How to waterproof cellar

This is an old property, been there a long time. Such properties quite often have constant water flowing into the cellar, pumped out with a sump pump. Much more in winter, little or none in summer. Cellars are always expensive to turn into rooms, and this one is more expensive. You can easily make it usable, with occasional wet floor, but a habitable room, very expensive. Ground water level can for certain cause swelling and shrinking of ground, can for sure cause the need for underpinning. For example, a large tree can suck the water out of the ground, part of an old house then sinks a bit, cracks in walks, needs underpinning. Cut down large tree, ground then swells, cracks in walls, needs underpinning. This is because old houses usually have very shallow foundations. Underpinning provides the depth of foundations a modern house would have. Old houses are great, they outlast most cheap modern houses, but don’t expect easy solutions to the cellar. Modern houses never have cellars, this is the reason. But great as wine cellars.

Forget about trying to seal the cellar or stop the water. We would recommend a water management system. This would involve fitting a studded membrane to the perimeter walls and fitting a base drain to the perimeter walls at floor wall junction. The base drain would take the water to the sump /pump. If you go to the John Newton website and look up basement water management system this will explain exactly what you would require. Then if you are looking for quotes John Newton will have approved installer's in your area. The water management system will not affect the underpinning. Hope this helps.

Very much depends on the building the topography and what has gone before it is very common to have a sump and a water pump, even on very modern tanking and waterproofing systems. If the hydrascopic pressure is high ie the outside water pressure you will struggle no matter how much you spend. You could tank the whole cellar including the floor but would also need insulating to stop condensation in winter.

Brilliant answer by aspire 👏 🙌 👌