'There's a need to be down' - Basement refurbishment

When it comes to refurbishment, the basement is rarely considered as being a viable option. Sure, many people live in accommodation that has no basement, but this does not necessarily preclude them from enjoying the extra space and pleasant living environment a basement can provide.

Most of us associate a basement area as being damp and dingy … a forgotten hovel used to store rubbish that we are loathed to get rid of, but are not too fussed about its eventual condition.

We at Delta Membrane Systems have good news. A basement can be converted into an area that is warm, dry, bright and inviting. The range of products we have on offer can cope with just about any eventuality, whether it be damp, mould, degradation or new construction or retrofit basement.

Land is expensive, and the thought of moving to bigger premises has to be weighed up against the costs. Not only are we likely to be looking at bigger mortgages, we also have to consider all the associated fees such as legal expenses, removal costs, stamp duty, estate agent fees, redirecting mail, and the possibility of loss of income.

For that reason, many decide to stay where they are and look at the possibility of extending their existing property. This usually means either going up or out. This could result in valuable car parking space or pleasant garden being ‘eaten up’ to provide the necessary space.

Going ‘down’ is a realistic option. Many domestic properties – particularly older terraced buildings – have already gained huge amounts of space by utilising or creating a basement.

Indeed, one Victorian terraced property in London has extended the existing basement into the garden and constructed a large swimming pool in that area. The garden remains a garden … you wouldn’t know the pool was underneath.

While it is a relatively straightforward task to carry out this renovation, I would not describe it as being simple. It is a job that requires expertise in both the work itself, and the materials used.

Basements have to be created or renovated to certain standards; For example, BS8102:2009 is a Code of Practice which looks at ‘Protection of below ground Structures Against Water from the Ground’. A more elaborate expansion of this standard can be found in CIRIA Report 139 ‘Water Resisting Basements’.

In Victorian times, house construction in this country was far more likely to include a basement area compared with today’s housing designs. Yet, on the European mainland – in countries such as Germany, Belgium and Holland – we find that creating basements under dwellings is the norm in new-build construction.

It is perhaps not too surprising that architects rarely consider below-ground construction as part of their overall design in the British market. After all, build costs are the driving force in modern construction. Yet, the pressure is there to create more dwellings in an increasingly diminishing commodity – land.

And, while we instantly associate basements with housing, we should not forget that buildings such as libraries, hospitals, schools, commercial, retail and industrial structures would also benefit – without affecting the ‘footprint’ of the land on which they sit.

There is also the issue of brownfield sites. The Government is keen to make good use of what once accommodated industrial buildings, and reclaim it for housing. However, there is the problem of land contamination which has to be considered – but the products are in the marketplace to ensure this problem is overcome.

Basements are a forgotten space in properties. I intend that this should no longer be the case, and that – with a little thought and the right products – we can make even better use of available space.

Brian Davison F.inst.SMM M.inst.SSE, Managing Director, Delta Membrane Systems Ltd.