The brief for the basement waterproofing Project

Tyne Tees Damp Proofing Ltd were invited to tender for the specification and installation of a full basement waterproofing system to a historic property in Newcastle City Center.

The project included a full survey and inspection by our senior surveyor and technical director, Mike Davison CSSW, M.Inst.SSE, who produced the full specification, schedule of works, RAMS (health and safety risk assessment and method statements) along with the fully itemised price quotation.

Difficulties in the specification included the fact that the whole system had to be installed in such a manner that it could be fully removed without leaving any trace of its existence within this fabulous, listed, historic building.

The quotation was accepted, and work began on the agreed date.

The Basement Waterproofing Project Details

The work included:

• Stripping out the existing basement.
• Preparing the walls and floor for the installation of the proposed cavity drain membrane waterproofing system.
• Installation of two separate, twin pumping stations
• Installation of 24v battery backup pumping systems, in case of electrical failure or power cut.

• A drainage system was installed to the perimeter of the basement. This was linked to the newly installed sump pumping systems.
• A new pair of sealed pipelines to lift any ingress water to the external gravity drainage system

• A fully insulated floor deck was installed to the entire floor area.

• The floor membrane was then installed and bonded to the wall membrane.
• The floor was then screeded over the membrane, with a 100mm screed.
• Stud walls were built around the perimeter of the basement, to allow for all electric cables, plumbing and pipework which were easily fixed and concealed behind the studwork.

• Once all this work was completed the shop fitters arrived to dress out the basement with fixtures and fittings ready for the retail client to display stock and open to the public.

On time and on budget

The work was initially scheduled for six weeks to complete and the price was based on the schedule and materials used.

The actual time taken to complete the basement waterproofing project work was exactly six weeks to the day and the price was invoiced to the penny quoted.

The original scope of the basement waterproofing project work was extended with additional work, which included the tanking of a new lift shaft and the replacement of several structural timber lintels with new concrete lintels.

Additional team members were brought in to ensure the additional work (which the client had not specified for us in the initial contract) was also completed within the promised timescale, thus allowing the client to retain the project timetable, keeping it intact for the shopfitters who were to follow on straight after us.

A word on this Basement Waterproofing project from Mike Davison CSSW, M.Inst.SSE

This building was constructed as a part of a major Newcastle upon Tyne city Centre refurbishment in the 1830s, by my personal hero, Richard Grainger. The building was historically occupied by Mawson Swann and Morgan for many years, followed by Waterstones, H&M Hennes and Byron Burgers, prior to this full, high-end refurbishment for the latest tenants.

I have worked on many Historic Building, Basement waterproofing, damp proofing, timber treatment projects in Newcastle city Centre (see list below). I am always amazed by the quality produced by the Richard Grainger company back in the 1800’s, who constructed the whole of Grainger town area in around six to seven years. I think it is quite honestly astounding how quickly something on the scale of Grainger Town was built, at that time, by men without the benefits of today’s building machinery, particularly when you compare it to how long modern building projects seem to take with all the computers, mobile cranes, and mechanisation of today.

Newcastle city centre commercial projects surveyed, constructed, project managed by Mike Davison CSSW, M.Inst.SSE

• Las Iguanas, Grey Street – Basement extension.
• Bon Marche, Grainger Street – Basement waterproofing.
• Beacham Solicitors, Collingwood Street – Damp proofing and lime replastering.
• Former Allied Irish Bank, Collingwood Street – Basement Waterproofing survey and specification.
• Former shops and hospitality buildings to Cloth Market – Refurbishment schedule and specification for the sympathetic treatment of, wet rot, dry rot, woodboring insects, rising and penetrating damp, basement waterproofing.
• Newcastle University, Into Building, Haymarket, – Basement waterproofing.
• 104 – 108 Grey Street, Dry rot remediation to three upper floors including complete replacement of one floor and partial like for like replacement of two floors, this included re-manufacturing floor joists, door frames, floorboards, skirting boards, and ceilings, to match the originals over large areas.
• Central arcade NE1, Creation of a large structural opening between Grey Street and the Central Arcade for the expansion of JG Windows and Co.