The building is grade II listed and within a conservation area, so no changes could be made externally, this included creating a light well/window for emergency escape. One of the legal requirements for creating a habitable space in a basement is providing an emergency escape route. To achieve this, every door in the house had to be upgraded to be 30-minute fire rated.

Project Details

Once emptied, the basement floor was removed and lowered slightly to allow for more head room. A new floor was cast with drainage underneath, all leading towards a ground water sump.

The section of the basement that had shelves was then grit blasted to restore the original brickwork and the rest of the space was waterproofed using a cavity drainage membrane, linked to the sump, two pumps and an alarm were installed.

Once waterproof, the basement was then finished with a hardwood floor, insulation and plasterwork on the walls and ceiling and a bespoke frameless glass door added to the shelved area, creating a cooler wine cellar.

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Location: Birmingham
Completed: 2008