Damp - Tanking

There is this house I am looking at to buy, only if it is cheap, it is a repossession, I won't pay anything near the asking price.

However, there is bad damp. The house is circa 1920. Is mostly stone built with a brick ground floor frontage and bay window

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the rear garden the path running along the back outside the kitchen is above the concrete floor level inside the house by about 6 inches. And the window has a low sill in this corner of the house, the window sil is only about a further 6 inches above the path level, and inside it is 12 inches above the floor level.

First thing to do would be to lower the path level, this might be a problem in that next doors might also be on the same level and there is a boundary wall or fence built between the two paths. So even if I lowered my half theirs might still be high and ths causing water to come through the wall.

I might also have the problem of not being able to dig down because I might find I reach the bottom of the foundations. - You never know until you start digging.

Anyway I know everyone talks about "Tanking" for ground floor/basement damp proofing.Can someone please tell me...

What exactly is it? and how reliable is it? I hope it is nothing to do with silicone injection because I don't have any faith in silicone injection on these old houses. Will the level of the window sill be a problem for the tanking? Will I have to dig out the concrete floors to re do them properly? I don't know if the concrete floors are modern or if they are ancient.

Thanks

Reply to
freepo
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Bargepoles!

Peter Crosland

Reply to
Peter Crosland

I've scanned your message and looked at the photo. I see a large hill behind to flash water to the back of the house. I also see that the car below is "below". I do not see a detached house.

Alarm bells for me.

Reply to
Clot

Dear Freepo Tanking is a generic term the purpose of which is self-evident from the name. The only "difference" is that one is trying to reverse what is in effect a swimming pool but just keeping the water out of the "tank". It can be done in a variety of ways - best look at the Structural Water Proofing Association literature or possibly they have a website. I am a bit out of date but when I was involved some years ago the systems had, inter alia, the following characteristics

cementtitious render with a variety of addtives such as SIKA No 1 whereby layers of render are applied to the walls in specified thicknesses and application methods painted on products of various types - organic and otherwise - followed by render physical barriers such as the old Newtonite lathing (RIP - aka dry rot board), Newlath son of Newtonite, plastic membranes etc For all such barriers the floor wall junction is critical so it would involve making sure the floor is water proof so your point about the floor is apposite In your case it looks pretty simple check for the existing dpc (in 1920s it is more than likely to be present probably bitumastic felt possibly double slate) and make sure ground level outside is 150 below If not install a new chemical dpc in the right place in the mortar (not brick) re-render suitably I would use a splatter (scudding) coat of 1:1 incorporating SBR, Sika No1 and 1 to 1 sand : cement 6 mm thick followed by same 1:1.5 cement sand also 6 mm thick followed by backing coat of 3:1 with same additives then skim

Ensure skirting is not screwed in but glued in (eg Sikadur) ensure floor wall junction is properly done as per SIKA spec

None may be necessary if you can lower ground levels as suggested Chris G

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