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How to fix a breathable membrane to a block wall


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Posted

I'm putting timber cladding on the outside of a concrete block wall. The Building inspector has told me I need to put an breathable membrane on the blocks. So simple question how best to attached it?

 

This may sound daft but I don't want to batten it to hold it on as I'm going to prefabricate cladding panels and the battens will be part of the panels, I will then fix the whole panel with concrete screws to the block wall. So I really only need to hold the membrane in place  until I put the panels on which will hold it all in place.

 

Thanks

Gary

 

 

 

 

Posted (edited)

Attach the breather membrane to the back of your panels with the appropriate overlap in place. Take care when installing that you get your overlaps right. 

Edited by Iceverge
Posted
3 minutes ago, Moonshine said:

What was the reason for the breathable membrane given?

Good Question.  to keep building control happy :) I guess it to stop water ingress, the cladding is open joint so air can circulate, but it is in an exposed area where we can get near horizontal rain, so in the long term it will help to protect the blocks are just 3.6 lightweight blocks

Posted
On 09/02/2021 at 17:38, Iceverge said:

What is your overall wall construction?

 

 

It's a concrete block cavity wall, I think in principle we may get away with not putting a membrane on, but our building inspector has requested one. It will be viewable through the open joint cladding, so I think I will go for the powerlon 160 Uv membrane, it has a very long lift time.

Posted
On 08/02/2021 at 19:30, GaryM said:

the blocks are just 3.6 lightweight blocks

 

Stainless staples from a staple gun.  Don't choose a windy day.  Get the cladding on soon after.  A lot of the better membranes have tapes to join which will also help keep it in place.

  • Like 1
Posted
5 hours ago, Mr Punter said:

 

Stainless staples from a staple gun.  Don't choose a windy day.  Get the cladding on soon after.  A lot of the better membranes have tapes to join which will also help keep it in place.

I'm going to the cladding a different way to what I was originally intended, so now we can use vertical battens, so all good.

 

Thanks for replying

Posted

With all the fuss about flammable cladding on buildings, is it really worth doing if you want to resell.

It does not matter what the rules say you can and cannot do, it is the toxic element in the buying publics mind that counts.

Posted

If you've got an architect handy you could ask them to write a short letter to the BC about the pointlessness of a breather membrane on a cavity wall. 

  • 10 months later...
Posted

Hello all, relighting and old thread, 

 

I have a similar scenario and need a bit of advice. I am applying cladding to my concrete block garage as the wet weather is seeping through the blocks. The main garage wall is west facing and takes the brunt of the rain and then small beads of water can be seen on this inside of the wall.

 

A question about the membrane, can it be applied directly to the block wall and then batten on top or does it have to be attached/stapled to batten?

 

i.e.

wall - batten - membrane - batten - cladding

or can it be

wall - membrane - batten - cladding

 

I don't really want to double up on the battens as it will cause a further protrusion.

 

Thanks in advance,

Matt

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