Cellar waterproofing

Do you want to convert your cellar into a dry functional room in your home? If so, it is essential that your cellar is waterproof. Cellars can lie within a “perched water table”; this means water may saturate the ground at a higher level than normal, before sinking down to non permeable substrate. This ‘perched’ effect can cause many cellars to suffer from hydrostatic pressure.

When hydrostatic pressure builds against the cellar wall, masonry and brickwork can crack and leaks would cause water to flow into the cellar and will cause the space to become a damp, dank and dingy part of your home.

Damp conditions are a serious threat to the health of any room in the home as they can allow problems like dry rot and wet rot to thrive, mould to form and they attract household pests. This is the last thing anyone would want to happen to their newly converted cellar.

There are a few ways to waterproof a cellar, and these options vary from traditional to modern techniques. In a lot of cellars you will find that a traditional method of waterproofing like cementitious tanking or an external drainage system like a French drain has already been installed but has degraded over time.

Regardless of the reason your cellar needs to be waterproofed there are two main ways you can approach a retrofit solution:

Cellars are traditionally waterproofed by applying a cementitious layer to the walls. This barrier of waterproof cement, known as tanking, creates a barrier that does not allow any water ingress to seep into the cellar. This is a perfectly fine way to waterproof a cellar in many cases but if your property is susceptible to vibrations in the surrounding earth, or extreme hydrostatic pressure caused by excess moisture in the soil around the cellar, then tanking may eventually crack and leak over time.

You can find out more about this process on our tanking a cellar web page.

A modern cellar cavity drainage waterproofing system is a different concept to a traditional system like tanking. Where a cementitious coating of the cellar wall will create a barrier to stop water from entering the cellar, a modern cellar cavity drained waterproofing system will allow water ingress but channel it, drain it and pump it away safely and hidden from view. 

By controlling the water ingress "behind the scenes" and channelling it away these systems are less at risk from the cracks and leaks caused by hydrostatic pressure and are also easier to maintain.

Click on the links below to find out more about tanking a cellar and modern waterproofing systems.
  

At Peter Cox we take full responsibility for waterproofing your cellar from the initial survey to the finish installation. Our surveyors have years of waterproofing experience and are are also qualified to CSSW (Certified Surveyor of Structural Waterproofing) standards.

Our methods are endorsed by a number of industry bodies including the British Structural Waterproofing Association.
Our fully experienced and qualified surveyors and technicians will:

• Survey your cellar and discuss the logistics of your project in full
• Determine the cause of water ingress in your cellar
• Recommend the best cellar waterproofing solution for your needs and budget
• Ensure your cellar is left in a dry, safe and usable state

For more information, help and advice on cellar waterproofing contact our expert team by completing our online contact form below.