best products for tanking a basement

[absandross]

have a wet cellar that needs "TANKING" .... NEVER DONE IT BEFORE !

this damp and sometimes wet basement just needs to be dry as it is not going to be used as a living area.......... just a junk store !!

H E L P

which products should i be using ?

 

[alprod]

I'm no expert but have been looking into this myself. It's best to use is dimpled menbrane and a sump and pump. However you can just dryline the wall and floor with menbrane without the sump and pump but there is a risk of looding. If your basement isn't prone to flooding then its up to you what way you go. If you want to add a sump and pump in the future then you will not need to re-do walls but will need to rip up floor membrane.

 

[JohnD]

also provide plenty of ventilation with cross-flow. Good ventilation can often take away the moist air faster than the damp walls can deliver it.

If you try to tank the walls by painting on an impervious material, the water pressure will probably push it off. But is is helpful to repair and repoint the brickwork. Membrane and battens on the walls is a good approach but yes, the water will run down onto the floor.

do not just put the pump in a pit, as it will probably wash away the subsoil with the water, leaving a hole, that will get bigger until your house sinks into it

 

[kevintaylore]

There are two basic options to waterproof a basement properly (i.e excluding bodge jobs):

1) Dimpled membrane systems (Oldroyd/Delta/Newton etc...). These allow water to come through the walls and floor of the basement and divert it to a sump and pump. The advantage is that minimal surface preparation is necessary and the system is suitable for weak substrates - e.g soft Victorian bricks. The main disadvantage is the reliance on a mechanical sump pump which really ought to be serviced regularly.

2) Tanking slurries (Sika/Vandex, etc...). These are applied to the walls and floor of the basement and are designed to physically hold the water back. These systems require a higher level of skill to install than the dimpled membranes due to the fact that the walls and floors must be carefully prepared prior to application. However they do have the significant advantage of not being dependant on a mechanical pump.