Tanking a cellar
Discussion
Hello,
I'm trying to seal up and plasterboard my cellar. It's only about 2m x 6m but I want to be able to store things down there. At the moment it's fairly damp and there's some mould on the brick walls. The house is a Victorian terraced.
I've been told by the builder to use homelux sealing membrane, then plasterboard onto this.
Does anyone have any experience of this?
I'm trying to seal up and plasterboard my cellar. It's only about 2m x 6m but I want to be able to store things down there. At the moment it's fairly damp and there's some mould on the brick walls. The house is a Victorian terraced.
I've been told by the builder to use homelux sealing membrane, then plasterboard onto this.
Does anyone have any experience of this?
We tackled a 10m x 15m basement using a product called Bituthene 3000.
Just about a DIY proposition. Tanking itself worked out about 25quid a SqM AIRC but you need an emulsion and some sort of dry lining.
www.graceconstruction.com
Just about a DIY proposition. Tanking itself worked out about 25quid a SqM AIRC but you need an emulsion and some sort of dry lining.
www.graceconstruction.com
The Bituthene solution is a good bet and ideally should also take in the floor.
This will involve breaking out the old floor but is well worth doing as you then know the protection is 100% all round.
Another possible is coating the walls with a SIKA render but again you have to think about how you are going to treat the floor, if dampness is present in this area.
This will involve breaking out the old floor but is well worth doing as you then know the protection is 100% all round.
Another possible is coating the walls with a SIKA render but again you have to think about how you are going to treat the floor, if dampness is present in this area.
I'd go sika render too, we've done a lot of the different systems over the years and always go back to the sika 1 render system.
If you know what you are doing you can do it cheaply too. If anything goes wrong it's easily repaired.
I wouldn't be thinking about using bituthene on the inside of a damp wall as the pressure of water even if it's just damp will just force it back off it over time (that's if you manage to get it stuck onto a damp wall in the first place!)
Use sika render on the floor too as a screed. The normal is 3 coats at 6mm each on the walls of different mixes and slurry and 40mm screed on the floor laid in one go.
If you need further help, feel free to give me a shout.
Edited to add you need to be thinking about ventilation also to avoid condensation.
Cheers
Paul
If you know what you are doing you can do it cheaply too. If anything goes wrong it's easily repaired.
I wouldn't be thinking about using bituthene on the inside of a damp wall as the pressure of water even if it's just damp will just force it back off it over time (that's if you manage to get it stuck onto a damp wall in the first place!)
Use sika render on the floor too as a screed. The normal is 3 coats at 6mm each on the walls of different mixes and slurry and 40mm screed on the floor laid in one go.
If you need further help, feel free to give me a shout.
Edited to add you need to be thinking about ventilation also to avoid condensation.
Cheers
Paul
Edited by PGM on Wednesday 23 September 09:17
Thanks for all this information.
The damp is definitely coming up through the floor of the basement. I was thinking that we'd only need to seal the floor and about 1m up the walls.
The builder, who I've used for some time and trust, suggested the Homelux product as he'd used it before. He was then going to concrete the floor and plasterboard it all up.
Am I foolish to do just the floor and 1m of the wall? It's difficult sometimes when the builder is pulling you in one direction and these other ideas are coming out here.
Any help or ideas gratefully received. Particularly if you have an opinion on the builder's proposal.
The damp is definitely coming up through the floor of the basement. I was thinking that we'd only need to seal the floor and about 1m up the walls.
The builder, who I've used for some time and trust, suggested the Homelux product as he'd used it before. He was then going to concrete the floor and plasterboard it all up.
Am I foolish to do just the floor and 1m of the wall? It's difficult sometimes when the builder is pulling you in one direction and these other ideas are coming out here.
Any help or ideas gratefully received. Particularly if you have an opinion on the builder's proposal.
if you're just going to tank up to 1m but the ground level is at 1.5m or 2m up the wall you'll be wasting your time and money
ETA - I personally wouldn't line the walls, if there's damp problem I'd want to see it and not hide it away
ETA - I personally wouldn't line the walls, if there's damp problem I'd want to see it and not hide it away
Edited by sleep envy on Wednesday 23 September 11:00
sleep envy said:
if you're just going to tank up to 1m but the ground level is at 1.5m or 2m up the wall you'll be wasting your time and money
ETA - I personally wouldn't line the walls, if there's damp problem I'd want to see it and not hide it away
Yes, I'd agree on both counts thereETA - I personally wouldn't line the walls, if there's damp problem I'd want to see it and not hide it away
Edited by sleep envy on Wednesday 23 September 11:00
Not wanting to get too technical but Bituthene, Sika - or any water proof - render may not be a very 'neighbourly' solution.
Is the cellar part of terrace of cellars, ie. do you share walls?
The reason I ask is that sealing up a damp wall just pushes the damp elsewhere. My practice has recently been involved with a rather protracted Party Wall dispute and one of the items was additional damp in the Adjoining Owners basement caused by Sika rendering the Building Owners basement.
Is the cellar part of terrace of cellars, ie. do you share walls?
The reason I ask is that sealing up a damp wall just pushes the damp elsewhere. My practice has recently been involved with a rather protracted Party Wall dispute and one of the items was additional damp in the Adjoining Owners basement caused by Sika rendering the Building Owners basement.
sleep envy said:
Sika make a self levelling resin for this application - it's not cheap mind and if used in an enclosed area like a basement it will make your head spin for days
personally I'd go with the Sika render, saves having to line the walls - you can just tosh some paint on the walls
This is the way forward definitely personally I'd go with the Sika render, saves having to line the walls - you can just tosh some paint on the walls
Used it plenty of times never a problem if used correctly.Another vote for Sika products here. I use Sika 1 as an admix when rendering damp walls after DPC injection and plaster removal. They add the stuff to the concrete they use to build dams and subways so it should be up to the job in a basement.
Once it's completely dry you can give it a couple of coats of multifinish too if you like.
Once it's completely dry you can give it a couple of coats of multifinish too if you like.
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