self build waterproof basement formwork membrane concrete waterproofing
 

My waterproof concrete never fails, so why should anything else fail?

  1. Anything might have been installed correctly but someone else damaged it later.

  2. The people installing anything might see on the drawings that theirs is not the only defence against ingress of water, so they can cut corners because the other one should work.

  3. The defence they install may not be up to the job and shouldn't have been chosen.

  4. The defence would never work anyway.

  5. No one checked the BBA certificate to see if was proven to work in this situation.

  6. No one supervised the work.


Those waterproofing things that would never work anyway.
  1. Sticky back membrane.

  2. Clay filled carpet on the outside of a wall.

  3. Swelling strips in joints.


Normal practices that leak.
  1. Kickers.

  2. Filling a wall to full height in one go.

  3. Dywidag threaded rods and plastic sleeves.

  4. Lots of vertical joints.

  5. Not building to properly avoid all forms of cracks.
If you cannot find why on this web site, try looking on www.waterproofconcrete.co.uk



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5. BBA certificates.

On November 9th 2020 the Grenfell Tower enquiry was told "This reveals an industry in which Arconic, Celotex and Kingspan were content to push hazardous products into the marketplace and sought to market them dishonestly. These products should have been safe, they should have been tested and certified rigorously, and they should have been marketed in an honest and transparent fashion. None of that happened. The testing and certifying bodies, such as the BRE and the BBA, were quite happy to go along with this process."
(Source: Click on the linked text above, opens in a new tab).
External Drainage.

External drainage to a soakaway can backup water in very wet weather and actually deliver more water to the outside of your basement than if you didn't have it.

If your other defences aren't up to scratch, your basement will be wet during heavy storms.



Sometimes internal drainage membrane is not up to the job.

Internal Drainage. The specifiers' favourite.

Sometimes the leaks that the membrane and pumps deal with are so severe that eventually the pump or the pipes will break down and the basement can flood.

The people who installed it won't be interested in your claim if it isn't a fault with their workmanship. They will tell you to talk to your insurer.

The people who insure the installation won't be interested in your claim. They don't cover the pump or pipes.

Your warranty provider won't be interested in your claim. He doesn't include below ground waterproofing in your cover.

Any damage by flooding is the householder's problem unless he has household insurance that covers damage by a pump failure.




Even if the architect hasn't specified any kind of water resistant concrete, if this is your house make sure you include it.

Even if you employ a main contractor who employs a sub contractor, use reinforced concrete and over the weekend after the new concrete is revealed fill any voids yourself with some plasterers sand and cement. At least the concrete will substantially reduce any leaks due to poor workmanship.



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