Archive for June, 2025

JUNE Social Media Post Roundup

๐Ÿ”นLarge Deck Over an Underground Car Park:

๐Ÿ” ๐—ฆ๐—ถ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐˜† & ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—”๐˜€๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜
Our experienced surveyor recently visitedย this Bournemouth, mid-1970s purpose-built apartment complex comprising two 7-storey towers with a shared basement car park, to carry out a comprehensive inspection following reports of water ingress.
๐Ÿ’งย ๐—œ๐˜€๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ฒ ๐—œ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ:
Water penetration was observed through the roof slab of the basement car park. The original deck was constructed using asphalt membranes, which are known to degrade under prolonged UV exposure. Over time, thermal expansion and contraction can lead to fatigue and crackingโ€”especially at high-stress areas such as corners, structural junctions, and upstand details.

Ocean heights Deck

๐Ÿ”Žย ๐—ž๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต๐˜:
Itโ€™s important to note that visible leaks on the underside of a concrete slab donโ€™t always indicate the exact point of water entry. Water can migrate through construction joints, and movement joints before becoming visible below.
๐Ÿ—๏ธย ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ข๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜„:
The basement structure consists of reinforced concrete downstand beams supporting a 150mm thick slab. The ground-bearing slab includes perimeter edge thickenings and reinforced concrete walls to retain surrounding ground levels. Our inspection also highlighted the need for upstand and concrete repairs in several areas.
Weโ€™re now working closely with the client to develop a robust waterproofing solution tailored to the unique challenges of this buried deck system.


 

๐Ÿ”นSemi-Basement Extension, Salisbury: Following our pre-construction waterproofing survey, our technicians are now on site installing aย ๐—ง๐˜†๐—ฝ๐—ฒ ๐—– ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ฑ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฏ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐˜†๐˜€๐˜๐—ฒ๐—บย to protect the newly built semi-basement extension at thisย ๐—š๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ ๐—œ๐—œ ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑย property in Salisbury.
Although not a full basement, the structure still requires effective protection against water ingress to ensure it remains dry and habitableโ€”fully compliant withย ๐—•๐—ฆ ๐Ÿด๐Ÿญ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ:๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฎย standards for below-ground waterproofing.

๐Ÿ’งย ๐——๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ด๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ด๐˜† โ€“ Gravity-Fed System:
As part of our design, we offered the option of aย sump and pump systemย to manage any potential water ingress. However, the client opted for aย gravity-fed drainage solution, which is a passive system that relies on natural fall to direct water away from the structure.

nunton House

This approach involves:
โœ… ๐——๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ด๐—ฒ ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—น๐˜€ย integrated at the base of the cavity membrane system.
โœ… ๐—ฃ๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐˜„๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฏย designed with sufficient fall to ensure continuous flow.
โœ… ๐—” ๐—ป๐—ผ๐—ป-๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ป ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜ƒ๐—ฒย fitted to prevent any risk of backflow from the external surface water system.

Gravity-fed systems are highly effective where site levels allow, offering a low-maintenance, energy-free solution for managing groundwater ingress.
Weโ€™re proud to support projects that combine modern construction with heritage sensitivityโ€”delivering long-term protection and peace of mind.


 

๐Ÿ”นCambridge House Walkthrough Video

๐ŸŽฅย Take a behind-the-scenes look at our installation work on the prestigious Cambridge House renovation project!

This video captures just a glimpse of the scale and complexity involved in transforming this iconic London landmark into a luxury 5-star hotel. With multiple phases and intricate detailing, itโ€™s a project that demands precision, expertise, and collaborationโ€”and weโ€™re incredibly proud to be part of it.

From heritage preservation to cutting-edge waterproofing solutions, our team has been working closely with contractors and consultants to ensure the highest standards are met at every stage.

How To Prevent Basement Waterproofing Failures

June 2025 Newsletter

June 25 newsletter

Basement waterproofing failures cost the UK construction industry millions of pounds every yearโ€”not just in repairs, but in project delays, reputational damage, and client dissatisfaction. The most frustrating part? These failures are entirely preventable.

At MacLennan, weโ€™ve spent decades refining our approach to waterproofing design, installation, and maintenance. In this post, weโ€™ll explain how we prevent failures before they happenโ€”and why our systems are trusted across the UK and beyond.

โœ… It All Starts with Smart Design

Most waterproofing failures can be traced back to one root cause: poor design. At MacLennan, we believe that good design is the foundation of waterproofing success. But weโ€™re not just talking about detailingโ€”we mean integrating the installation process, maintenance strategy, and repairability into the design from day one.

The British Standard and all major codes of practice are clear: waterproofing systems must be designed with repair and maintenance in mind. Yet, many systems are installed without any consideration for how theyโ€™ll be accessed or serviced once finishes are in place.

๐Ÿงฑ Why Type C Systems Are the Gold Standard

If your basement includes finishes, internal walls, or linings, then only a Type C cavity drain system can provide the level of repairability required for long-term performance.

Unlike other systems, Type C solutions are designed to manage water ingress by directing it to a controlled drainage system. But even these systems can failโ€”if theyโ€™re not properly maintained.

๐Ÿ” Inspection & Servicing: The MacLennan Difference

Most service providers focus on pump maintenance, but the real Achilles heel of a cavity drain system is the drainage channel. If this becomes blocked or compromised, the entire system is at risk. At MacLennan, weโ€™ve solved this with:

  • We design and manufacture our own inspection ports, allowing directional camera access for full visibility.
  • We commission and inspect the system after finishes are installedโ€”when many issues first appear.
  • We provide ongoing servicing through our dedicated in-house team, ensuring long-term performance.

๐Ÿ“ก Remote Monitoring & Superyacht-Grade Reliability

Weโ€™ve taken it a step further with remote monitoring technology built into our systems. This allows us to track performance in real time and alert clients to potential issues before they become problems.

And when it comes to power reliability, we use state-of-the-art battery backups and invertersโ€”the same systems trusted on ocean-going superyachts. These can even be upgraded to power essential services during outages.

๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Servicing Is Not Optionalโ€”Itโ€™s Essential

You wouldnโ€™t buy a car and never service it. A waterproofing system is no different. Regular maintenance is the key to preventing failures, and it should be built into the design from the start.

At MacLennan, we donโ€™t just install systemsโ€”we design them for life.

๐Ÿ’ฌ Want to Learn More?

Weโ€™re passionate about helping clients avoid costly waterproofing failures. If youโ€™re planning a basement project or want to ensure your current system is protected for the long haul, get in touch with our team.

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