Many people are afraid to even think that their basement could become a dream space, just because they had or have a lot of damp or even water accumulating in their basement, below I will explain the cause and the solution with the hope that you will re-consider to convert your basement.

THE CAUSE:

Ok, so you will normally have water/moisture coming into your basement in two ways,

water is penetrating through the external walls of your basement, this is called HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE.
Water is rising through the concrete or stone floor of your basement, this is RAISING DAMP.
JUST TO NOTE, RISING DAMP THROUGH CONCRETE FLOOR IN BASEMENTS DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME DEFINITION AS RAISING DAMP FROM THE GROUND LEVEL OUTSIDE CLIMBING UPWARDS. THIS WILL REQUIRE A DAMP PROOF COURSE PROTECTION, IE CHEMICAL INJECTIONS OR JELLS INSERTED APPROX 150MM ABOVE GROUND LEVEL.

Both these ways there is some pressure created as the water has a barrier, wall or floor, it is then not such a good idea to try fixing this by using damp proof paints and sealers, as the pressure will be greater, not having anywhere for the water to be diverted to, it will eventually find a weak spot to come into your space, causing damage and high costs of rectifying this problem,

THE SOLUTION:

Most basements can be turned into a great usable space, depending on the level of active water you may have in your basement, as a typical basement conversion does not solve a problem caused by natural flooding, I would estimate that if you have had up to 6" 150mm of water in your basement, you can still enjoy the benefits of converting your basement.

The most effective way of ensuring that you will have a lasting great space is by installing a management system in place,

Cavity drain membrane (tanking as it known by many) is fixed to the walls draping to the level of the subfloor,
Perimeter channels leading to A sump/pump system and automatic operation pumping excess water to external drains.
Cavity drain membrane laid on the concrete floor and lapped onto the wall membrane, fixed using various sealers and tapes,
A new floor is then laid on top of the membrane and insulation,
And new walls can then be erected.

The rest of it is just standard practice of applying the finishing trades,

So, I hope that by reading my post you have a pen and paper to hand, ready to design your dream space,

If you have any questions or would like to comment, please add your comment below.

See you in the next post.

Rubi Kasuto.

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Should I remodel my basement even if the water table is high?

Should I remodel my basement even if the water table is high?