Yes, waterproofing, to majority of people, is still a myth. Only a few know what the reality is behind it. So, before we delve into the myths and its reality about water proofing, we must in the first place know what waterproofing really is, its benefits and the professionals who carry out the job. There is a commonplace belief among a section of the public that waterproofing is an additional expense-incurring process. No. The fact of the matter is that it is an invisible backstage process which is highly useful process to add longer life to our homes or commercial buildings which we built using our hard-earned money.

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So, what is waterproofing after all? Simply put, it is the process of keeping a civil structure protected from elements (air, water, sun etc.) Thinking why this should be done? Sure, good question. Let’s explain this with an example we all understand. We all use mobile phones. Majority of us have protected our brand-new phone with a screen guard and back cover, isn’t it? Why do we do that? Simple answer is to protect the phone from normal wear and tear, accidental fall etc. Well, water proofing is something like this. It helps to minimize the atmospheric onslaught on our brand-new civil structure. In other words, if you protect your new building today by waterproofing it, it will help to extent its longevity beyond its original designed life. How does it do that? For starters, let’s take an example of a roof slab. In this case it will resist the ingress of water and prevent it from seeping into roof slab and keep the roof, walls and the ceiling intact/dry without causing damage. As a result, the building will withstand the havoc played by the elements, especially during the rainy seasons.

How does water proofing work to benefit us? First of all, it helps the building to sustain its original strength. Waterproofing keeps the moisture away so that the building remains strong without a reason for disintegration.

Have you not thought of keeping your home or office building dry in wet seasons? Who wouldn’t love to see an unblemished ceiling without the wet marks of dripping rainwater? Many of us spend 5 times the money for water proofing once the interiors are complete as leakages can damage the whole aesthetics. Well, to keep our building from such vexing problems, we should think waterproofing first, because it’s cheaper to do it while you are constructing your building. Remember, re-engineering is always expensive and complicated process.

How does water proofing work to benefit us? First of all, it helps the building to sustain its original strength. Waterproofing keeps the moisture away so that the building remains strong without a reason for disintegration. Secondly, many good quality water proofing membranes are one side breathable so that it allows trapped moisture to escape, but do not allow water or moisture to get in. Thirdly, it prevents rainwater from dripping into your rooms and damaging valuable interiors. The fourth but the most important point is that it keeps your home or office environment a safe and healthy place to live or work in.

Watch Video: Leaking Toilet Waterproofing without breaking tiles

And who are the people who carry out water proofing jobs? Waterproofing is a skilled job which demands expertise and extra care for the system to work. If you involve a good agency from the foundation of your structure, they will have the expertise to make sure that your building foundation, basement, terrace and bathrooms are waterproofed thoroughly at various stages with best quality construction chemistry. They also advise you on taking adequate measures for water proofing at different locations throughout the project.

However, people still hold misconceptions about water proofing. Let’s examine some of the common myths and realities about this valuable process.

Myth No.1: Waterproofing is done to stop leakages
Reality: It is done to enhance structural life

Let us go back to our previous example of mobile phone screen/back cover. Imagine its screen is broken from a bad fall. Will placing a screen guard over this broken screen will sort out the issue? Of course, not. What we will logically do is to change the broken screen first and then put a cover so that it is protected further. Water proofing a leaking structure is something like this. If you have a roof leak, a good water proofing professional will identify the root cause of a leak and strengthen the slab first and then do a waterproofing coating for it to last.

Hence, as stated before, water proofing actually helps the building structures to retain its original strength it needs to sustain.

How does waterproofing strengthen the structure of buildings?

First of all, we must know that a building is made from concrete, bricks, stones and mortars. These materials in fact are composed of particles of carbonate, silicate, aluminates and oxides. When cement and water combine, it causes a chemical reaction called hydration.

Hydration reaction forms calcium hydroxide components. This protects the reinforcement from corrosion. The presence of carbon hydroxide will keep the pH of the concrete above 12. pH is the measurement of the level of acid and alkali in a substance. The range goes from 0 – 14. If it is less than 7 it indicates acidity and if it is 12 or above, it augurs well.

Also read: 5 alarming signs on your RCC roof that you should watch out for!

When calcium hydroxide reaches carbon dioxide, calcium carbonate is formed. This reaction is called carbonation. Concrete will harden, and permeability (the ability to pass through) will be reduced during this reaction. Calcium carbonate reduces the concrete pH to around 9. At this pH, the protective oxide layer surrounding the reinforcing steel breaks down and corrosion becomes possible.

So, when the water finds capillary gaps to pass through, it will damage the strength of the concrete. The materials for water proofing such as acrylic cementitious membranes, bitumen & polyurethane based liquid water proofing membranes etc., will provide the necessary protection from the chance for such leakages and enhance the strength of building structures.

Myth No.2: Waterproofing is done when structure is complete
Reality: Waterproofing should be done from foundation level itself

People seem to tend to believe that waterproofing is a process which can wait until the building construction is over or a few years later when the roof or walls begin to show the water seepage.

No. This is a misconception that will drag you into miserable financial burdens later in life. Ideally, extensive water proofing measures have to be applied during construction stage itself to make sure that moisture is controlled from the very beginning. Nevertheless, waterproofing can also be done after a building has been built to solve problems when they develop.

Is your wall damp due to capillary rise from floors? Watch this video to say goodbye to it!

What stage of a construction is ideal for waterproofing? Well, it from the foundation level itself. Foundation waterproofing, is very important but otherwise a commonly ignored process. You might have noticed capillary rise issues in bottom part of walls, that’s because of not doing proper water proofing process to separate ground water from the structure before the plinth area is concreted. The whole structure stands embedded in earth and ample precautions to be done to protect the water not to get in touch with brick walls, Once the interiors and flooring is complete, this process becomes a nightmare.

Myth No.3: Waterproofing can be done on a weak structure
Reality: It is to be done post strengthening the structure

As you know, we lay a strong foundation for our building before we construct upper floors, right? Likewise, a strong building is the foundation for a good waterproofing process.
It is a reality that works as old as 50 years provide enough service, but the recent constructions show signs of distress and disintegration within a couple of years of their completion. This is stated in the Technical Circular 1/99 of the Central Public Works Department, Government of India. The major reason for this is the poor quality in construction practices and materials used.

Therefore, it is imperative that a good water proofing process can to a greater extent, can extend the life of a structure in case of a stress.

Myth No.4: Waterproofing is just a fad/fashion
Reality: It is most important for enhanced structural life

Waterproofing has often been a subject of contempt among a section of the people who tend to believe that it costs additional expenses and drains our pocket. These processes are currently done in cities and even customers in 2nd tier cities do not have much information on the subject.

Actually, as stated early on, waterproofing gives building structures a longer life. How? As we already know that water damages the buildings, causing mold, decay and corrosion to reduce the structural durability. A thoroughly waterproofed building will stand the test of time, with no water penetration within the building. The result is longer life, more strength and dapper look for the building.

Watch Video: How to waterproof leaking tiled balcony/terrace.

So, in today’s world where construction methods meet little or no quality, we better do waterproofing for enhanced structural life than look at it as a fad or fashion.

Myth No.5: Waterproofing is a non-skilled job. Even our house painter can do it.
Reality: It requires high professional knowledge for perfect execution & lasting effect.

We often see building owners set out to do water proofing all by themselves or not do it at all. At the end of the day the whole job turns out to be shoddy with no quality and positive result whatsoever.

Waterproofing is a skilled job which has to be carried out by learned professionals who know the work in and out. Only an expert can analyse the problems easily and implement the right solutions. It is never ever a Do-It-Yourself job.

Engage a professional company right from the beginning if you are constructing a new one. It goes without saying even if you are looking for a repair of your old house as only expert in the field can identify the issues causing for a leakage and rectify it without relapsing. Don’t we all go to an orthopaedic when we have an issue with our bones?

Come to grips with reality of waterproofing instead of believing in myths. Because myths leave you confused and you fail to see the reality. Always get the services of a good waterproofing professional and get the job done perfectly right at the first time!

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