ᐅ Waterproofing and perimeter insulation

Created on: 26 Jul 2025 06:16
C
Cantaloupe
C
Cantaloupe
26 Jul 2025 06:16
Hello dear experts,

I live in a new build, completed about a year ago, with a timber frame construction.
For the past two weeks, there has been a moldy smell in the living room (which gets worse when it rains), so the developer and I now need to investigate the causes.
What worries me a bit is the sealing of the perimeter insulation (or base insulation—I’m not entirely sure about the term). I don’t know if everything was done correctly or if moisture could be rising into the walls/under the screed due to missing waterproofing.

Could you please take a look at the photos and tell me if this was done properly?

On the XPS boards, there is a thin layer of sealing slurry (?) and on top of that a dimpled membrane (which is not yet installed everywhere), and then the soil. I assume I still need a gravel layer as drainage to divert the water.

Thank you very much.
Slender green shoot growing from dark soil in a gap next to a concrete wall.

Exterior wall at foundation with crack, soil gap, and plants on the ground next to wooden decking.

Construction site with concrete block foundation, soil, and red flexible pipes.

Foundation frame at construction site: waterproofing, insulation boards, pallets, and construction equipment.

Concrete slab with pink rigid foam edge insulation and orange pipes.

Small house under construction with OSB cladding, pink foundation insulation, and scaffolding.

House shell with OSB cladding, white doors/windows; dog in lower left.

Exterior foundation wall with drainage mat, soil visible.
D
derdietmar
26 Jul 2025 16:06
Hello,

there is no waterproofing visible in the photos. The structural waterproofing has not been carried out.

Best regards
A
Allthewayup
26 Jul 2025 21:30
I have no expertise in timber prefab houses, but the mesh of the exterior plaster draws moisture from the ground like a wick. In the photos, there is no waterproofing visible at the junction between the XPS insulation and the wood. Are there no pictures of this? In our solid brick house, it looked like this.
Außenwand aus Ziegeln im Rohbau, Fundamentabdichtung sichtbar, Kiesboden