Basement Tanking

Walls and floors in rooms below ground level are subject to lateral damp penetration by hydrostatic pressure or vertically from capillary action. Utilising our specialist basement waterproofing knowledge, basements, cellars and other similar subterranean structures can be transformed into habitable environments. This can often add considerable value to both commercial and residential properties in areas where space is at a premium with high land or property values.

Waterproofed cellars and basements can be converted into kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, cinemas or even recording studios as a few examples of residential conversions. In commercial properties basement conversions an be used as extra storage, car parks, bars, nightclubs and restaurants.

Here at General Damp Proofing we use the Oldroyd cavity backed studded membrane system which is particularly suited to waterproofing Victorian/Edwardian basements as it does not rely on the soundness of the underlying substrate for its effectiveness. The membrane is sealed to the walls using special sealed fixing plugs, whilst on the floor there is normally no need for any form of fixings, as this is overlaid with floor screed or timber floating floors. Timber battens can be fixed to the sealed wall plugs and covered with plasterboards additional insulation sheets can also be incorporated at this stage of the project to increase thermal U values within the converted area.

It is normal to provide a system to evacuate the collected water from behind the cavity drainage system and this is done by means of incorporating a perimeter drainage channel and sump pump(s) as deemed necessary by our surveyors.

A Typical Basement Refurbishment

Step 1:
After the aqua drainage and sump pump is fitted the Platon membrane is fitted to the basement.

Step 2:
The fitted membrane is over laid with treated timber battons.

Step 3:
The plasterboards are fitted over the dry lining battens, additional insulating sheets can be incorporated into the system at this stage.

Step 4:
The finish plaster is applied.

Once plaster has dried redecoration can take place and the space is ready to use.