# Forum Home Renovation Laundry  Laundry renovation

## Jay_Dee

Hi just wondering if anyone can give me some advice, Im half way through re-doing my  double brick downstairs laundry, I have removed the sloping mortor floor and smashed out a lot of of the surrounding render above the floor as it was loose and crumbly, Im guessing from moisture migrating into it from historic water leaks in the laundry OR moisture coming up from the concrete pad.... 
I need to re-render the walls back to a consistent depth for the new tiles, and Im wonder what sort of water proofing material and methods people could suggest? 
I will have to build a new mortor/mud slopeing floor to the waste drain, and will probably build that above the brick damp course, bridging the damp course plasic strip.
I guess thats not good if moisture is in the concrete pad below? 
I was wondering if I should add a product like 'Dampco' (from Crommelin) to the mortor floor bed when I pour/mould that? Or something else?
All suggestions appreciated

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## juan

I am certainly no expert on this but  I think the first step is to determine where the dampness in the walls came from. 
If it migrated from the floor slab was it due to a lack of a waterproof membrane under the slab or from leaks in the laundry making the floor wet?  Is the concrete floor common to the whole house or just in the laundry?
What is on the other side of the walls? Could the moisture be coming from dampness migrating into the other side of the walls.  I note one wall appears to be a cavity wall but it may be the cavity has been filled with mortar allowing some moisture through to the inside. 
If the wall dampness is due to failed dampcourse, there is the option of treating the wall by injecting a silicone damp course into the bricks.   http://www.techdry.com.au/rising_dam...FRlRagodCwcajg 
If the concrete floor in the laundy is just in that room and is damp due to lack of a good waterproof membrane then I would replace it and put down a good membrane to eliminate the problem once and for all. 
I could rabbit on but basically you need to first determine where the moisture came from and that will make finding the right solution easier. 
cheers

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## Uncle Bob

To me, it appears the moisture is coming from the two wingbacks on the left hand side. If that is the case (and it looks like it), it should be fairly to sort out.

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## Jay_Dee

Thanks for the replies guys, 
My building is a 70's double brick townhouse, I don't think the original builders did a top notch job originally. 
The floor height is about equal to the height of the path outside, the whole concrete pad is only about 10 cm above the surrounding land. 
The main advice I need, Im guessing is what are the best treatments I can add/do to the render and the new mortor floor to resist any moisture that maybe migrating from the concreet pad/wall base that would cause the render to deteriate. 
The sort of treatments that are recomended for doing a shower base are kind of expensive. especially as my laundery is 4 times the area of a shower. 
Cheers.J.

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## juan

If the moisture is rising up the brick wall from the slab or foundation due to an inadequate dampcourse then additives to the render will only drive the moisture level higher up the wall. This would call for silicone injection or other damp course installation to eliminate the problem. 
If the problem is that the concrete floor is damp due to inadequate waterproof membrane below it then you will need to place a total barrier between the wall and the floor to protect the wall if you are not installing a damp course in the wall by say silicone injection. You would probably need to waterproof the whole surface of the slab to stop the moisture reaching the surface and causing problems with tiles etc. Not sure how successful this type of solution is. 
Ring a salt damp treatment company and get them to come out and give you a quote on what needs to be done. They are experts and even if you choose not to use them you will have the benefit of their expert opinion on the cause of the problem.

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