DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi all

I'm looking at doing work to my cellar in the house I'm buying, not just because I want to use it as a bedroom, but also because it's so damp, it's rotting the joists to the living room floor so it all needs to come up and replace the joists (which since they sit into the external wall will also need to be pre-treated/covered to prevent damp pentration). Added which the mould is likely not very healthy and the whole house smells horribly damp.

It is a true cellar by which I mean, not a 'basement' ie which usually have some kind of partial opening to the front of the house through which light can come. This is a fully totally enclosed cellar with absolutely no light entry possbile (well, not unless you put in a pavement light I guess). Anyhoo, it's obviously below ground level and suffering from damp from hydrostatic pressure.

I've seen many videos from providers of damp proofing services or products and it seems fairly split between some saying tanking would work and some saying it would need to be sump, pump and membranes.

I understand the need to meet various regulations such as ventilation, it would need to be firesafe if used as a bedroom, and insulated from the cold and sound also.

From the description of the cellar, does it sound like it would be a tanking or membranes/pump job?

The cellar is 3.6m x 2.77m - any ideas on the likely cost of the recommended method? Anything I can do to provide more info that would make your replies more informed???

Are there generally any rules about minimum ceiling heights or do these vary by local authority??

Many thanks indeed.

Good afternoon

My name is Mark and i work for a company that specialize in structural waterproofing / basement tanking. We would always recommend the type C cavity drain system with drainage i.e. sump pump. This is because it manages and controls the water/dampness instead of just stopping it from coming through to your finished walls/floor. You could use a type A tanking system, like a slurry, but this is only as good as the substrate you apply it to and over time movement in the construction could cause weak points where the water/dampness could seep through, especially at construction joints.

Thanks for that Mark. I kinda thought that's what the answer would be!

What sort of £ per sq/ft is associated with that kind of work????

How do I know if the firm I approach knows what they're doing?!

Aprox. £25 - £30 per squared meter supply and fit

If you contact a membrane manufacturers they can recommend some certified registered installers. google 'membrane registered installers'

Brilliant, thank you very much indeed.