The Media Room in this property was set into the basement level of the home, and experienced ongoing moisture ingress through the walls, causing extensive damage to the internal plaster walls and a damp, stale smell.

Project Description 

This three-level ‘luxury’ waterfront home on Hope Island included a below ground (subgrade) Media Room and Games Room that had been experiencing moisture ingress for some time.  Inspection found various signs of water penetration particularly at the bottom internal corners, resulting in bubbling paint, mould and a heavy musty odour inside the room that made it virtually unusable.

After careful consideration we recommended the installation of the Newton System 500 with the Newton BaseDrain, and installation of a ‘powered’ ventilation fan for forced air-exchange when the property is not tenanted for extended periods being a private holiday home. Installation of the Newton System 500 was completed in just over a week including all surface preparations and was ready for subsequent installation of finishes by the Client. 

Rectification works required temporary removal of the existing wall linings along several of the walls including custom timber wall panelling; subsequent relining and finishing of walls upon completion; and carpet replacement.

Our Repair Solution

Whilst the basement was originally constructed with a perimeter spoon-drain connected to a sump and pump system, the way it was formed and the way the wall linings were installed meant the spoon-drain was certain to fail as a ‘back-up’ measure.

Modifications were required to deepen and narrow the spoon-drain, and then waterproof the channel to contain water within it.  The Newton System 500 with BaseDrain was installed, including a ‘Newton Jetting Eye’ for maintenance inspection and flushing of the system to ensure reliable performance for years to come.

A 1.0m wide area around the floor perimeters was prepared and multiple coats of a moisture vapour barrier epoxy applied to minimise the risk of moisture penetration from capillary wicking through the concrete.

The powered ventilation system was installed as the property is a holiday home, meaning the basement area was only occasionally used and had minimal air exchange.  The ventilation system was set up on negative pressure, allowing it to pull warm dry air from the upper level, passing it through the basement area and pumping it to the outside of the property.  Operating at full capacity the fan is capable of turning over the air in the media room up to twelve (12) times per hour!  The fan motor is connected to a solar panel to minimise power consumption, and also has a 240v mains powered connection for when the sun isn’t shining.

Reinstatement of wall and floor finishes were completed by the owner’s building contractors.

The Newton System 500 has performed flawlessly since installation, despite the region experiencing substantial heavy rainfalls (including localised flooding) in that time.