Basements were common in new construction up until the 1940’s, they then went out of fashion until about 10 years ago, however in Europe and America basement construction is still common place.

A basement is the most economical way to provide a single area space and may be the only way for some property owners to gain more space on a smaller site. Basements can achieve a significant improvement in development margins of as much as 15%. On multiple house sites, it is possible to build 2 houses where without a basement only one is feasible in terms of liveable, usable space within the property. In properties where it is not feasible or practical to build out or up, a new basement under an existing house is a very good option for most properties. An easier option is to build a basement in the back or front garden and to then re-lay the garden back over the top.

Basement waterproofing is often deemed as risky. This should not be the case. If basement waterproofing is carried out to a design following some very basic principles it will never fail. The design principles have been fudged in most codes of practice and standards, to accommodate the requirements of all the different manufacturers and suppliers. Contributors are often more worried about their sales and liabilities than they are about a completely robust waterproofing system with no risk.