shootgun Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 I'm about to fit the gun cabinet in the cellar. Now the cellar is dry, and there is no mold or damp patches , so i think it might be tanked. Question is, is it advisable to drill holes through the walls if the cellar is tanked? Is there any sealant that i have to put in the holes before inserting the plugs? What should i do? Any advise much appreciated! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RED BEARD Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 As long as you dont drill a hole all the way to the outside I'd of thought you'd be alright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootgun Posted November 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 As long as you dont drill a hole all the way to the outside I'd of thought you'd be alright. I thought so, but how do i know? The gun cabinet fixings are quite long.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_b_wales Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 I thought so, but how do i know? The gun cabinet fixings are quite long.... The fixings on my cabinets go into the brickwork approx 2 inches. If you have longer fixings, you can buy smaller ones that would better suit your needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 (edited) Its always dodgey perforating tanking. If its cementitous slurry tanking you can get away with it if you do it carefully. I'd remove a small section of plaster/plasterboard to see what youve got. If it is slurry tanked use stainless threaded bar and chemical fix. Ideally tanking solution should be forced into the drilling hole and allowed to drain and cure before filling with chemfix, and when cured patch around the hole and base of the stud with more slurry, then make good. Sounds like a lot of fuss over a couple of little holes but if the wall behind the tanking is very damp alarming quantities of moisture can come through the smallest hole. Or, what about bolting to the floor? It should be at least 4" thick which is plenty to get a fixing in. Ask you FEO. My present cabinet is fixed only to the floor because the wall is miles out of plumb. The only stipulation was that there had to be no gaps down the back where a lever could be applied. Edited November 21, 2013 by Gimlet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootgun Posted November 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 . I'd remove a small section of plaster/plasterboard to see what youve got. The walls in the cellar are bare bricks... no plasterboard or plaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 The walls in the cellar are bare bricks... no plasterboard or plaster. In that case measure your rawlbolts add the thickness of the cabinet wall and allow for 3/4 for tightening. Drill your hole after positioning to prevent drill-through of the bricks. Fill the hole with roof sealant and push the cabinet into position, insert the bolts and tighten. If you want to use longer bolts a test hole is wise and you can always backfill with sealant. If in doubt, do as Gimlet says and fix to the floor. eithers good and the cabinet will have the pre-drilled holes in the base. Then you can get some mega bolts in. Again dont perforate the membrane under the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 Just don't if you have no heating down in the cellar, same with lofts. They suffer temperature swings which leads to condensation forming that can ruin a gun short shrift. Talk of no plaster, tanking etc just makes me think "moisture", as cellars are not commonly built these days I think the concrete floor itself might not even have a damp preventing membrane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowmonster Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 Just don't if you have no heating down in the cellar, same with lofts. They suffer temperature swings which leads to condensation forming that can ruin a gun short shrift. Talk of no plaster, tanking etc just makes me think "moisture", as cellars are not commonly built these days I think the concrete floor itself might not even have a damp preventing membrane. +1 best advice on the thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootgun Posted November 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 there is not moisture or whatsoever in the cellar, the floor is carpeted and is dry like the sand in the desert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark@mbb Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 How tall is the house if its 3 storey then the walls in the cellar will be about 15" thick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 How old is the property and what is the cellar wall constructed of. If its a modern house then it will be tanked probably with a tanking membrane which more likely than not will have a block skin in front of it as protection and to stop hydrostatic pressure from pushing the membrane off the base it is adhered to. Normally if the subsoil is reasonably dry at depth and there is little danger of water ingress to the basement the basement would probably not have a tanking membrane but would just have a waterproof cementious coating or even a render coat under the finish coat of plasterboard or plaster. We really need to know what the external water table is and how the basement is constructed because if you go drilling holes through a tanking membrane and the water table is high water will p**s through the hole like a hose pipe and no matter what you try and plug it with it will come back. Sorry just read you later post so if its bare brickwork are they engineering bricks or facing bricks. What thickness is the wall ? if the bricks are laid stretcher bond then you know you will have at least 102.5mm to play with before you hit any membrane. If the bricks are laid Flemish or English bond then it will be at least 1 brick thick which is 225mm and you wont have a problem with a 100 mm anchor bolt. I would be tempted to use a Fischer L type wall bolt or a shield anchor bolt 10 or 12 x 70mm and drill no more than 80mm into the brickwork then you should be safe. Both you can get from screw fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brett1985 Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 ive had my guns in the loft for the last 2 years, never had an issue. my dads had his in his loft for around 16 years and they are as good as the day there were new. as long as its not damp and is well ventilated, then you shouldnt have a problem... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowmonster Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 Have seen guns come out of a loft covered in red rust after a very short spell, and a friend borrowed a submersible pump off me a few years ago after a bit of a down pore flooded into his cellar and I still haven't got it back, but I suppose that's an entirely different thread wants starting . Top and bottom of it is and that's deliberate I wouldn't store my guns in either location, far too expensive to replace even the cheaper variety . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 there is not moisture or whatsoever in the cellar, the floor is carpeted and is dry like the sand in the desert So if its all heated then all should be good, you would have to be very dumb to store guns in an obviously damp cellar- but check out that condensation thing etc. There are lofts and lofts cellars and cellars but changes in temp will effect your guns either the wood via movement or the metalwork via rust. Just saying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootgun Posted November 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2013 Thanks for all the great advices guys! I took my chances and marked 80mm on the drill bit with masking tape, and drilled the holes required... However , on two out of the 5 holes, the drill bit went all the way through, before i reached the 80 mm mark I hope everything will be allright. Just for the record, both gas and electicity meters are in the cellar for ages, and no sign of rust or whatsoever... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted November 22, 2013 Report Share Posted November 22, 2013 If you have no choice but to put your cabinet in an unheated area you can stick polystyrene tiles on the inside using non solvent glue-costs less than a tenner and works a treat-if you are worried you can buy damp traps from the bay that hang in the cabinet and can be dried out by connecting them to the mains every week or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted November 22, 2013 Report Share Posted November 22, 2013 If you have no choice but to put your cabinet in an unheated area you can stick polystyrene tiles on the inside using non solvent glue-costs less than a tenner and works a treat-if you are worried you can buy damp traps from the bay that hang in the cabinet and can be dried out by connecting them to the mains every week or so. With no heat inside the cabinet insulation will have zero effect. However cabinet heaters are sold in the USA were some locations get it worse than we do here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted November 22, 2013 Report Share Posted November 22, 2013 I'm thinking about getting a heated cabinet myself to be honest. Mine is in the living room between the front door and the fireplace. There is not a trace of damp on the walls or floor but I get mould on the stocks and slings from time to time. Guns are never put away damp or cold and metal parts are wiped over with an oiled cloth, so there is no rust and stocks get oiled and slings wiped but there's clearly a climate issue in there. Its an unlined, unvented steel box so its bound to be a condensation trap, even with bone-dry guns. I'll probably modify a large plain cabinet with venting, insulation and a heater of some kind. I'm sure I can do it a lot cheaper than the £1000+ for a delux off-the-shelf job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmaxphil Posted November 23, 2013 Report Share Posted November 23, 2013 for a heated cabinet think about insulated lining and something like a brew belt or welly dryer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootgun Posted November 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2013 for me works cheaper to put a heater in the cellar than.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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