Our cellar is not very damp and has never flooded, so do I need expensive tanking systems?

The guidelines from British Standards that we work to states that ground water pressure will come to bear during sometime of the life of the building. Also making changes in the cellar could disturb the equilibrium of the ground so whilst once it was dry the removal of the cellar floor could result in the cellar having standing water due to polythene membranes blocking free passage of ground water.

In addtion whilst the walls may not be physically wet, they would be damp and therefore any timbers could become?susceptible to timber rots.

So in short tanking systems are required.

Do your cellar conversions comply with building regulations?

This is a good question that I would hope more clients ask, and ask other contractors.

Waterproofing systems should comply with BS8102 British Standard for waterproofing structures below ground. In many instances the contractor only carries this aspect out (correclty you hope!), and does not then create a space that meets with building control regulations.? If you are creating a habitable space then there are strict guidlines that should be followed, often the cleint only realises that there is an issue when they either sell the property or when damp starts developing.? We submit the relevant documents to your local building control office with the design and specification for the proposed development ? ensuring our clients that the work is done to a standard and certificates from building control are issued.