WHY WE DON'T USE ANY TAPES OR STRIPS IN JOINTS OUR GUARANTEE Other Information How to place concrete How to fill ICF walls Curing concrete Fixing leaks and sealing joints What too much water does to concrete Capillary action in concrete Settlement cracking Drying cracking Thermal cracking Other bad things that happen to concrete About OPC About PFA About GGBS About silica fume About interground limestone Which is stronger, pure OPC or a blend? Mixing waterproof concrete by hand Steel fibres in waterproof concrete   About Us. Actually, Us is me. Phillip Sacre. I am a civil engineer and a construction veteran of over 20 years varied basement building experience years having started as a trainee land surveyor, then 6 years in the Royal Engineers where I learned soil mechanics (including concrete and bitumen) and in due course I became a site engineer setting out and getting things built correctly and in the right place on big retail developments, big schools and offices. They all had lift pits or delivery areas beneath. So being underground supervising all the various trades was was where you would find me for about 12 years. Eventually I wanted my own business and I felt the only area of specialism I had, that others did not, was basements. So since 2004 I have been building domestic basements. They have ranged from 2m x 2m and 2m deep to 25m x 25m and up to 6m deep. Several were deep below the water table with constant running water in the excavation. They were just as waterproof as those constructed in much drier conditions. For the first few years I followed the various architect's waterproofing specifications but they never, ever worked as indeed they had never worked on the big sites. Firstly, the architect does not know what the site conditions and weather will be like when the waterproofing is carried out - and most products that sound brilliant in a brochure are useless in dirt or damp site conditions. Secondly, the products that the architects specified could get damaged and, on site, anything that can be damaged will be. So 6 years ago I tried waterproof concrete for myself for the first time. (I had previously been on many sites where it had been used but always failed). My first use of it leaked as well, but since I had to repair the leaks I learned that it was our workmanship and not the concrete that was at fault. The next pour worked much better except that the strip in the joint failed. Not surprising since it had been trampled on repeatedly while we built the formwork. Therefore, for a while, I included everything that the architect specified but I waterproofed the concrete and sealed the joint between the slab and the wall afterwards and as time went by it became clear that, no matter what I did, the products specified either did not stick because it was too damp, swelled too early because they got wet or got damaged because they could not be protected from the workforce. But waterproofing the concrete became completely reliable. It always works. It never gets damaged. Joints sealed afterwards are sealed regardless of how wet or filthy the conditions. If I knew more than most other people when I started, and I have increased my knowledge many times since, I don't think there can be many people who know as much as I now know. For the past 3 years I have argued strongly to leave out all the products that architects normally specify. Since, for one reason or another they are going to fail, why waste the money? During 2009/2010/2011 I have been filming my work. Every basement was completely waterproof as soon as it was built. There are now many videos on this and the basement construction web sites with many that are specifically training videos. There is no substitute for experience. Waterproof concrete is a practical process depending upon the supervision of the workforce more than anything else. Someone needs to learn when work looks right before it can be passed. You might think you can just leave it up to the the workers, those who do this kind of work all the time. I have worked with hundreds of formwork carpenters, steel fixers and concrete gang members and employed quite a few of them myself these past few years. They are completely untrustworthy because on big sites they must be quick and pay no heed or care to help those trades who follow them. Their experience is that nothing that is supposed to waterproof specified by an architect works and because they are convinced it won't work it won't. It cannot work if it isn't fixed down properly and their foreman is on their back to get on, get it in, get it covered in concrete, get paid. My methods work, they are affordable and they have given clients what they want. Dry underground structures. This experience is now available to you. I believe I have seen, understood and learned to foresee every reason for failure. The construction industry thrives on short cuts and an attitude that someone else can sort it out while self-builders repeatedly fail to anticipate the results of their actions and choices due to their complete lack of experience. During my time I have pushed all the limits on cost-saving and tried every type of workforce. Some worked, most did not. I bring all this experience to you and I will explain the pros and cons of any suggestion put to me. I am Phil Sacre on 07773 377087 or philsacre@waterproofconcrete.co.uk disclaimer and copyright