Fixing battens and penetrating DPM

[geraldthehamster]

Hello, hoping someone can help.

Proposed floor is pitch pine boards secret-nailed to 2 x 2 inch
battens with insulation between, onto a concrete floor not known to
have a DPM under it; therefore, DPM to go under the battens. However,
when I hammer-fix the battens to the concrete I'm going to punch holes
in my DPM. How do I deal with this?

Cheers
Richard

Read more: http://www.diynot.com/forums/floors-stairs-lofts/fixing-battens-and-penetrating-dpm.361363/#ixzz2PsexAL4W

[Dave Liquorice]

On Mon, 8 Apr 2013 07:05:32 -0700 (PDT), geraldthehamster wrote:

> Proposed floor is pitch pine boards secret-nailed to 2 x 2 inch
> battens with insulation between, onto a concrete floor not known to
> have a DPM under it; therefore, DPM to go under the battens.

DPM should be on the warm side of the insulation...

--
Cheers
Dave.

[geraldthehamster]

On Apr 8, 3:21 pm, "Dave Liquorice" <allsortsnotthis...@howhill.com>
wrote:

I understand (and have applied) that principle for walls and roofs,
but that's not really applicable here - this is a DPM to prevent damp
getting into the floor from underneath, not to prevent condensation
from the inside. It has to be between the concrete and the battens. So
I think this is a bit of a red herring.

Cheers
Richard

[geraldthehamster]

I'll answer my own question, and say that I think I probably need to
be using a liquid DPM, that I'll only make tiny holes in when I hammer
fix, rather than a sheet DPM that could tear. Conceivably I could even
bond the battens to it rather than hammer fixing.

Still interested in opinions, or is everyone bust reacting in their
various ways to today's celebrity death? ;-)

Cheers
Richard

[Muddymike]

On Mon, 8 Apr 2013 07:05:32 -0700 (PDT), geraldthehamster wrote:

> Proposed floor is pitch pine boards secret-nailed to 2 x 2 inch
> battens with insulation between, onto a concrete floor not known to
> have a DPM under it; therefore, DPM to go under the battens.

Why do you need to fix it down? Its not going to fall up after all!

Mike

[Tim Watts]

Hi,

The simple answer:

Don't worry about it.

Use corrosion proof screws or nails to fix down. The area of the pucture
holes is trivially small and nearly all blocked by the nail.

Unless you have liquid water, the microscopic amount of water that permeates
through will be able to escape through the floor or round the edges.


--
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[Mr Fuxit]

On 8 Apr, 15:05, geraldthehamster <diy....@hotmail.co.uk> wrote:
> Hello, hoping someone can help.
>
> Proposed floor is pitch pine boards secret-nailed to 2 x 2 inch
> battens with insulation between, onto a concrete floor not known to
> have a DPM under it; therefore, DPM to go under the battens. However,
> when I hammer-fix the battens to the concrete I'm going to punch holes
> in my DPM. How do I deal with this?

Seal the surface of the floor.

Along the line of the proposed batten, lay mastic ribbon.

Lay the edge of your DPC on the mastic.

Place the batten and nail down.

Roll the DPC back to the just-fixed batten.

Lay another line of mastic where the next batten will be fixed.

Roll the DPC over the mastic. Nail the batten.

And so on.....

[Nick Odell]

On Mon, 8 Apr 2013 08:11:54 -0700 (PDT), geraldthehamster
<diy...@hotmail.co.uk> wrote:

>Still interested in opinions, or is everyone bust reacting in their
>various ways to today's celebrity death? ;-)
>

Annette Funicello? Yes, yes, a great loss. And she was only 70.

Nick

[geraldthehamster]

Thanks, and to Tim for your reply (we should compare bungalows).


Cheers
Richard

[Jules Richardson]

On Mon, 08 Apr 2013 07:05:32 -0700, geraldthehamster wrote:

> Hello, hoping someone can help.
>
> Proposed floor is pitch pine boards secret-nailed to 2 x 2 inch battens
> with insulation between, onto a concrete floor not known to have a DPM
> under it; therefore, DPM to go under the battens. However,
> when I hammer-fix the battens to the concrete I'm going to punch holes
> in my DPM. How do I deal with this?

How much moisture are we talking about? If it just gets "a bit damp" then
I wouldn't worry - just use appropriate fixings that aren't going to rust
and fail (quickly).

Question for those more knowledgable than I: Will an air gap be needed
between the DPM and the insulation? I thought it was standard practice so
that any moisture that does get in doesn't end up trapped in the
insulation layer, but perhaps not. (It's relevant to me because I want to
put an insulated floor into my basement at some point, now that I've got
water ingress via the walls issues sorted out, and every bit of height
that I can save is a good thing! I've been factoring in an air gap, but
it'd be nice if I didn't have to bother)

cheers

Jules

[geraldthehamster]

On 8 Apr, 21:04, Jules Richardson <julesrichardsonnews...@gmail.com>
wrote:

It's not the fixings I'm concerned about, it's keeping damp from
penetrating the battens, due to the lack of DPM in the slab.

Air gaps are relevant when putting insulation up against timber
rafters that need to be ventilated. If you're laying insulation on a
concrete slab you wouldn't have an air gap. It sounds like you might
end up laying the same kind of floor that I plan to.

Cheers
Richard