Tanking services in Yorkshire

There are situations when walls and floors can be affected by dampness from below ground.  In older houses, particularly cellars and underground structures, water can seep in below the floor due to the water level being higher than the basement floor.  Under these circumstances, damp proof courses offer no added protection and alternative methods of waterproofing need to be used.

Below ground waterproofing can by done by two typical methods:

1) Sealing the structure to prevent ingress of ground water, or
2) Adding drainage to remove excess water.

Britannia Preservation uses a variety of methods and techniques to achieve below ground waterproofing and we adhere to the BS8102: 2009 ‘Code of Practice for Protection of Structures against Water from the Ground’. 

In new build properties, waterproofing protection is often incorporated into the structure using impermeable concrete or sheet membranes fixed to the outer face of the walls.  In the case of remedial works, the building already exists and that means waterproofing must be carried out on the inside of the property.  This restricts the methods used to either tanking or cavity drainage.

What is Tanking?

For those unfamiliar with the term, tanking is a process by which a water resistant coating is applied to a wall and, in some cases, the surface of a floor.  Tanking products include cement renders with waterproofing additives or proprietary systems.  All tanking materials are designed to seal the structure against ingress of water from the ground.

This is the sidewall of a former mill that had been converted into a garage. The wall adjoins a rock face and ground water was continuously seeping out of the stones and penetrating through the sidewall of the garage, making the garage damp and unusable.

This is the inside face of the wall.  Ground water was seeping into the garage in a number of places and the wall surface was quite damp.  Previous attempts had been made to stop seepage by painting the surface with a proprietary sealant but this had not been effective and significant water ingress continued to take place.

Britannia Preservation’s technicians prepared the interior surface of the garage and then applied a multi-coat waterproof render, carefully extending this to the edge of the floor to create an effective seal.

The applied tanking completely stopped the seepage of ground water, providing the client with a robust and cost effective solution, and more importantly a dry garage he could now keep his car in.

Tanking is highly specialised work!  It requires careful site evaluation, design and installation.  If your cellar or basement is damp or has water ingress, make sure you employ Yorkshire’s only damp specialist who is regulated by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.  Let Britannia Preservation provide the solutions to your damp problems!