How do I attach skirting on new office without damaging DPM Kitchens, doors, rails, stud, tables, chairs, stair cases, garden furniture etc... Find answers and ask questions here!

[CARIAD69]

Hi Guys,

I'm trying to get new safety flooring fitted in my new extension, that will run up the walls to form a waterproof skirt.

The fitter has told me that battens and skirts need fitting 1st so the flooring has something to attach to. I think this is because there is a dip back to the dpm and blockwork below the plaster line, so there's only the walls DPM to fix the flooring to currently.

I'm trying to do this myself as I live very rurally and builders often begrudge travelling out here for small jobs:-).

BUT, I've got the wall DPM coming down the blockwork, below the concrete floor, and then the new floor dpm coming up from the floor.

How do I attach battens and skirts without penetrating or compromising either DPM.?

I can't use glue as they will just be attaching very loosely to both sections of DPM.

Is there a product I can buy that will seal any screw holes I make in the DPM? I've already bought waterproof gorilla glue, stayfix and no more nails for other projects.

I'm just a bit lost with how to fit these battens/skirts without damaging either DPM. I have looked for videos, but there are none to do with fitting skirts over a DPM?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I've been waiting over a year to get this flooring down!

[stoneyboy]

Hi cariad69,
Assuming you have sheet dams use stainless screws with plastic wall plugs but leave the plugs slightly proud of the dpm.
Regards S

[CARIAD69]

Hi Stoneyboy,

Thanks for you response on this issue. I couldn't find my message or any replies initially...lol.

Someone else has recommened that I just cut both the wall and floor DPM down to floor level and fill in the gap between the plaster line and the blockwork to the floor with mortar ?? So then the safety flooring cove form can just be glued to the mortar once it's cured.

But isn't that just completely compromising both DPMs?

I"m trying to do everything right to protect the DPM from penetration of screws with waterproof adhesive in each drill hole, and they're telling me to just trim it down and mortar the gap.

[CARIAD69]

Hi There,

I've taken and hopefully attached some pics to explain the issue I've got.

I've also now been told the moisture reading in my 2nd new porch slab, (laid in August) is too high to lay the safety flooring. Even if they lay a liquid dpc layer, then the screed, then the flooring!

Currently trying to find a local toolhire firm to hire a dehumidifer from them and have had the heater on in that room on full for 2 days.

I just can't seem to catch a break. I think either the porch or I am cursed...lol.

Anyhow, please see pics. What would be the best way to fill the gap between the plaster line and floor?

I was going to just attach battens so that the flooring company then have a level solid surface to attach the safety flooring coving forms.

But was concerned about comprimising the 2 layers of DPM with screws.

They've suggested just cutting both layers of DPM down to floor level and using a ready mixed, fast setting mortar to fill the gaps???

But wont this compromise my new DPM's even more than the few screws I was going to use??

[stoneyboy]

Hi caraid69,
It looks like you have a sheet DPM under the floor slab and painted DPM up the walls. I would still recommend you fix battens to the wall to pin the floor DPM in place and accept both will be minimally pierced.
Under the current weather conditions the floor slab will take months to dry, a dehumidifier may accelerate the drying but still allow weeks rather than days for this to happen
There is an interesting horizontal crack at the bottom of your plaster and I suspect this is the DPC line. This fault line could be a route for damp ingress - check damp levels on the bottom of the plaster under the crack line.
Regards S

[CARIAD69]

Hi caraid69,
It looks like you have a sheet DPM under the floor slab and painted DPM up the walls. I would still recommend you fix battens to the wall to pin the floor DPM in place and accept both will be minimally pierced.
Under the current weather conditions the floor slab will take months to dry, a dehumidifier may accelerate the drying but still allow weeks rather than days for this to happen
There is an interesting horizontal crack at the bottom of your plaster and I suspect this is the DPC line. This fault line could be a route for damp ingress - check damp levels on the bottom of the plaster under the crack line.
Regards S

Hi Stoneyboy,

Both the floor DPM and the wall DPM are sheet DPM's. There's no paint on DPM in place and tbh I'd have been less worried if there was.

The new slab was poured in August, but we have had pretty shocking wet weather here since. It doesn't help that there is a dog flap into this room and my neurotic terrier is in and out of that traipsing wet greasy paw marks through ALL day long checking the perimeters of his territory...lol

There are no cracks in the plaster. The 1st new base floor was higher and not level, so the plastering done shortly after this, was equally unlevel.

This 2nd new base is dead level, making the plaster line look really bad..lol.

The dehumidifier arrived and was plugged in last night and will be here for at least a week and the heaters still running 24/7 on max. The bucket in the dehumidifier barely has any water in it.

The floor readings actually went up since the heater was left on at the weekend?!

It was reading 05.3 to 05.7 then, but yesterday when the flooring guy came to retest it, it was reading 06.9-07.6 on both his and my moisture meter?!!? Which I don't get at all.

The plaster both above and below the skim line 'crack' is reading 03.1-03.6.

The block walls behind the wall DPM are reading between 04.3-05.6.

So all are on the low end of damp, but not ideal!

The flooring guys will be pouring a further DPM on the floor under the screed and safety flooring.

I've just got to hope the dehumidifier and heater do their jobs and that I can get these battens on without causing too much damage to the DPM's.

[stoneyboy]

Thanks for the update, hopefully you will end up with a nice dry extension once we get some reasonable drying weather
Regards S