Multiguard Property Solutions offer a high quality property transformation textured coating system for the renovating and protecting of your property from penetrating damp. With a genuine 20 year guarantee.
New!
Cellar waterproofing system, preventing damp in basements / complete cellar conversions from Multiguard !

Cellar conversions, basement treatments
eg tanking, damp proofing, waterproofing
Northants based cellar conversion services,
also covering all areas of the UK!

Multiguard Property Solutions Cellar and Basement Conversions - we convert basements for dry Storage or Habitable Rooms.

Want your cellar waterproofing or existing cellars reburbished?
Considering tanking or waterproofing a basement?

It is possible to turn a damp or even wet basement or cellar into a habitable
room or area used for dry storage, but it is imperative to know the correct waterproofing membrane system to use.

Our water pump system is guaranteed to stop any future water leakage
in the future once the Multiguard HighTex system is fitted into the cellar and basement.

Multiguard Solutions provide a full floor screening and plastic membrane with polystyrene insulation to get rid of cold concrete floor problems.

All the walls and the floor are totally water-proof and damp-proof.


Important considerations for basement conversions

Basement and Cellar Waterproofing (Tanking) Solutions
for Existing Basements

Basement and cellar waterproofing is becoming increasingly popular as property prices increase. Converting a damp cellar or basement can be a surprisingly inexpensive way of increasing living space and can substantially increase the value of a property.

Waterproofed cellars and basements can be converted into kitchens, bathrooms, wine cellars, living rooms, studies, or even recording studios. You are limited only by your imagination. In commercial premises, common uses for basements include, extra storage / retail space, car parks, bars/nightclubs, and restaurants.

Hightex offer two main types of system for waterproofing existing cellars and basements. By offering both types of system we are able to offer an impartial opinion as to which system is best suited for a particular project. We are also able to supply waterproofing systems for the construction of new basements:

1) Cementitious Waterproofing Slurries (Vandex system)
The Vandex Basement Waterproofing System - is a multi-coat waterproofing system that is both durable and versatile. The main coating material, Vandex BB75, is a cement-based powder which is mixed with water and applied to walls, floors, and ceilings by spray or trowel. It sets to form a bond with the masonry substrate, creating an impervoius barrier to the movement of water.

The diagram above shows a typical basement waterproofing application. A sand-cement render is applied to the walls and a bottle cove formed at the wall-floor junction. Two coats of Vandex BB75 are then applied to the walls and floor. Finally, a screed is applied to the floor and a suitable plaster is applied to the walls.

2) Studded Membranes (Oldroyd Xv Clear System)
The Oldroyd Xv Clear system is particularly suited to waterproofing the Victorian basements commonly encountered in the UK as it does not rely on the soundness of the underlying substrate for its effectiveness. The membrane is sealed to walls and ceilings by means of special sealed fixing plugs, whilst on the floor there is normally no need for any form of fixing.

Oldroyd Xv can be covered with plasterboard, screed, or a floating timber floor. A drainage facility, incorporating a sump and a pump, will need to be included as part of the system. The Aquadrain perimeter drainage channel may also be used to provide additional drainage at the wall-floor junction.

Combination Systems
The best solution is often a combination of the two systems (e.g. Oldroyd Xv applied to floors and walls, with the Vandex system used to waterproof a flat ceiling). To discuss specific projects, please contact us!

Basement Waterproofing Contractors
Basement waterproofing is a job for a skilled contractor.

If you would like a quote from a basement waterproofing company
in your area, please call us

01908-516366

or complete the form online outlining your requirements and we will contact you to discuss who we can help.

Example of cellar conversion- Safeguard

Cellar conversion project at a Victorian house near Milton Keynes, UK.
This Victorian terrace property near Milton Keynes had a damp cellar with a history of flooding. There had been several previous attempts to waterproof the front earth-retaining wall with bitumen and cement-based products. However, these had been unsuccessful due to the fact that the Victorian brick wall to which they were applied was soft and friable.

The new owners wanted to carry out a cellar conversion in order to increase their living space. It was decided that the converted cellar would be used as a playroom, and decorated like a 60's lounge bar. For this end-use the cellar needed to be upgraded to the level of dryness defined in BS8102 as "Grade 3."

The Cellar Conversion
It was decided to use the Oldroyd Xv Clear cavity drainage system to carry out the cellar waterproofing. This was because it would have been necessary to sand-blast the walls in order to provide a good enough key to allow a coating system such as Vandex BB75 to be used.

The Oldroyd Xv membrane was fixed to the walls using self-sealing "Oldroyd brick plugs".

An "Aquadrain" drainage channel was installed at the floor-wall junction,
leading to a sump chamber and pump.

Oldroyd Xv membrane was laid directly onto the brick floor without the requirement for any fixings. A chipboard floor was then installed over the Oldroyd Xv.

A dry lining system was installed to cover the membrane on the walls. A dry room was thus provided, ready for decoration.

Humidity Control
To achieve a Grade 3 living environment (as defined in BS8102) it was necessary to take measures to reduce the levels of relative humidity in the cellar. This was achieved by installing a humidity-controlled "Humdistat" fan. In addition, airbricks on the rear wall of the basement were sealed and extended through the waterproofing system to ensure adequate airflow through the room.

The Result
The homeowner was extremely pleased with the way that the cellar conversion project went. She commented on the fact that little noise or disturbance was caused by the contractors.

The whole cellar conversion project was filmed as an episode of the Channel-4 television series, "Room for Improvement."

Considering a full cellar conversion?
We found this useful article

Basement Conversions
Date: 02/06/05
http://www.buildingarticles.co.uk/article.cfm?aID=32


Building firms suggest that basements are becoming increasing popular as an extension option.

“We are called in at two distinct points in people’s lives,” says FMB member Steve Bushell, director of central London building firm Urang. “Homeowners either decide to include a basement conversion in the renovation of the whole house at the point that they buy it, or they reach crunch point in family life and choose to convert the basement instead of moving home,” he adds.

“In parts of London, stamp duty can be as much as £30K, add that to moving costs and the price of a larger home, then homeowners reckon it makes better financial sense to do up the basement than move home,” says Steve.

While this is still predominantly a London phenomenon, building firms in Leeds, Manchester and parts of Scotland are seeing growing interest in basements too.

Steve said: “The great advantage with basements is that they not only add a whole new floor, it’s also space that can be used in many different ways. With a loft extension, the space is so far from the living areas that it can only really be used for bedrooms, studies or bathrooms.

Basements are close enough to the ground floor area to be used as playrooms, nanny bedrooms and bathrooms when a new baby arrives, living rooms, kitchens or accommodation for relatives. With the demands of modern lifestyles, basements are increasingly being turned into leisure areas with home cinemas, pool and table tennis tables, home gyms or even swimming pools. You can also create an independent entrance or exit out into the back garden from the basement.

“It really is the only way you can achieve a completely new floor level which is an exact footprint of your ground floor mirrored below,” says Steve. “A basement creates a lot of extra space, which can be used for absolutely anything – it also frees up the rest of the house to use in different ways. For example, nearly everyone puts a utility room, shower and toilet in their basement, irrespective of what else they put in there,” Steve adds.

However Steve advises that before embarking on a basement conversion, there are some important factors to consider, in particular the height of the water table around the house, the existing cellar, basement or foundations, light into the area and ventilation.

Basements are an expensive option – to create 40 – 50 square metres, it will cost between £80 - £100K. It’s therefore important to make sure that you will recoup the money you spend by checking with a couple of estate agents before you start work.

Victorian and older-style properties that have timber-suspended floors are the ideal homes for basement coversions, as you can dig from the outside. With most of these older properties, homeowners live in the house while the basement is being converted. The disruption in the house is limited to the last stage when the new staircase and balustrades are fitted.

It is possible to create a basement in a property with a solid floor even if there is not one there already, but it is likely to be much more expensive.

Says Steve “If there’s an existing cellar or basement, then you need to ascertain what the foundations are like. With Victorian properties, the foundations often don’t go down far enough, so you need to underpin them. If your house is attached or a terrace, you need to underpin not only your home’s foundations, but also your neighbours’ foundations too, as they are shared.”

“If there is not an existing basement or cellar, then the job is more complicated and costly, but do-able,” he says. “You need to start by propping up the existing ground floor and for this, you will have to dig far deeper into the ground and into your pocket.” Steve estimates that it will cost 60% more to put in a basement where there is no existing cellar or basement.

It then becomes even more expensive if the ground floor is solid, as you need joists under the existing solid ground floor as well as underpinning the whole basement.

When creating a basement from scratch through a solid floor, you will probably need to move out. The builders will need to dig down through the front room of the house, so most people tend to move out unless they can stand living in the back of the house while the work is going on.

Worth considering before you start:

• Get an underpinning firm/specialist building firm to assess feasibility or cost
• Check the water table height in your property
• Check with a local estate agent whether you will recoup the cost
• Identify an architect or structural engineer to oversee the project
• Check with local authority with regard to planning permissions
• You will need Building Regulations approval to cover ventilation, damp-proofing, electrical wiring, safe access and a fire escape route.
• Your neighbours will be concerned about subsidence. You will need a surveyor to look after Party Wall agreements
• Consider that your basement will have little natural sunlight so it could be dark, colder than other rooms and will need ventilation.

More info here soon
- in the meantime give us a call!

01908-516366

Multiguard Property Solutions UK - specialists in waterproofing cellars - tanking basements - providing drainage products to convert basement or cellars for dry storage or habitable use.
Multiguard - Waterproofing wet basements - we repair flooded basement and damp cellars - offer basement renovation including newbuild basements - specialists in water proofing basements to prevent flooding.
Need to water control cellars? - damp proofing in basements, waterproofing (tanking) cellars - just one of our home and commercial business rennovation and improvement services!

| .        .   

Web Counter by TrafficFile.com