Tip on dry lining a cellar

[marko]

I own a terrace with a reasonably dry cellar, brick floor and walls approx 15'x15'x7.
I have been hassled by the wife to turn it into another "useable" room.
How would one dry line it to expel any dampness.
I am thinking along the lines of a plastic membrane on the floor under a screed say 4" thick + insulation. Then line the walls with same. battens to carry plaster board, tape,fill and skim up. The question is wood batterns or galv steel?

 

[DAZB]

It doesn't really matter because you will have Visqueen behind the battens creating a barrier from the walls and if you use stainless steel screws for the fixings it should be fine.Make sure there is a couple of airbricks in a prominant position though or better still fit an extractor fan to create a constant air change to the room.

 

[marko]

thankx dazb, how high with the plastic i can see injected damp coarse just under the joists?
I guess we dont want to bridge that coarse.

 

[DAZB]

Sorry for the delay.Been having a bad case of the NTL,s ( dodgy modem installation ) .Stop just short of your DPC to be on the safe side, although I have seen Visqueen continued to the joists and tucked under the new ceiling plasterboards with no ill effects. If the ends of your floor joists that sit into the wall aren't wrapped in DPC then try to wrap them (difficult) or at least inject them with a preservative.Hope this helps.

 

[marko]

thanx daz, thought so but us mechanics can get it wrong sometimes