HMH Construction — Masters of Renovation

Project story · Oakville

Two-Storey Addition in Oakville

The old attached garage came down and a two-storey addition went up in its place, on a new poured-and-block foundation — with the rest of the house renovated around it.

The completed two-storey addition in matching brick, with a new garage door and windows above
The completed two-storey addition in matching brick, with a new garage door and windows above

Adding on is not the hard part. Digging a new foundation tight against a house that people are still living in, tying new structure into forty-year-old brick, and making the join invisible from the street — that is the hard part.

What the project had to achieve

The house had an attached garage taking up the footprint where the family actually needed rooms. Taking the garage down and rebuilding it as two storeys put the parking back where it was and added full-height living space above it, without moving the house or losing the yard.

Project goals here are read from the signed scope of work. We don't publish our clients' names, addresses, or anything they told us in confidence.

Scope of work

How it was built

  1. November 2023

    What we started with

    A two-storey brick home with an attached garage and a kitchen that had run out of room years earlier. The interior was sound but dated — small kitchen, closed-off layout, original finishes throughout.

    The original kitchen before renovation, with dated cabinets and a small work areaThe original living room with hardwood flooring and the existing fireplaceThe attached garage opened up as demolition beginsDemolition debris stacked in the yard for removal

  2. November – December 2023

    Digging beside a house people still live in

    Excavating right up against an existing foundation is the part of an addition that needs the most care. The trench was cut and stepped along the side of the house, and every load of soil came off site as it was dug.

    Excavator cutting the foundation trench alongside the existing houseThe excavated footprint of the addition, cleared and ready for footings

  3. December 2023

    Foundation, waterproofed properly

    Block walls went up off the new footings, then the outside face was damp-proofed, covered in drainage board and drained to weeping tile before any backfill went near it. This is the layer nobody ever sees again, which is exactly why it gets done properly the first time.

    New block foundation wall built off the footings alongside the houseDamp-proofing membrane and drainage board applied to the outside of the new foundationThe completed foundation backfilled, with the addition footprint squared out

  4. December 2023

    The existing house, back to studs

    While the foundation cured, the inside of the original house came apart. Everything went back to the framing except the staircase, which stayed where it was and set the geometry for the new layout around it.

    The existing interior stripped back to studs during renovationThe original staircase kept in place while the surrounding walls were removedNew partition framing setting out the revised layout on the main floor

  5. December 2023

    Floor system and framing

    Engineered joists were delivered and set over the new foundation, and the two-storey frame went up off them. The new roof had to be cut into the existing brick wall — the join that decides whether an addition looks original or bolted on.

    Engineered floor joists and framing lumber delivered to siteFloor system framed over the new foundation wallsThe addition framed and braced, wrapped against the weatherInside the framed addition, looking through the full length of the new structureNew roof framing cut into the existing brick wall of the house

  6. December 2023 – January 2024

    Closed in before winter

    Sheathing and building wrap went on to get the structure watertight, so the interior work could carry on through the coldest part of the year rather than waiting for spring.

    The addition sheathed and roofed, closed in against the weatherWeather membrane and wrap installed where the addition meets the original brickLarge-format marble-look porcelain selected for the bathrooms

  7. Summer 2024

    The kitchen the house never had room for

    With the footprint the addition freed up, the kitchen runs the full length of the space — grey shaker cabinetry, quartz counters, a hex mosaic backsplash and an apron-front sink, with the hood built into the cabinet run rather than hung off it.

    The finished kitchen running the full length of the space toward the rear doorLong run of grey shaker cabinetry with quartz counters and undercabinet lightingGas cooktop with integrated hood and hex mosaic backsplashApron-front sink with brass tap against the quartz counter

  8. Summer 2024

    Stairs and bathrooms

    The staircase was rebuilt on its original footprint with stained treads and black metal balusters. Upstairs, the main bathroom is finished wall to wall in large-format porcelain, with a freestanding tub and a double vanity.

    Rebuilt staircase with stained treads, white risers and black metal balustersUpper landing and open rail overlooking the stairwellMain bathroom with freestanding tub, double vanity and full-height porcelainFreestanding tub with floor-mounted black filler against marble-look porcelainWalk-in shower with pebble floor, recessed niche and gold fixtures

  9. Summer 2024

    Outside, it reads as original

    The addition was finished in brick chosen to sit with the existing house, with a modern garage door at ground level and windows above. From the yard, the only clue is that the house is bigger than it used to be.

    The completed addition in matching brick with a new garage doorWide view of the finished addition alongside the original house

The result

A two-storey addition where the garage used to be — parking back at ground level, new living space above it, and a brick exterior that reads as though it was always part of the house.

Services used on this project

Home Additions →Home Renovations →Kitchen Renovations →Bathroom Renovations →

Questions about projects like this

Can you build an addition where the garage is now?

Often yes — it is one of the more efficient places to add, because the footprint is already disturbed ground and already part of the house. What decides it is zoning setbacks, lot coverage and whether you still need to park on site. On this project the garage was rebuilt at ground level with living space above it, so the parking was never actually lost.

How do you keep an addition from looking bolted on?

Two things do most of the work: matching the brick and matching the roof line. The new roof here was cut into the existing brick wall rather than butted against it, and the brick was selected against the original rather than ordered from a sample board. Get those right and the window sizes and trim follow.

Is it safe to excavate right beside an existing foundation?

It is routine work, but it is not work to improvise. The trench gets stepped and shored, the depth is set against the existing footing, and the sequence is planned so nothing is left open longer than it needs to be. That is also why the waterproofing and drainage go on before any backfill.

Can we live in the house during an addition?

During the foundation and framing stages, usually yes — that work happens outside the existing envelope. It gets harder once the interior is opened up. On this project the inside was stripped to studs, so the two phases were sequenced deliberately rather than run at once.

Planning something similar?

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