The flood of the century in July 2021 caused great damage in Overath in the Agger Valley and, among other things, flooded the basements and ground floors of many buildings. PCI accompanied the refurbishment of a single-family house with expert advice and products for permanently reliable interior and floor waterproofing.

Some parts of Overath were particularly affected by the flood of the century, such as Obersteeg in northern Sulzthal. The flood caused enormous damage there, mainly in private households. The cleanup work requires strenuous effort for everyone involved and is far from over. For a family of four who had to find accommodation elsewhere for over a year, normality has finally returned with the refurbishment of their home.

Waterproofing in a system

The apartment which was attached to an old half-timbered house and did not have a basement had to be fundamentally renovated. The water was up to 70 centimeters high on the ground floor and had destroyed the masonry and the floor slab. Heikaus Bausanierung from Overath, which specializes in waterproofing and renovation, carried out the work, first removing walls and then completely removing the floor over an area of 90 square meters. One of the biggest challenges was to create a stable substrate. After installing strip foundations and concreting the floor slab, the craftsmen built up the masonry. Reliable interior and floor waterproofing was required to protect the living space against moisture and water. Company owner Christopher Heikaus places great importance on well-matched building materials when choosing products. "I prefer to work in a system which offers the greatest possible reliability. The waterproofing system from PCI convinced me immediately. PCI specialist adviser Sascha Wilden came to the construction site and we worked out the renovation concept together," says Heikaus.

Interior waterproofing with mineral waterproofing slurry

In the first step, the craftsmen carried out the interior waterproofing. They used PCI Polyfix Plus L to form a barrier layer at the wall-footing transition. The waterproof rapid cement mortar meets the requirements of DIN 18533 and was rounded out like a coving in a radius of 4 - 6 cm according to WTA bulletin 4-6. PCI Polyfix Plus L sets quickly, after approx. 25 minutes, and hardens without cracks. The application is time-saving because neither primer nor bonding agent is necessary and the smooth consistency allows a fast application. The same applies to the subsequent mineral waterproofing slurry which protects the ground-contacting base area that cannot be exposed from the outside against penetrating moisture. PCI Barraseal was used. The craftsmen applied the waterproof, adhesion-reliable and WTA-compliant mineral waterproofing slurry with the ceiling brush and guided it up to over the existing and intact cross-section waterproofing. Thus, capillary rise of moisture in the masonry and in the subsequent interior plaster is excluded.

Waterproofing of floors with self-adhesive waterproofing membrane "all weather"

The craftsmen used PCI BT 26 as a primer for the subsequent cold-applied, self-adhesive waterproofing membrane. The high-quality all-weather primer is a solvent-free bitumen-rubber emulsion that can be diluted with water and used on dry and damp substrates and dries quickly. The radon-proof waterproofing membrane PCI BT 21 was used to waterproof the floor against non-pressing water according to DIN 15533-2 as well as against capillary rising damp and as water vapor barrier under the screed. The "all-weather" waterproofing membrane consists of a two-layer, tear-resistant Valéron® special foil and a strongly adhesive bitumen rubber sealing compound. The special adhesive compound ensures that the waterproofing is permanently bonded to the flooring, the self-adhesive reverse side ensures quick and easy processing. PCI BT 21 can be applied neatly and wrinkle-free to corners and edges, has a defined layer thickness and no drying time. The installation of the screed could start immediately after bonding.

Rapid construction progress thanks to quick readiness for covering

The choice of screed cement also accelerated the work progress: The ready-mix, flowable screed mortar PCI Novoment Flow can be walked on after around six hours and can be covered with ceramic coverings after just one day. Other advantages are its self-compacting flow and the resulting homogeneous, closed surface as well as the low-shrinkage and low-warping curing. The flowable consistency is popular with craftsmen: the screed can be installed easily and conveniently while standing and is also very low-emission according to GEV-EMICODE EC 1 PLUS.

Heikaus draws a positive conclusion: "I can recommend waterproofing with the PCI system without reservation. The products work perfectly in the system, can be processed optimally and are also fast. I have processed them for the first time, but certainly not for the last time."