Ottawa Building & Foundation Repair

Nathan and his team did a highly competent, on time and budget foundation repair that will enhance the living environment and value of our home for many years to come. We were highly satisfied with the professionalism, quality of workmanship and cleanliness of the work site.

Hi, My husband and I decided to have the old weeping tile system replaced around our house since we want to finish the basment and didn't want the old system to fail after that investment. Ottawa Building and Foundation repair did a great job at replacing the old system with the new draingae pipes and had no problems installing a dry well since we did not want a sump pump in our house. They did a great job and followed all the details listed in the contract, which included waterproofing and membrane material, new drainage pipes, window wells and backfilling with clear stone. I would give them a 4.5 instead of a 4 if I could. The only reason I would not give them 5 stars are just a few of the small details. There was a little damage to our fence post and a few small flower pots got broken. As well we needed some earth filled in at a later date because of some compacting which is understandable but then the earth was just dropped off in the street, so we had to move the earth off the street, ourselves. But overall a good experience. They completed the project in about a month.

Hired this crew a couple of years ago on recommendation from friends to fix a portion of our foundation that was leaking. Owner came out immediately, made time to explain everything, and worked through paperwork for loan with us. Last fall called because basement was leaking again (in an area not included in original work) Again, owner came out right away, walked us through what needed to happen and scheduled for spring (it was less urgent than the first time). He also arranged for the paving company and I had nothing to worry about - all the magic happened through this company. His crew and the sub-contracted crew were professional, friendly and considerate. Fantastic job all around. Absolutely worry free and well worth it.

We employed Ottawa Building & Foundation Repair to lower our basement floor and build our basement. In consulting them, we decided to build a bench within the basement rather than rebuild the foundations. The owners/project leads of Ottawa Building & Foundation Repair were extremely helpful in guiding us through all the necessary steps. They gave us a quote for the job and stuck to it, adjusting it only on one or two occasions because we decided to add elements to the renovation. They gave us a start and end date for the project and kept to it by working hard everyday. The line of communication was always open. We knew we could fully trust them in this "open heart surgery" to our house and they did not fail us.

It was clear to me from Nathan`s initial visit that he was highly knowledgeable about the scope of the work to be performed to repair damages to my home`s foundation, that he took great pride in his work and reputation, in his staff, and in his company.I appreciated the time he took to review his estimate, explaining in detail what types of materials he would use and the way in which this work would be carried out. It was encouraging to know that OB&FR does not cut corners and always uses high quality materials. Nathan`s company proved that it has integrity, is extremely reliable, ethical, and that Nathan has realized that this is how a company builds a truly successful business. The crew were at all times friendly, energetic, honest, reliable, and courteous.They were always willing to answer all questions and explain each stage of the job. These highly skilled workers managed to work long hours in extremely hot weather conditions and I truly appreciated the fact that they were always neat and did a daily clean up at the end of a long shift! Nathan has won the respect of his crew who were anxious to come in on time and budget...which they did! Nathan`s frequent visits to ensure that his expectations were being met, was appreciated by both his crew and myself. I had absolute peace of mind throughout this process and my home is now dry and worry-free again. I believe that OB&FR is a phenomenal company to deal with! Sincere thanks, Nathan, for providing not only excellent client service but for a job well done! Wishing you and your team continued success, I highly recommend you to all my friends and to anyone requiring any of the services provided by your excellent company!

Nathan and his crew excavated along one side of our house and part of our backyard in order to install a weeping tile system and drainage bed to stop water that was entering our basement through the cove joint of the north wall. A sump pit and pump were also installed in the basement to pump the water to the drainage bed in our backyard.

The job started on schedule but took longer than predicted due to the extremely rocky soil. The discovery of bedrock also necessitated a change in plans as a gravity fed dry well was no longer possible (hence the sump pump). While this did result in extra charges Nathan did an excellent job explaining why the changes were necessary and the additional costs were very reasonable.

Nathan and his crew were all very friendly, kept the worksite in good order every day and left the landscaping on the side of the house looking much better than it had before the excavation.

A lamppost in the backyard was damaged and their excavator damaged our driveway (which was admittedly not built properly in the first place). Nathan reimbursed us for the lamppost and hired another company to fix the hole in the driveway (he also offered to replace the lamppost but we chose reimbursement instead).

When we get around to extending our weeping tile system around the remainder of the house we will definitely be giving Nathan a call.

We would gladly recommend Ottawa Building & Foundation Repair to family and friends.

Graeme in Ottawa

I hired Ottawa Building & Foundation Repair in 2011 to repair and waterproof my entire foundation and replace the weeping tile with a new drainage system. Owner Nathan Sally took the time to explain his recommendations and provide options with his initial evaluation.

He and his crew conducted the job in a professional and friendly manner. They did their best to minimize the disruption to the yard and garden (even moving some plants) - not easy considering the amount of excavation needed and a relatively small yard. Throughout the 3-week job, I was kept informed. The workers arrived promptly every day, answered any questions I had and left the worksite tidy at the end of their long day.

So far I have had no more water in my basement and it seems much less damp than previously. I would not hesitate to recommend Ottawa Building & Foundation repair for similar work.

Right off the top, I liked the way Nathan spent the time to talk to me. He must have spent close to an hour walking around my house, explaining potential solutions, materials to be used, etc. Other companies gave similar quotes but were in and out in 15 minutes.

They repaired a couple cracks I had down to the footings, and installed a window well with proper drainage. They also repaired about 10' of parging, and about 25' of new parging. Workers were all polite and answered all questions. The work was done 4 days in a row, no big delays. A couple issues came up, but they were dealt with - no problem.

I also liked that they had a financing option with a bank - none of this under the table, fly-by-night sort of thing. I would hire them again.

My husband and I hired Ottawa Building & Foundation Repair (OBFR) last Spring to waterproof our basement. Our house was built in 1948 and didn't have weeping tile or any type of waterproofing membrane (which we only found out after having a bit of water in our basement when the snow melted). We received a few quotes and was most comfortable with Nathan (owner of OBFR). He took the time to answer our never-ending list of questions. Him and his team are very dependable and trustworthy. When comparing companies I found that pricing was pretty much the same across the board so I went with the person I thought would do the best job and I wasn't disappointed. Since my foundation was a block foundation they had to excavate around the perimeter of my house. That took a few weeks because they discovered massive rocks in the ground. Be prepared for this project to take longer than you might think. Like with all renos things arise that you couldn't have predicted. A few issues arose with my neighbour (who's driveway goes right up to our house) but they were taken care of by Nathan in a very professional way. No complaints from me at all! One good thing to know is that excavation will really change the landscape of your home. If you're not handy with landscaping/gardening I would consider hiring a landscaper. OBFR cleaned up the site to the best of their abilities but when it came to re-seeding the grass they were not experts in that field and were not being paid to landscape as a professional landscaper would.

I have had stone veneer and siding installed on my house from these guys. after the stone started falling from my house and the contractor wanted to accept zero responsiblity i had an Engineer investigate. Here is the response of the engineer.

At your request I visited the above noted site to inspect the installation of a natural stone masonry veneer
product manufactured by Realstone Systems. We understand the product is a Shadowstone panel in a
charcoal colour. In attendance were you, the homeowner, a representative of Realstone Systems, and a
representative of the installer. The inspection was carried out on July 20, 2011 at 9:00am.
The installation is principally comprised of corners and key architectural highlights on a two storey residential
structure. The masonry veneer elements are two stories in height on the sides and back of the building. The
balance of the exterior cladding is EIFS. We understand the installation took place last year and panel failure
occurred prior to the first freezing and thawing cycle. These panels were replaced using a construction
adhesive. Further panel failure occurred following the winter season.
The following observations were made;
1. The bedding mortar was not completely applied to the back of the
panel in all areas where the panels had been removed or fallen off.
In many areas the bedding mortar was not bonded to the scratch
coat. In visible areas the profile on the scratch coat was not
aggressive enough to promote bonding of the bedding mortar. In my
estimation on average only 75% of the back panel was buttered
with the bedding mortar.
2. The bedding mortar was not adhered well to the scratch coat and
contained many air bubbles. In some areas the bedding mortar also
fell off the scratch coat. It is reported that a type S mortar was used
with a latex bonding agent. Large inconsistencies in colour and
texture were noted at adjacent panels suggesting the addition of
water or poor mixing practice between panel installation.
3. To improve the bond it is reported that Weld-Crete® by Larsen
Products was applied to the back of each panel. This product
requires that it be applied in a thin uniform coat and allowed to dry
for one hour. It is apparent that the blue coloured residue from this
product remained on the bedding mortar. This typically results
when either the coating is too thick or has not dried sufficiently prior
to installation of the panel. Applied too soon, this product can
contribute to bond failure.
4. Voids behind the bedding mortar and scratch coat are a common deficiency in this installation and
could be identified by tapping with a medium sized rubber hammer. This deficiency also makes it
difficult to determine if the bond has failed at the panel to bedding mortar or at the bedding mortar to
scratch coat. It was suggested that some areas had 100% mortar
coverage. Accordingly, unlike the picture to the left where almost no
bedding mortar extended to the edge
of the panel, we investigated panels
where it appeared the bedding mortar
was complete and to the edge.
During removal of this panel by
tapping with a rubber hammer and
applying hand pressure, several panels fell from above. The degree
of vibration introduced during this removal does not warrant the
failure of the upper panels.
5. Large areas of tile have failed in a progressive manner. Voids
behind the bedding mortar indicate that the panel was not pressed
well with a slight rotating action on to the scratch coat. All exposed
areas had similar deficiencies described above that would contribute
to bond failure. Accordingly, it is our opinion that these areas are
representative of the whole installation. The last image shows all
conditions and in this area panels could be removed by hand. Given
the height of the installation this is a real safety concern.
We do note that the joints are tight and the quality of the cutting and joint placement is good. However; it is our
opinion that the bond failure is directly related to improper installation of the panels. Based on our
assessment we recommend that the entire installation be removed down to the scratch coat. The scratch coat
should be scored with a grinder to provide a more aggressive profile. Dependent on conditions it should be
pre-dampened 24 hours in advance of application of the bedding mortar and stone veneer panel. Unless
stringent conformance with the Weld-Crete® application requirements is followed, we do not recommend its
use. With careful removal most of the panels can be salvaged. The back of each panel should be cleaned
and be free of dust or materials that would negatively impact bond.
Caution during the removal should be exercised to avoid falling panels. This is best achieved by starting from
the top and working downward. Damage to panels will be reduced in this manner. If you have any further
questions please contact the undersigned directly.
Respectfully submitted,
Paul R. Walkington, CET, rcca, LEED®AP
Principal – Buildings Engineering
STANTEC CONSULTING LTD.
2781 Lancaster Road, Suite 200
Ottawa ON, K1B 1A7
Direct Phone: (613) 738 6088
Fax: (613) 738 0721
Email: paul.walkington@stantec.com