A beginner’s guide to insurance and warranties in below ground structures

When designing the most appropriate waterproofing system to any given situation, various design factors will need addressing such as (but not limited to), final use of the building, the grade of waterproofing requirement under the British Standard, structural considerations based on the form of construction and in some cases, satisfying the requirements of building warranty providers.

Waterproofing installation companies can offer homeowners IBG’s, meaning the installed waterproofing system is covered in terms of the original guarantee.

Just like the name implies, Delta’s technical team are responsible for the design and planning of structural waterproofing systems.  Delta’s trusted team can provide waterproofing designs capable of meeting Warranty Providers Standards and can be installed by a reputable contractor able to offer Insurance Back Guarantees. 

One of the most important components of a green roof is the waterproofing/roof membrane.  A Waterproofing Designer’s philosophy defines what they wish to accomplish in the design of their waterproofing system and which principles they will use to do so.  Identifying a robust and suitable design philosophy is an important aspect when designing a continuous system, as this will not only directly impact in how users install the system but also in future maintenance which will directly impact on the property owner.

When choosing a waterproofing solution, common sense should naturally dictate to look for products which offer a long service life, bonding abilities, watertightness, thermal performance, a high compressive strength, and sustainability, however suitability is one aspect which is often overlooked but incredibly important. 

Remediation of poor or missing waterproofing systems, once construction is complete – can cost anywhere between 10 to 100 times that of installing them during the construction phase.

When waterproofing a below ground structure with a Type C cavity membrane system, a suitable basement drainage system is also required to safely remove ground water ingress which percolates the structure.

This drainage system is made up of four key components – a submersible pump, often referred to as a sump pump, basement drainage channels/modular drainage system, high level water alarm(s) and battery backup(s), larger projects may also require a control panel.  

The first stage of a cavity drainage system install is to provide an accessible and maintainable drainage system.  Whether new build or retrofitting, the drainage system is always the first step.