Reclaim Your Basement From The Damp With Basement Tanking

It’s a sad truth that despite the high prices of London real estate, many homeowners aren’t using their living spaces to their fullest potential. London’s soggy ground and wet climate have caused many residents to just give up on their basements, which are all too often a damp, dark place that is the domain of spiders and other creepy crawlers! It’s really a shame, surely they would like to have the extra room be usable, wouldn’t they? In most cases, they just give up and shut the door, but it doesn’t have to be that way- let’s find out what can be done to save the basement!

The first thing to do is to summon the expert help of an independent damp surveyor in London who can identify the source of the damp that has turned your basement into a boggy mess! They can then advise you on ways to transform your basement into a pleasant, dry space that is habitable and inviting.

The best way to save your basement is with a process called tanking, let’s take a look at how it works!

Basement tanking is a method of waterproofing that can prevent the cold damp from ever creeping in. The ground water under and around your home is always trying to push its way inside by seeping through microscopic cracks in the walls, powered by a force called hydrostatic pressure. Basement tanking protects your basement from the ground water’s push by making the space watertight. Just think of your basement as a fish tank pushed below the water’s surface, the glass will keep the water outside!

The basement tanking process begins with an independent damp survey of your basement to locate the source of the encroaching moisture that has turned it into a wet, inhospitable cave. Once the extent of the damp’s ingress has been assessed, any existing water, damaged wall paper or plaster, and patches of mould and mildew will be removed, revealing the surfaces that the tanking system will be affixed to.

The following are the two main types of tanking systems:

Membrane Tanking – If your independent damp surveyor recommends this method, a waterproof basement tanking membrane will be affixed to the floor and walls to create an impermeable physical barrier against the damp attempting to penetrate the structure. This sturdy and flexible membrane form fits to the corners to provide complete moisture protection within.

Cementitious Tanking – A specially formulated cement-based coating adheres seamlessly to the basement’s surfaces, creating a robust barrier that is impervious to the damp, it will keep the water from penetrating for decades.

At London Damp Specialists, our qualified surveyors utilise cutting edge technology to diagnose damp issues, so our inspections are always performed to the highest standard. If you have a rising damp problem, just call London Damp Specialists on 020 7523 5882 and we will dispatch an independent damp surveyor near you to help ascertain your damp problem.