Advice using cavity membranes in basement conversion.

[resis]

Hi,

I'm looking at using something like the Oldroyd Xv Clear http://www.safeguardeurope.com/products/oldroyd_xv_clear.php

on the walls / floor of my basement. Just got a couple of questions about using it.

1) On the walls do you take the membrane up to the ceiling joints or is it fine just to go up to the plaster board?

2) At door frames do you seal the edges of the membrane with the one sided tape Oldroyd Overseal Tape? How close should you take the membrane to where the door frame will be?

3) There is a working drain in the basement floor (can't afford a sump). Any advice on how to maintain access to it? I.e cut a hole in the membrane on the floor and create some sort of cover?

Thanks in advance!

Pete

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

There are 2 good threads regarding this stuff which you should have a read through, I know they're good because I contributed to them! When you've familiarized yourself with how the system works (which you should do whether you're installing it yourself or employing others to do so) you may well have answered your queries but if not come back. //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=176030&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=179006

 

[resis]

thanks for those two links very usful, found this buried in there too which is a nice manual:

http://www.triton-chemicals.co.uk/pdf/Isola_Platon_Manual.pdf

ok here goes with answering my own questions

1) Yes, the membrance should go to the top of the floor between the joists.

2) Still a little confused here, some PDF suggested the membrane should go behind the door frames. I take it I then use some of the tape to seal the edges on the outside of the frame?

3) didn't see an answer for this.. but can worry about that a bit later..

I do have a new question though.

There are two air bricks into the basement currently, do I just cover these with the membrane to allow it to breath? or should not cover them to allow the room to vent (i was planning on putting a humidity fan in one).

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

2) I would take the membrane behind the frames. Not sure why you'd need to seal between the frame and the membrane, any water penetrating the wall will run down the gap between the surface of the wall and the membrane.
3) If you can, you should have a drain that drains with gravity to the outside rather than relying on a pump in a sump. It would probably be wise to try and build in some kind of access point for this drain should you ever need to clear it out. The way this system works is that there is no pressure on the membrane, as any water is drained away, therefore, cutting a hole in the floor membrane to access the drain should not be a problem. If you intend carpeting the floor an access point will be more easily hidden than if you intend to tile the floor or lay a wooden floor. If carpeting a simple plywood cover beneath the carpet could be implemented, if other finish you will have to be more thoughtlful.
You can never have enough ventilation so have smart new grilles fitted on the inside after you've finished the walls if you can.

 

[resis]

Thanks freddy, all good info.

On point 2, I have a set of stairs that lead down to the basement with a door at the bottom leading into the room. I don't want to membrane the stair well because:
1) I'm going to loose width of the remaining space
2) there is absolutely no sign of damp / water at all.

I want to replace the door at the bottom of the stairs with a fire door. If the membrane is behind the frame of the door will it not show from the stair side (looking into the basement)?

Excuse my ignorance here (My partners father is a carpenter so he may have some ideas).


And one final question, I take it utilities such as existing pipes for radiators should go on the outside of the membrane not sandwiched between it and the wall?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I want to replace the door at the bottom of the stairs with a fire door. If the membrane is behind the frame of the door will it not show from the stair side (looking into the basement)?

Not really as normally there'd be insulation + plasterboard so you'd have a timber packer against the membrane behind the door frame.

Again, same with the utilities, they should go in the 'insulation zone' behind the plasterboard.

You can either fix timber battens to the wall and insulate between the battens or use insulated plasterboard on dabs.