Basement and cellar waterproofing: diagnosis before treatment in Malta

Tide marks at the base of walls, white salt deposits, peeling paint, a musty smell and standing water point to different problems. Groundwater pressing through the walls and floor behaves differently from rain soaking a wall because a gutter overflows or the ground outside is higher than the floor inside. Condensation, from warm moist air meeting cold walls, often looks like rising damp and is cured with ventilation and heating rather than chemicals.

Look outside before anyone quotes for inside. Blocked gullies, cracked drains, leaking downpipes and garden beds banked against the wall are cheap to fix and account for a surprising number of damp cellars.

Many free damp surveys are carried out by companies that sell injected damp-proof courses, tanking or membranes. That does not make them dishonest, but the person diagnosing the problem earns from one particular answer. Readings from a handheld moisture meter on plaster are easily distorted by salts and are not proof of rising damp on their own.

For an older house, or before spending serious money, pay for a survey from a chartered building surveyor who does not sell treatments, or at least ask the specialist to explain how the cause was established. A good report names the source of the moisture, not just where it shows.

A damp-proof course is a layer near the base of a wall that stops moisture rising. Houses from the late Victorian period onwards usually have one; many older solid-walled houses do not, and have stayed dry for a century because the walls can breathe. Injecting a chemical DPC into such a wall, then covering it with cement render or gypsum plaster, can trap moisture instead of removing it.

Ask what the guarantee covers and who backs it if the company stops trading. Some firms offer an insurance-backed guarantee; read what it excludes.

• the diagnosed cause of the damp and how it was established
• sump, pump, alarm and battery backup for drained systems, and the service interval
• what happens to existing plaster, skirting and floors, and the finish afterwards
• any outside work: drains, gullies, ground levels, gutters
• drying time before decoration and the guarantee terms

Whether the project needs a development permit from the Planning Authority depends on what is built and where; in apartment blocks, the rules of the condominium also apply. Ask before you commit, and let the business tell you which documents it needs from you.

Electrical installation work is carried out by licensed electricians; ask to see the licence and the certificate for the finished installation. Maltese businesses are registered with the Malta Business Registry, so ask for the company registration and VAT numbers, and check whether the quote includes VAT.

Source: mbr.mt

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