Damp cellar

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Wakz

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Hi, after a little bit of advice.
I have a large cellar which is below ground level.
The walls feel cold and slightly wet.
There is condensation in the cellar which is causing the wood joyce's to become wet.
To install ventilation is rather hard as the cellar is about six foot below ground level.

What would be the best way to combat the problems, would using Ka tanking slurry and then limelite plaster work?
 
what you say above would work, i would prefer a suitable membrane fixed over with 2x1 and plumbed then boarded, you can create a hole with sumption pump too, fail safe and easier than tanking
 
tanking would need to be over sand cement background , tanking only works well if applied properly...

plastic membranes are easier to install with less chance of failing ....as above regarding pump

dig out floor / insulation / parimeter drainage running to sump / screed floor

membrane can be plastered or dabbed


its an expensive job to do right but only you can decide if its worth the outlay ?
 
Don,t cut corners with basements ,done right your get your money back ,best of luck with it :RpS_thumbup:
 
Thanks for the replies!
Actually have just had drainage put around the perimeter, just not done the walls yet.
After reading around i thought that slurry would of been a better alternative.
What membrane would you recommend, does it need to be studded? Ive been told non-stud membrane available from places like b+q should do the job?
 
Appreciate the replies. Just checked out that website, seems as if the cellar needs a heat recovery unit because there's a lot of condensation which is ruining the above floor. But it will need to be at an angle.
Would I get away with visqueen damp proof membrane? The Newton stuff is rather pricey. The basement is only going to be used for storage and not living purposes.
 
Wakz said:
Appreciate the replies. Just checked out that website, seems as if the cellar needs a heat recovery unit because there's a lot of condensation which is ruining the above floor. But it will need to be at an angle.
Would I get away with visqueen damp proof membrane? The Newton stuff is rather pricey. The basement is only going to be used for storage and not living purposes.
Click to expand...
Fixing visqueen without perforating is the big ask here. Quick job would be fix tantalised battens, screw foil back on top, tape and fill.foil back for ceiling also
 
Thanks for the reply.
I think the biggest problem in the base end is the condensation which I'm trying to understand where it is coming from. It has membrane already on the floor with slabs on the top so the floor shouldn't be a problem but that are wet. The walls are also wet to Fo touch including the partition walls which are 19" thick however they are not wet in between when broken. I believe they are wet to touch cause of condensation due to no air reaching the cellar. Would installing a best recovery unit be useful?
 
Get some form of heating down there and a positive pressure input fan fitted.

That should clear up the condensation.
 
Thanks for the reply.
Looking at getting a heat recovery unit or a fan fitted to bring air in and out.
Also looking at getting the underground wall painted with tanking slurry.
Then perhaps coating the bare partition cellar walls with plaster/render to provide some sort of insulation.
Does the above sound okay?
 
Haha you may as well batten visqueen on the walls it would be cheaper.

I am sorry but I come from the old school of if your going to do a job do it right.

Hack off, SBR render & Tank it and then insulated and stud the walls to bring up the ambient temperature and also fit a basement piv system and put plenty of radiators in there.

I have done loads of basements and never had a problem.
 
adapt said:
Haha you may as well batten visqueen on the walls it would be cheaper.

I am sorry but I come from the old school of if your going to do a job do it right.

Hack off, SBR render & Tank it and then insulated and stud the walls to bring up the ambient temperature and also fit a basement piv system and put plenty of radiators in there.

I have done loads of basements and never had a problem.
Click to expand...
The tanking costs are high, let alone radiators lol. The basement isn't going to be used for living.
The visqueen seems to have reduced the damp, problem is what to do with the joists that all seem to have wood beetles on them, wood preserver hasn't killed them any advice on this?
 
Ring round and get someone out who knows what they are doing to have alook for you and give you some sound advice
 
Wood preserver wouldn't necessarily kill them I don't think,as artisan said get in a specialist to kill em then preservative after.if they are weakened then add another timbr alongside and bolt as needed.
 
Thanks for the advice. Ive bolted another timber to the bad joists. Some joists seem to have sections of soft, are these going to continue on going completely soft?
I used wood preservative that was supposed to kill the insects, Everbuild preserver from toolstation but its made no difference. Holding up a light close to the wood shows a beetle/fly in some places.

Other problem is, iv laid damp proof membrane and paving slabs on top. This seems to have stopped the rising damp. Some slabs are drying out but most are still wet. When lifted the underside is dry. I dont understand why are they still wet, Iv put some membrane on the wall half way and returned after a day to pull it forwards i can see back of the membrane is all wet. This is the underground wall, so i guess its a problem with penetrating damp? Will applying tanking slurry to this wall be the cure?

Appreciate all the replies thankyou.
 
Your asking for a diagnosis from people without anyone seeing the job which Is impossible!
It sounds just like what most of the guys have already gave you an answer with it being condensation.
To me this is what it sounds like.
You need to install a PIV or HRC depending on your circumstances but it would be best having a company to assess your individual requirments.
If you want the cheapest option then these can be bought online and installed yourself but need to be done properly or they won't be any benefit at all.

As its not a living space then I wouldn't bother tanking, battening, boarding etc but use your money and invest it in a unit!
That KA tanking is not worth the bucket it's supplied in!


Also the preserver you used wouldn't work as the wood was already infected when you used it.
If I'm correct the preserver you bought is for use on timber before infection as it will stop it.
You need something that will kill the infection then to protect in the future.

Also the reason your walls are wet behind the membrane is because there effectively sweating out!
Don't cover them with any sort of b an q membrane as this will make it worse!
Damp proof membranes are for under concrete slabs not on walls.
This is where a cavity drain membrane is used.
They have a egg box style mould which allows the walls to breathe eliminating sweating and in most cases allows the moisture to evaporate behind of if its running water then guides it to the drainage which it is usally installed with!

most people on here know what there on about or at least have some ideal so when you ask for advise and a majority answer is given at least take it or say thanks but ill leave it for now and not try and get round the problem as cheap as possible and then ask for more advice when its not working!


Hope this helps in some way!
 
Jgreenplastering said:
Your asking for a diagnosis from people without anyone seeing the job which Is impossible!
It sounds just like what most of the guys have already gave you an answer with it being condensation.
To me this is what it sounds like.
You need to install a PIV or HRC depending on your circumstances but it would be best having a company to assess your individual requirments.
If you want the cheapest option then these can be bought online and installed yourself but need to be done properly or they won't be any benefit at all.

As its not a living space then I wouldn't bother tanking, battening, boarding etc but use your money and invest it in a unit!
That KA tanking is not worth the bucket it's supplied in!


Also the preserver you used wouldn't work as the wood was already infected when you used it.
If I'm correct the preserver you bought is for use on timber before infection as it will stop it.
You need something that will kill the infection then to protect in the future.

Also the reason your walls are wet behind the membrane is because there effectively sweating out!
Don't cover them with any sort of b an q membrane as this will make it worse!
Damp proof membranes are for under concrete slabs not on walls.
This is where a cavity drain membrane is used.
They have a egg box style mould which allows the walls to breathe eliminating sweating and in most cases allows the moisture to evaporate behind of if its running water then guides it to the drainage which it is usally installed with!

most people on here know what there on about or at least have some ideal so when you ask for advise and a majority answer is given at least take it or say thanks but ill leave it for now and not try and get round the problem as cheap as possible and then ask for more advice when its not working!


Hope this helps in some way!
Click to expand...

Great reply thanks.
The preserver was actually designed to treat infected wood, however it hasn't done a great job.
After putting the dpm on walls ive worked out that they must be letting water/condensation in.
With the walls "sweating" Im guessing that's why the floor slabs are becoming slightly wet.
The cavity wall membrane you mention, is that the studded membrane that goes along the walls then to the drain.
Thanks for the replies on here, going to get a damp expert in.
 
Hi, just an update.
Had a passing builder stop by today who says the wall with earth behind it has penetrating damp and said it should have tanking slurry and then lime light plaster over it. He mentioned that cause the floor has been paved over its pushing the damp up the walls. If the walls have slurry applied would the damp not be pushed up further/rise?
 
To be fair mate you have been asking questions about this for 2 months. Get advise from a PCA waterproofing company.
 
Wakz said:
Great reply thanks.
The preserver was actually designed to treat infected wood, however it hasn't done a great job.
After putting the dpm on walls ive worked out that they must be letting water/condensation in.
With the walls "sweating" Im guessing that's why the floor slabs are becoming slightly wet.
The cavity wall membrane you mention, is that the studded membrane that goes along the walls then to the drain.
Thanks for the replies on here, going to get a damp expert in.
Click to expand...

Wakz you need to take the DPM off the walls. It isnt designed for that and will cause you more problems.
 
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