Basement Waterproofing Project:

A Victorian property in South Cambridgeshire where the previous owner had created a playroom in a basement conversion. There had been no attempt at waterproofing the basement and 600mm of water was present, rendering it unusable.

The Challenge:

Conversion of the basement into a dry, usable area, to be used as a television lounge, with a separate utility room incorporating a photographic darkroom.

The Solution:

In order that the basement could be used as residential accommodation, which is classed as a Grade 3 area in accordance with BS:8102, it was it was decided to use a cavity drain membrane system for the waterproofing.

A new concrete floor was laid and a sump pump installed, which would pump out water entering the basement, as well as carrying waste from the washing machine outlet to the drainage system.  A standby pump was installed to provide back-up should the main pump fail. An alarm was fitted to sound in the event of excessively high water level in the sump.

The property was known to suffer from frequent power cuts, so to prevent flooding in the event of a power failure a battery back-up unit was fitted, along with provision for generator which could be connected in the event of a sustained power failure.

Cavity drain membrane was supplied and fixed to the walls by qualified and experienced technicians. A new chipboard floor was laid and a plasterboard and skim finish applied to the walls.

For further information please print or download the factsheet below.