Basements are enjoying a resurgence in popularity, but it is important that they are properly waterproofed. This seminar looks at the different waterproofing options available and assists the specifier in choosing the correct system for a given construction type and location.

With Tibby Singh and YDC Basements, Safeguard waterproofed a basement at an end of terrace home in Leeds using Drybase Tanking System.

The Star in Soho is a popular and long established eatery and bar with a vaulted basement meeting room. During the day, it is a bustling traditional café, with a relaxed pre-war aesthetic. Once the evening begins, however, the Star Café becomes The London Gin Club, a stylish table-service gin bar. Both of the Star’s different guises are very well…

The Vandex BB75 was applied by trowel the next day and allowed to cure. On the third day, a 3:1 sand:cement finishing coat was applied. Vandex BB75 waterproofing slurry was also applied to the floor (following surface preparation). A screed was then poured on top.

The Greyfriars Extra Care Housing Scheme is a partnership between Housing 21, North Yorkshire Council, Richmondshire District Council, and main contractors Frank Haslam Milan (FHM). The development overlooks the medieval town of Richmond, North Yorkshire and consists of 39 two-bedroom apartments for older people with a range of care and support needs.

The construction of such a large building on a site containing London clay requires very deep foundations. Due to the high land prices in the central London area it was decided to make use of this space by incorporating a two-storey basement area into the design. The basement was formed using secant piling that was faced with reinforced shotcrete.

The basement, a retail space in Nottingham’s central Listergate shopping area, had suffered from problems with water ingress. As part of a £2.4 million refurbishment of the building, property consultants, King Sturge, and architects, Chapman Taylor, approached Safeguard to discuss the design of a suitable waterproofing system to upgrade the basement to a level of dryness suitable for a retail…

A liquid polymer additive for Drybase TS-Plus to enable basement waterproofing.

Introducing the Drybase Tanking Range. These cementitious waterproofing materials enables above-ground and basement waterproofing jobs.

A new brochure is available for the Vandex Tanking System, highlighting how the system can be used for various applications including basement waterproofing, swimming pools, damp walls, ponds, tunnels and drinking water structures. The Vandex Tanking System comprises of three key products: Vandex Mineralit surface hardenerVandex Unimortar 1 waterproof mortarVandex BB75 tanking slurry The brochure shows how these can be…

A new brochure is now available for the Vandex Flextape system. Vandex Flextape is used for the sealing and waterproofing of cracks, construction joints, and expansion joints in concrete structures – above and below ground. The thermoplastic elastomer sealing tape is highly weather-resistant and UV-proof, creating a long-lasting seal for cracks, expansion joints and construction joints. A key area of…

December 2009 saw the introduction of the first update to BS 8102 “Code of practice for protection of below ground structures against water from the ground” since 1990. Given that this is the first update to the standard for almost twenty years, it is not surprising that the revised version of the standard contains a number of important changes.

Oldroyd’s new Foundations and Basements brochure is now available for download. The new brochure focuses on the use of externally-applied cavity drainage membranes as part of a dual-layer basement waterproofing system. The use of Oldroyd membranes beneath floor slabs to provide moisture protection is also covered. The following products are featured in the brochure: Oldroyd Xv BlackOldroyd XsOldroyd Gtx Range…

Two new case studies featuring basement conversions have been added to our website. Both case studies feature the use of the Oldroyd Xv cavity drainage membrane system to provide waterproofing: Basement conversion at seaside hotel – This case study illustrates the benefits of basement conversions in commercial premises. Relocation of the hotel bar to the basement allowed a large increase…

The level of protection required is shown on the maps that accompany BR211. Plots located in light grey areas require basic radon protection and plots located in dark grey areas require full radon protection. However it is sometimes possible to adopt a lower level of radon protection than that indicated by the map if a BR211 radon report for the…

Radon is a heavy, radioactive gas that is produced as a decay product of Uranium238, a metal that occurs naturally in certain types of soil and rock. Normally levels of radon in the air are not high enough to cause a significant risk to human health. However high levels of radon can build up when houses and other buildings are…

In some cases, the basement tanking system will provide adequate protection against the radon ingress. However, where a radon measurement reveals levels of radon above the recommended action level, remedial measures will usually be required. The BRE identify six main methods of reducing the amount of radon entering a house with a cellar or basement.

Depending on the type of piles used, reinforced concrete or sprayed reinforced concrete will need to be applied on top of the piles to consolidate them and provide a suitable surface for the waterproofing system. The waterproofing system used could be a cavity drainage system (Oldroyd Xv 20), a crystalline active water-proofer (Drybase Crystalline Active Tanking Slurry), or preferably a…

Drybase Crystalline Active Slurry offers a solution to this problem. Because it penetrates into the concrete pile head or pile cap rather than forming a waterproof layer on top, the waterproofing material can support the loads from subsequently poured ground beams or foundation slabs. An example of a typical application is shown below, however, because piled foundations vary widely in…

The above design should detail proprietary components for waterproofing complex junctions in basement waterproofing projects. Any basement design should also include the correct method and details to form all joints and junctions when using cavity drainage membranes. This design ensure junctions are correctly lapped and sealed in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. This includes the junctions between:

According to BS 8102:2022, basement waterproofing system materials fall into 3 main categories (referred to as ‘Types’). Safeguard Basement Systems are combination Type A and C waterproofing systems. This means that there are multiple barriers to water ingress. In the unlikely event that one system should fail, there is always a supporting system to prevent water ingress.

Safeguard offers two main types of system for waterproofing existing cellars and basements. By offering both types of system we are able to offer an impartial opinion as to which system is best suited for a particular project.

When waterproofing basements externally, we would normally suggest the use of a “dual-layer” system. This consists of a primary waterproofing system (e.g. Drybase Elasticised Tanking Slurry or Drybase Tanking Slurry) protected by a secondary drainage layer (provided by a geotextile drainage membrane such as Oldroyd Gtx). This secondary layer protects the primary waterproofing system from damage during backfilling. It also…

Habitable space underneath an existing property is created using a technique known as “underpinning”. This involves increasing the depth of the existing foundations to allow earth to be safely removed from underneath the building in order to create the new basement space. Underpinning relies on the ability of a wall to span unsupported for a short length. This allows a…

In refurbishment situations, the waterproofing options are more limited than those available when refurbishing basements. This is primarily because working conditions are usually very confined. Cementitious materials such as Drybase Crystalline Active Tanking Slurry and Drybase Universal Mortar are therefore usually preferred over cavity drainage systems.

Our technical department are able to provide information on the most appropriate waterproofing system for a given project. On larger projects, site visits can be arranged. This website provides further information about waterproofing the following types of underground structures: Basements (Refurbishment)Basements (Newbuild)Basements Underneath Existing Dwellings (Dig-out)Tunnels / Arches (Refurbishment)Tunnels / Pipelines (Newbuild)Lift PitsContiguous / Secant Piled & Diaphragm Retaining WallsUnderground…

The basic symptoms of damp, e.g. peeling paint / wallpaper, are largely the same regardless of the cause of dampness.