I've just asked a builder for a quote on damp proofing a basement. The
basement is in a house on a hill. One wall has earth behind it, two
side walls are shared with next door, and one wall is at garden level
with a window and door out.

We want to make the basement habitable and into a kitchen. The builder
has suggested aquaseal and dry walling all round on the walls and
asphalt on the floor.

How does this sound?

I wanted to get some opinions if anyone is happy to offer them. I
wonder about dry walling and aquaseal as he is proposing nailing the
membrane on and this will make holes. I wonder about the asphalt floor
and why he hasn't suggested a plastic membrane and concrete. I am also
concerned that the methods proposed does not seem to be a 'system' ie,
a partial 'tanking' of the basement.

The basement does not appear to have a damp problem other than the
usual damp air feel of an unused basement but I am concerned over the
limits of his proposals.

How long/against what can i expect it to be effective?

tia

Antony

Antony wrote in message ...
I've just asked a builder for a quote on damp proofing a basement. The
basement is in a house on a hill. One wall has earth behind it, two
side walls are shared with next door, and one wall is at garden level
with a window and door out.

We want to make the basement habitable and into a kitchen. The builder
has suggested aquaseal and dry walling all round on the walls and
asphalt on the floor.

How does this sound?

I wanted to get some opinions if anyone is happy to offer them. I
wonder about dry walling and aquaseal as he is proposing nailing the
membrane on and this will make holes. I wonder about the asphalt floor
and why he hasn't suggested a plastic membrane and concrete. I am also
concerned that the methods proposed does not seem to be a 'system' ie,
a partial 'tanking' of the basement.

The basement does not appear to have a damp problem other than the
usual damp air feel of an unused basement but I am concerned over the
limits of his proposals.

How long/against what can i expect it to be effective?

tia

Antony

Why not ask your local friendly BCO?
They are normally very helpful (not like planners who often hail from other
planets)
Bob

On 28 Jun 2004 13:56:45 -0700, (Antony)
wrote:

I've just asked a builder for a quote on damp proofing a basement. The
basement is in a house on a hill. One wall has earth behind it, two
side walls are shared with next door, and one wall is at garden level
with a window and door out.

We want to make the basement habitable and into a kitchen. The builder
has suggested aquaseal and dry walling all round on the walls and
asphalt on the floor.

How does this sound?

I wanted to get some opinions if anyone is happy to offer them. I
wonder about dry walling and aquaseal as he is proposing nailing the
membrane on and this will make holes. I wonder about the asphalt floor
and why he hasn't suggested a plastic membrane and concrete. I am also
concerned that the methods proposed does not seem to be a 'system' ie,
a partial 'tanking' of the basement.

The basement does not appear to have a damp problem other than the
usual damp air feel of an unused basement but I am concerned over the
limits of his proposals.

How long/against what can i expect it to be effective?

tia

Antony

Sir

There are special membranes for this sort of application, they fix
between the wall and the wallboard, and allow the water to run down
the gap, and be removed from the bottom.

The aquaseal may well work, it depends on how good a job you want
......



Rick

"Antony" wrote in message
m...
I've just asked a builder for a quote on damp proofing a basement. The
basement is in a house on a hill. One wall has earth behind it, two
side walls are shared with next door, and one wall is at garden level
with a window and door out.

We want to make the basement habitable and into a kitchen. The builder
has suggested aquaseal and dry walling all round on the walls and
asphalt on the floor.

How does this sound?

Not a hope. You need a proper system that will isolate the room from the
wall touching the wall, draining all water down and out. Not cheap but
anything else will decay quite quickly. In this case the Aquaseal will most
likely cause the wall to get damper and damper until the dampness either
breaks through or begins to destroy the wall itself.

You may also want to think about insulation, ventilation and condensation.
Rooms like this can become cold traps that appear to attract the moisture in
the house making it clammy, not to mention condensation too. A bit of
ventilation, heat and a dehumidifier may work wonders.
"Antony" wrote in message
m...
I've just asked a builder for a quote on damp proofing a basement. The
basement is in a house on a hill. One wall has earth behind it, two
side walls are shared with next door, and one wall is at garden level
with a window and door out.

We want to make the basement habitable and into a kitchen. The builder
has suggested aquaseal and dry walling all round on the walls and
asphalt on the floor.

How does this sound?

I wanted to get some opinions if anyone is happy to offer them. I
wonder about dry walling and aquaseal as he is proposing nailing the
membrane on and this will make holes. I wonder about the asphalt floor
and why he hasn't suggested a plastic membrane and concrete. I am also
concerned that the methods proposed does not seem to be a 'system' ie,
a partial 'tanking' of the basement.

The basement does not appear to have a damp problem other than the
usual damp air feel of an unused basement but I am concerned over the
limits of his proposals.

How long/against what can i expect it to be effective?

tia

Antony

Asphalt floor waterproof ok. Other treatments depends on how bad the
damp e.g. worst case possibility of water accumulating behind wall so
that it runs in through cracks, best case - the ground may already be
well drained and only need a light treatment inside to keep dry.
In the worst case it needs the ultimate solution; tanking - asphalt
on wall also, held in place by solid brick/block/concrete inner wall.
A middle road is to apply dense cement render+waterproofer roughly
cast onto cleaned up walls amd then rendered over as normal.
It all depends

cheers

Jacob

"Harry Ziman" hziman at clara dot co dot uk wrote in message ...
You may also want to think about insulation, ventilation and condensation.
Rooms like this can become cold traps that appear to attract the moisture in
the house making it clammy, not to mention condensation too. A bit of
ventilation, heat and a dehumidifier may work wonders.

"Antony" wrote in message
m...
I've just asked a builder for a quote on damp proofing a basement. The
basement is in a house on a hill. One wall has earth behind it, two
side walls are shared with next door, and one wall is at garden level
with a window and door out.

We want to make the basement habitable and into a kitchen. The builder
has suggested aquaseal and dry walling all round on the walls and
asphalt on the floor.

How does this sound?

I wanted to get some opinions if anyone is happy to offer them. I
wonder about dry walling and aquaseal as he is proposing nailing the
membrane on and this will make holes. I wonder about the asphalt floor
and why he hasn't suggested a plastic membrane and concrete. I am also
concerned that the methods proposed does not seem to be a 'system' ie,
a partial 'tanking' of the basement.

The basement does not appear to have a damp problem other than the
usual damp air feel of an unused basement but I am concerned over the
limits of his proposals.

How long/against what can i expect it to be effective?


I'm thinking a dehumidifier would be the cheapest option, if thats
what youre looking for.

Question for those that may know: must tanking be on the outside of
the wall, or is it quite qworkable to waterproof the inside? I'm
thinking of wall deterioration and possible freezing while wet.

Regards, NT

On 29 Jun 2004 10:26:57 -0700, (N. Thornton) wrote:

"Harry Ziman" hziman at clara dot co dot uk wrote in message ...
You may also want to think about insulation, ventilation and condensation.
Rooms like this can become cold traps that appear to attract the moisture in
the house making it clammy, not to mention condensation too. A bit of
ventilation, heat and a dehumidifier may work wonders.

"Antony" wrote in message
m...
I've just asked a builder for a quote on damp proofing a basement. The
basement is in a house on a hill. One wall has earth behind it, two
side walls are shared with next door, and one wall is at garden level
with a window and door out.

We want to make the basement habitable and into a kitchen. The builder
has suggested aquaseal and dry walling all round on the walls and
asphalt on the floor.

How does this sound?

I wanted to get some opinions if anyone is happy to offer them. I
wonder about dry walling and aquaseal as he is proposing nailing the
membrane on and this will make holes. I wonder about the asphalt floor
and why he hasn't suggested a plastic membrane and concrete. I am also
concerned that the methods proposed does not seem to be a 'system' ie,
a partial 'tanking' of the basement.

The basement does not appear to have a damp problem other than the
usual damp air feel of an unused basement but I am concerned over the
limits of his proposals.

How long/against what can i expect it to be effective?


I'm thinking a dehumidifier would be the cheapest option, if thats
what youre looking for.

Question for those that may know: must tanking be on the outside of
the wall, or is it quite qworkable to waterproof the inside? I'm
thinking of wall deterioration and possible freezing while wet.

Regards, NT

My reseach suggests that on the outside the water pushes the tanking
onto the wall, and on the inside it pushes it off.

Rick

Rick Dipper wrote in message . ..
On 29 Jun 2004 10:26:57 -0700, (N. Thornton) wrote:

"Harry Ziman" hziman at clara dot co dot uk wrote in message ...
You may also want to think about insulation, ventilation and condensation.
Rooms like this can become cold traps that appear to attract the moisture in
the house making it clammy, not to mention condensation too. A bit of
ventilation, heat and a dehumidifier may work wonders.

"Antony" wrote in message
m...
I've just asked a builder for a quote on damp proofing a basement. The
basement is in a house on a hill. One wall has earth behind it, two
side walls are shared with next door, and one wall is at garden level
with a window and door out.

We want to make the basement habitable and into a kitchen. The builder
has suggested aquaseal and dry walling all round on the walls and
asphalt on the floor.

How does this sound?

I wanted to get some opinions if anyone is happy to offer them. I
wonder about dry walling and aquaseal as he is proposing nailing the
membrane on and this will make holes. I wonder about the asphalt floor
and why he hasn't suggested a plastic membrane and concrete. I am also
concerned that the methods proposed does not seem to be a 'system' ie,
a partial 'tanking' of the basement.

The basement does not appear to have a damp problem other than the
usual damp air feel of an unused basement but I am concerned over the
limits of his proposals.

How long/against what can i expect it to be effective?


I'm thinking a dehumidifier would be the cheapest option, if thats
what youre looking for.

Question for those that may know: must tanking be on the outside of
the wall, or is it quite qworkable to waterproof the inside? I'm
thinking of wall deterioration and possible freezing while wet.

Regards, NT

My reseach suggests that on the outside the water pushes the tanking
onto the wall, and on the inside it pushes it off.

Rick


Yup. Thinking about my prime question, I guess the answer is that if
you can tank on the outside you do, but once its built one can only
tank the interior, so you do. AFAIK tar is the longest lasting
tanking.


Regards, NT