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Our MD Ian MacLennan is on the committee re-writing BS8102 Code of practice

MacLennan’s managing director has been invited to help re-write the BS8102 Code of practice for protection of below ground structures against water from the ground.

Why does this committee need consultant/contractors?

It is our site experience of hundreds of basement waterproofing installations per year and hundreds of investigations of sites, failures, issues that feed the industry with ideas for new products and new processes.

As a company that helps investigate it’s own and others mistakes in a specialist industry, to help come up with robust and sometimes unique ways to solve complex problems we are constantly learning, sharing and discussing these in-depth challenges & solutions to interesting problems. It’s what built our high-class team of specialists that can guide, advise and inform clients with a depth of knowledge that you cannot learn without our experience.

We provide hundreds of basement waterproofing solutions every year and the majority go without a hiccup but we’d be naive and in denial, if we weren’t aware that we work in the construction industry that is constantly evolving and has unique challenges each and every day. But this is also what allows us to be innovative and helpful in efficiently overcoming these stumbling blocks without holding up our client’s programs or compromising the watertight outcome. Access to our specialist skills is key when you are against the clock to deliver a project on time but also need to get the right detailing so you have no area of weakness in your complete waterproofing solution.

All this experience goes into every job we design each and every day, and this is what our  MD’s personal current contribution to the current & new BS:8102 advisory committee brings. As you cannot underestimate the value of a genuine specialist with the in-depth knowledge and experience to solve any problem that may come up, as well as having the capability to design & install you a waterproofing solution that is fully fit for purpose. Simplicity is often the key feature of someone at the top of their game as they see clearly what’s needed and quickly eliminate features that have limited value and come with higher risk.

That’s why a company that stands by its solution with a genuine guarantee for workmanship and the design is priceless in a high-risk industry as they are there to help remove your exposure to failure as they will always be there to help at every stage of the process, even after it’s completion. As it pays to never be complacent, always think through a design thoroughly, consider the clients budget to deliver value but without compromise, it’s buildability, to have the capability to communicate everything clearly and informatively. As to be a specialist consultant whether as an individual or a company comes with a responsibility that goes beyond a basic qualification but also covers the experience of the whole team that goes into delivering a full sub-contract package of works.

 
MacLennan RIBA CPD Seminars

Recent RIBA CPD feedback

We have had another busy few weeks providing our RIBA approved CPD to architects, quantity surveyors and other industry professionals. Here is some of the feedback we have received very recently, it was fantastic to present to you all! If you think you and your team might benefit from a RIBA approved CPD on Structural waterproofing design, get in touch! We are already taking bookings for next year.
RIBA CPD
Maclennan DPC cream

Introducing MacLennan double strength DPC Cream!

Retrofitting a DPC could be necessary because the original physical DPC has been ‘bridged’ by raised ground levels (e.g. newly laid paths or patios) or even new solid floors. Houses from the Victorian era and earlier were usually built without a DPC, so a retrofit DPC may be required to deal with resultant rising damp issues or to bring a building up to the standards required by modern building regulations. Damp-proof creams with low concentrations of silicones cannot match the performance of those with higher concentrations. MacLennan DPC Cream contains 40% silicone which is double the amount of most creams. Damp-proofing creams are now the most widespread method for retrofitting a damp-proof course (DPC) to protect against rising damp. No damp proof course is completely infallible (unless you cut out bricks and install a new physical DPC). Replastering is normally required to remove salts from the wall and to prevent any further damp due to hydroscopic salts that remain in the wall. For this reason, MacLennan will always carry out re plastering over a plaster lathe. Plaster Lathe system is far more reliable than a sand cement system, does not rely on bond, does allow the wall to “breathe” if detailed correctly to do so. The MacLennan system can be finished with any plaster, plasterboard, insulation board or timber panelling/wainscoting.
 
RIBA CPD Waterproofing

First RIBA presentations under our belt

Great fun talking all things waterproofing design on our first RIBA approved CPD’s this week. CPL Architecture and Savills L&P Ltd seemed very happy with the presentation, in fact, saying it was “Excellent!”. We are looking forward to continuing working with both of you in the future. We have a very busy time now for CPD’s (some with over 100 people attending). Let’s make the most of those double points!

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