The subterranean room mid-repair, with the walls being repainted and the existing floor still needing waterproofing and retiling.
The completed room — internally waterproofed, replastered, painted, with new floor tiles and skirting.
The client contacted iKapa about damp and moisture penetration in a subterranean room. The goal was to treat the affected walls internally, improve the room’s resistance to moisture, and finish the space properly with new plaster, paint, waterproofing, and floor tiles.
Around 36m² of damaged wall plaster was removed to expose the underlying brickwork. A waterproofing slurry was applied to the walls, with a cement gulley and drilled drainage points installed to help release moisture from within the wall. New drywall construction was then built out over the treated walls, primed, and painted. About 16m² of flooring was waterproofed and tiled, with the new floor level aligned to the adjoining internal tiles, and new wooden skirting fitted. The combined work took around two weeks, completed in April 2025.
This was technically tricky because the room sits below ground level, so treatment had to be applied entirely from inside. Moisture penetration associated with the room’s below-ground position needs a system that manages and drains the moisture rather than simply sealing the surface — in this case a slurry, cement gulley, and drilled drainage points, finished with new drywall construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is damp in a below-ground room different to damp in a normal wall? +
Above ground, damp is usually coming from one direction — rain, a leak, rising damp. Below ground, moisture penetration is associated with the room's position beneath ground level, so the system needs to manage and drain that moisture rather than just sealing over it.
Can this kind of damp be treated from inside the room only? +
Yes, where excavating from outside isn't practical — a system combining a waterproofing slurry, a cement gulley, and drilled drainage points can manage moisture from inside the room without needing to dig up the exterior.
How long does a project like this take from start to finish? +
For a room this size — wall treatment, drainage, drywall, and floor tiling — around two weeks is typical, depending on how extensive the moisture damage is before work starts.
Need a damp, below-ground room properly waterproofed?
Reach out to Ikapa Waterproofing and Roofing for tailored solutions in Cape Town.