Problem I need help with quick

[Eddy]

Bit of a background, I bought a 12x8 shead to use a as a home gym, in buying it I found that the roof was not high enough, so my Father and I decided that we would build a breeze block wall and attach the shed to that, and sink a concrete floor into that, it was built on a paved ground so we did not bother using a damp course as we thought it would not be needed, for the brickwork, the floor has been damproofed with thick plastic to stop rising damp, now the problem, water is getting in to the shed when it rains, it is comming through the joines in the brickwork, and seeping into the shed at floor level, only on one side, we have sloped that side so there is no lying water, but water is still seeping in, now in my Fathers wisdom, he put Thompsons ultra water seal on there, and still nothing so it is my thinking that there are cracks in the joins and on further inspection there is, I have been looking for a liquid rubber product, but can not find any that will adhere to a water protected surface, is there an inexpensive way to sort this out, or a product that will adhere to a water protected surface?

Thanks

Eddy

[Set Square]

I'll treat this as a genuine post - and not a troll - but I have my suspicions!

When you say breeze blocks, do you mean concrete blocks or the sort of blocks used for the inside layer of cavity walls? If the latter, these are porous - and totally unsuited to being exposed to the weather. Even if you seal up the inside, they'll still absorb water on the outside - and then crumble when it freezes.

If they are concrete blocks, they shoudn't absorb water - and shouldn't suffer too much from rising damp - even without a DPC. From your description - and mention of gaps - it sounds as if the standard of building work leaves something to be desired - and that the joints have not been pointed properly. In this case, the first thing to do is to correct this by re-pointing all the joints.

As a matter of interest, how do you get into the shed - do you have to open the door and then climb over the wall below it?

[Grunff]

I share your suspicions.

There are different types of aerated blocks. You can get 7N blocks, which have much smaller 'bubbles' than the normal 3N ones. These are fine for external use, and have very good frost resistance.

My single skin shed was built using these, and is doing just fine. It is a good idea to paint with a couple of coats of thick masonry paint.

[Michael Mcneil]

Take the shed off and put a wall plate on the blocks. Make the wall plate wider than the blocks so that it overhangs. Put a slope on it with a plane if you have one. (Not a desperate need that though.)

Put visquene (plastic sheeting) over the wall down to the floor outside and replace the shed. Tack the top of the visquene a few inches up the shed wall.

Dig a ditch around it for removing surface water if required. Clad the blocks in feather board or similar.

[John Rumm]

Get a couple of sheets of expanded metal mesh (Expemet or similar) cut to size and nail / screw it to the outside of the blocks. Then render over the whole lot with sand and cement. Add some water proofer to the mix. The rendering does not need to be that neat if you go for a stipple finish (trowl it on and spread it so it is about level, wait 30 mins or so for it to go off a bit, and then pattern the surface by tamping it all over with a stiff brush).

[Eddy]

"Eddy" wrote in >

Sorry they are concrete blocks, there is no rising damp that I know off, what we have done at the moment is use a good masonry paint all over the all the brick work, hopfully it will sort it out, if not I think I will have to redo the brick work, it is a first time project for me, so I am sorry If you thought I was a troll, this is genuine, as for the question "As a matter of interest, how do you get into the shed - do you have to open the door and then climb over the wall below it?" at the moment yes this is what I do, I thought it would be better as it would stop water running under the door, we were going to leave a space and drop the doors of the shed, but thought the way we did it a better option, in time I will have steps in and out.

Thanks all for taking time to answer me in my hour of desperation!.

Eddy

[Lobster]

So, a troll then...

David

[IMM]

Appears so. So ignore him.

[Set Square]

Maybe not a troll - but someone totally lacking in any forward planning ability if he buys a shed for a specific purpose and *then* finds out that it's not tall enough!

[Eddy]

Well I have to say you all seem to be nice people in here! NOT!, thanks for the constructive answers that some of you posted, and seriousley, go and look up the usenet meaning for Troll, you will find that I'm not one, I will never darken your door again, lets hope if you have childeren, that you give them a little more thought before you ridicule them, because they do not reach you high standard!.

Eddy

[Eddy]

I just re-read what I had posted, and did not word that right, I knew it was not high enough, when buying it, but they wanted £200 to add another foot on it, so making a base was the cheaper option for me.

Eddy

[hudsterou]

Can you take a picture and put it on the web? It sounds really good!

[Ed Rear]

I must say I am disappointed in the response to this post from some people. I have learnt a lot from reading this ng, and I have found on the whole that the response is usually helpful and friendly. It is after all a DIY group and posters like me are complete amateurs. Ed

[John Rumm]

Have to say I second that! Me thinks some folks have been having a bad day! To the OP - don't give up on the group quite so soon!

[Set Square]

OK, the consensus seems to be that I was a bit harsh - so I will take it all back!

My earlier post was, I hope, helpful - even though I wasn't initially convinced about the seriousness of your question.

[Lobster]

Apologies Eddy, on my part no offence was meant... when I posted last time I'd sussed by then you were genuine, and I intended it to be a joke (or irony or something)?

Don't give up on uk.d-i-y, there's loads of folk here who will give you lots of really helpful advice (especially now you're known to be a non-troll!)

Good luck David (who never, ever, ridicules his kids)

[Pete C]

Probably worth a look at some polymerised or elastomerised bitumen compounds:

Another way would be to render it with cement/mortar and apply a pond sealer like Bondaglass G4:

You might need to clean some of the Waterseal off to get the mortar or roofing compound to stick.

Another option could be to just panel over it and find a way to let the water drain away.

cheers, Pete.

[N. Thornton]

If youre for real Ed, show us a pic of your clever shed. Right now I cant say I believe you much either. But... s always posible. Youll get much more serious help if we see it. :)

Regards, NT