How Do I Treat a Damp Floor?

Nothing more annoying when faced with a form of dampness in your property, Wall damp? Most probably it is if there is no damp proof course (DPC) the most common cause of damp walls, or if there is earth bearing up against the wall. The insertion of a physical membrane is critical to stop dampness causing staining or blistering paint to internal wall surfaces and can be dealt with by a number of well recognised techniques the most effective being meshed dimpled membranes mechanically fixed internally or externally. When moving below ground the diagnosis and treatment of dampness becomes the job of a professional waterproofing contractor. Damp basement situations are common place due to earth retaining aspects and yet still unskilled persons still suggest inappropriate techniques such as damp seal paints and even a damp proof course below ground! Damp proof courses should only be considered in an above ground damp proof situation where no risk of water penetration is possible. The cheap inappropriate options often fail when tested and as such damp paint and even water ingress occurs! DIY damp proofing should be avoided when dealing with your damp cellar. So we have looked at damp proofing and made the most important distinction, above ground damp water problem below.

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How do I treat a damp floor? Lets start the diagnosis now and work on the same principle applied to walls. To fix damp floors above the ground we have to establish whether a suitable damp proof membrane is located under the floor. This can be achieved by digging out a section of floor, if a dpm is evident then dampness will be suppressed although to ensure that a damp wet problem does not occur in the future it would be quick and easy to loose lay a dimpled membrane over the existing finish. HDPE and HDPP membranes offer a variety of different finishes and can form an isolation layer from the existing floor finish taking out the guess work on where moisture is entering the structure. Floor finish options can include a screed 65mm min, floating floors and even direct tile finishes depending upon requirements. The laying of a physical membrane with dimples mean no messy and costly preparation works are necessary to treat a damp floor. In addition the membrane installation on top of your existing floor means that workmanship can be monitored so if there is damage to the membrane during installation it is visible and easily repaired with proprietary sealing tapes. The air gap created by the membranes allows for potential vapour movement under the stud profiles and when linked to a physical membrane suggested for damp proofing walls, this offers complete protection to the structure from rising damp or damp penetration from defective floors.

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By dealing with dampness in walls above ground in the first instance we have a solution for treating a damp floor as well. Damp repair in both walls and floors can be hit and miss as paint on techniques can seal dampness into the structure as a whole and when applying this technique to a damp floor in isolation it can push damp to the wall floor junction causing more problems. So the ability to treat a damp floor by a loose laid membrane sealed to an internal wall membrane is the most cost effective and practical solution available.

How Do I Treat a Damp Floor?

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