Hello everyone,
we are currently having the facade of our house replastered. For this, we removed the first row of patio slabs in front of the facade so the plasterer can work easily down to the bottom.
Now the idea has come up that since the facade is already being worked on, we might as well install a dimpled membrane – mainly to protect the plaster from rising moisture.
Here are the conditions:
The house was built in 1975. The basement is made of concrete blocks, partly sandstone blocks (from a previous building on the site). The upper floors, which form the main part of the facade, are built with aerated concrete blocks (Ytong). So far, we haven’t had any moisture issues in the basement. On the facade, a sort of waterline is slightly visible near the base, but only if you know where to look.
Our question now is whether installing a dimpled membrane makes sense in this situation or if it might actually be counterproductive. And if it is advisable, how far down should the basement wall be exposed for this to have any real effect?
Thanks in advance!
we are currently having the facade of our house replastered. For this, we removed the first row of patio slabs in front of the facade so the plasterer can work easily down to the bottom.
Now the idea has come up that since the facade is already being worked on, we might as well install a dimpled membrane – mainly to protect the plaster from rising moisture.
Here are the conditions:
The house was built in 1975. The basement is made of concrete blocks, partly sandstone blocks (from a previous building on the site). The upper floors, which form the main part of the facade, are built with aerated concrete blocks (Ytong). So far, we haven’t had any moisture issues in the basement. On the facade, a sort of waterline is slightly visible near the base, but only if you know where to look.
Our question now is whether installing a dimpled membrane makes sense in this situation or if it might actually be counterproductive. And if it is advisable, how far down should the basement wall be exposed for this to have any real effect?
Thanks in advance!
Hello,
thank you very much for the many replies. I looked up the base guideline, but I wasn’t really able to make sense of the results. Maybe I found the wrong information?!
There is no insulation and none is planned. We are actually quite satisfied with the current condition: no moisture, no mold, relatively low energy consumption, and a comfortable temperature in the living areas.
As far as I can tell, there is also an existing black coating (probably bitumen?!) below ground level. I am just assuming that it extends all the way down.
My main concern is simply to protect the plaster on the base from rising damp. That’s why I was thinking about using dimpled membrane (dimpled waterproofing sheet). But if that doesn’t make sense without fully exposing the basement walls, I can probably skip it—or am I missing something? I don’t plan to excavate down to the foundation.
Or is it possible to place a sheet of dimpled membrane a few decimeters below ground so that its upper edge reaches up to the visible base? Or would that not make any difference and be unnecessary—or worse, could it potentially cause damage?
thank you very much for the many replies. I looked up the base guideline, but I wasn’t really able to make sense of the results. Maybe I found the wrong information?!
There is no insulation and none is planned. We are actually quite satisfied with the current condition: no moisture, no mold, relatively low energy consumption, and a comfortable temperature in the living areas.
As far as I can tell, there is also an existing black coating (probably bitumen?!) below ground level. I am just assuming that it extends all the way down.
My main concern is simply to protect the plaster on the base from rising damp. That’s why I was thinking about using dimpled membrane (dimpled waterproofing sheet). But if that doesn’t make sense without fully exposing the basement walls, I can probably skip it—or am I missing something? I don’t plan to excavate down to the foundation.
Or is it possible to place a sheet of dimpled membrane a few decimeters below ground so that its upper edge reaches up to the visible base? Or would that not make any difference and be unnecessary—or worse, could it potentially cause damage?
Stone schrieb:
Hello,
Thank you very much for all the responses. I searched for the term "sockelrichtlinie" (foundation wall guideline), but I couldn’t really make sense of the results. Maybe I found the wrong information?!
There is no insulation present, nor is it planned. We are actually quite satisfied with the current condition: no moisture, no mold, relatively low energy consumption, and comfortable temperatures in the living areas.
As far as I can tell, there is also an existing black coating (probably bitumen?!) below ground level. I assume it goes all the way down.
My main concern is to protect the plaster on the base of the wall from rising damp. That’s why I was thinking about using dimpled membrane. But if that doesn’t make sense without exposing the entire basement, I suppose I can forget about it—or am I missing something? I probably won’t dig down to the foundation.
Is there a possibility of installing a strip of dimpled membrane a few decimeters (several inches) underground so that its top edge reaches up to the visible base of the wall? Or does that have no effect, so it’s best to leave it alone, or even worse, could it potentially cause damage?Stone schrieb:
Hello,
Thank you very much for all the responses. I searched for the term "sockelrichtlinie" (foundation wall guideline), but I couldn’t really make sense of the results. Maybe I found the wrong information?!
There is no insulation present, nor is it planned. We are actually quite satisfied with the current condition: no moisture, no mold, relatively low energy consumption, and comfortable temperatures in the living areas.
As far as I can tell, there is also an existing black coating (probably bitumen?!) below ground level. I assume it goes all the way down.
My main concern is to protect the plaster on the base of the wall from rising damp. That’s why I was thinking about using dimpled membrane. But if that doesn’t make sense without exposing the entire basement, I suppose I can forget about it—or am I missing something? I probably won’t dig down to the foundation.
Is there a possibility of installing a strip of dimpled membrane a few decimeters (several inches) underground so that its top edge reaches up to the visible base of the wall? Or does that have no effect, so it’s best to leave it alone, or even worse, could it potentially cause damage?If the issue is rising damp, you can forget about using dimpled membrane directly. As you already realize, its structure alone won’t help.
Stone schrieb:
My main concern is basically that the plaster at the base is somewhat protected against rising damp.The plaster at the base area should primarily be a "base coat plaster" that is well resistant to moisture. Additionally, a small gravel trench about 20 cm (8 inches) wide and deep around the base is recommended. This prevents unsightly dirt splashes after rain and allows moisture to drain away effectively. If desired, a geotextile fabric can be placed between the gravel and the plaster.
To prevent moisture problems beneath the plaster, or the plaster being undermined from below, a mineral sealing slurry should be applied in the base area down to the bitumen coating before the plaster is applied. Alternatively, a bitumen-free hybrid waterproofing layer can be used on top.
Did I understand correctly that the sole purpose of a dimpled membrane is to protect the insulation from mechanical stress? Why is it then often used even in uninsulated basements?
I had also considered the idea of gravel. The problem is that the stairs leading to our front door run parallel to the facade, and 20cm (8 inches) of gravel would practically extend into the space in front of the stairs...
I had also considered the idea of gravel. The problem is that the stairs leading to our front door run parallel to the facade, and 20cm (8 inches) of gravel would practically extend into the space in front of the stairs...
Stone schrieb:
The only purpose of a studded membrane is to protect the insulation from mechanical damage? Why is it then often used in uninsulated basements as well?Because in this case, the waterproofing / bitumen layer is not protected from mechanical damage by insulation. This is the only situation where it is truly necessary.
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