27th September 2011
nanoShell’s Basement Waterproofing Division were recently contacted by the owner of a modern hall that has problems to the basement. A few years ago, the basement had flooded due to a power cut during heavy rain, which had swelled and overflowed the shallow river running alongside the grounds.
Our surveyor discussed the requirements for the basement with the client and agreed the most suitable specification to provide a long term and guaranteed flood protection solution. nanoShell chose basement tanking products to compensate for the potential water ingress and agreed to install two Basement Systems Triple Safe Sump and Pump Stations. These sump units hold two powerful Zoeller pumps, an audible alarm and a battery back-up system and pump should there be a power outage.
In order to ensure the basement will drain effectively, the old floor laminate was lifted and a Basement Systems Waterguard Drainage Channel was installed to the perimeter of the two rooms and entrance way and then connected to the sump and pump stations.
As the areas are to be used as a games room and gym the walls were lined with a basement tanking Thermal Membrane. This was installed with sealed plugs which would allow battens to be fixed to install the plasterboard finish too. Maintaining the maximum room dimensions and insulation board were important factors to our client – as a result, the thermal value gained was great. The walls were lined with plasterboard and skimmed and the floor was overlaid with a cavity drain membrane and finished with a water resistant timber floor overlay.
Our flood protection team also removed and treated the windows, then reinstated them with correctly formed membrane protection. The rooms had new door linings, skirting boards and architraves as most of the old items had suffered from fungal attack during the period of standing untreated after the flood. The client took the opportunity to install new central heating and electrics together with a new shower room to turn the areas into very desirable and usable rooms.
The final job was to commission the pump systems and attach lawn guards to the pipe outlets that evacuate the pumped water across to outlets in the garden. The Basements Systems lawn guards will prevent birds, rodents and dirt blocking the outlets and thus add a further layer of flood protection. The client is now looking to carry out the same basement waterproofing specification to a smaller basement behind the main item now complete.
