it, what each buys you and how long it lasts. Price held 21 days.
Prep and protection
Furniture and finishes protected, dust controlled with vacuum grinding, and old coatings or adhesive removed.
The work
Cracks repaired, floor levelled or resurfaced, or old slab out and a new one poured over gravel and a vapour barrier. Drainage built in if the plan calls for it.
Cure, finish, walkthrough
We tell you exactly when the floor can take weight or flooring, walk it with you, and hand over the written warranty.
Warranty
Every basement floor carries a written warranty
The terms are in your quote before you sign, and they depend on the system: coatings and overlays carry longer coverage than a crack repair. We photograph every job before, during and after, which protects you if a question ever comes up about what was there when we started.
Basement floor reviews
What homeowners say about their basement floors
★★★★★ 4.8 · 100+ reviews on Google and HomeStars.
Fixed the floor that was bubbling and damp
We are new homeowners and had already made the mistake of going with bad contractors on our basement. Hubert came out personally and gave a thorough, honest quote in person. His team ripped up the existing flooring and concrete and fixed the basement floor that was bubbling and damp in many spots. Very happy with the new basement epoxy floor and stairs.
The messy job others would not take
I needed to finish a 600 sq ft basement renovation with a very uneven exposed concrete floor, a two to three inch difference in some corners, and wanted to maximize ceiling height without underpinning. Many contractors felt it was too messy. Hubert and his team took it on and delivered.
Basement floor replaced in Etobicoke
The guys at Toronto Concrete Repair did a great job replacing our basement floor in our home in Etobicoke. Wonderful team, everyone was friendly and professional. Definitely recommend.
Related services
Finishing the basement after the floor is fixed
Basement epoxy flooring
Sealed, easy clean epoxy and polyaspartic systems over a repaired slab, with moisture mitigation where it is needed.
Polished basement floors
Ground, densified and polished so the concrete itself is the finished floor.
Concrete replacement
When the slab is past saving: removal, base, vapour barrier and a new reinforced pour.
Questions
Basement floor repair FAQ
Should I fill cracks in my basement floor?
Can my uneven basement floor be levelled without replacing it?
My basement floor is damp. Can you just coat it?
Can you pour new concrete over my old basement floor?
Can you lower my basement floor for more ceiling height?
How long does basement floor repair take?
How much does it cost to repair a basement floor in Toronto?
Do you serve my area?
Where we work
Basement floor repair across Toronto and the GTA
Based in Mississauga, our own crews repair basement floors in Toronto, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, Newmarket, Pickering, Whitby and Oshawa. Same crews, same standard, whatever the postal code.
Get a straight answer on your basement floor
Text three photos: a wide shot of the floor, the worst crack or damp area close up, and any low or heaved spot. We will tell you whether it is a repair, a resurfacing, a moisture problem or a new slab, usually within one business day.