Fixing battens and penetrating DPM

[geraldthehamster]

Hello, hoping someone can help.

Proposed floor is pitch pine boards secret-nailed to 2 x 2 inch battens with insulation between, onto a concrete floor not known to have a DPM under it; therefore, DPM to go under the battens. However, when I hammer-fix the battens to the concrete I'm going to punch holes in my DPM. How do I deal with this?

Cheers
Richard

 

[geraldthehamster]

Hello, hoping someone can help.

Proposed floor is pitch pine boards secret-nailed to 2 x 2 inch battens with insulation between, onto a concrete floor not known to have a DPM under it; therefore, DPM to go under the battens. However, when I hammer-fix the battens to the concrete I'm going to punch holes in my DPM. How do I deal with this?

Cheers
Richard

I suppose I could just use a liquid DPM and not worry about it.

 

[dazlight]

I was going to say that but as don't do wood floors I'm not sure if that will work. If the wood expands with heat over time it might rip the dpm off the floor. Maybe put a 3mm smoothing screed over the liquid dpm.

 

[geraldthehamster]

I was going to say that but as don't do wood floors I'm not sure if that will work. If the wood expands with heat over time it might rip the dpm off the floor. Maybe put a 3mm smoothing screed over the liquid dpm.

Thanks. I suppose I could use a liquid DPM and put a strip of Visqueen under each batten, so the batten didn't stick to the liquid DPM, which would avoid the problem you suggest.

I'm probably over-thinking this - I'm sure sheet DPMs get punctured in this way whenever this is done, with no worries. I'd like to have that confirmed though.

Cheers
Richard

 

[dazlight]

All I know mate is when you have put a liquid dpm down you make sure no one put nails or drills through it.

 

[AronSearle]

Shot firing and plain shank nails don't matter as it creates a gasket around the DPC, for hammer fixings....

plastic sleeved hammer fixings. One method, which minimises the risk of moisture wicking between the plastic and the fixing, is to use a U-shaped shoe. Install a continuous strip of dpc between the shoe and the foundation.