Waterproofing
Waterproofing work is a very important part of renovation services. You definitely need to engage a specialist if you want the waterproofing to be done correctly, and fix the problem once and for all. Unlike other general contracting job, which may just give you unpleasant sight if it is not done correctly, waterproofing will have serious implication, and the problem may deteriorate in future. Several common waterproofing issues are shared as below:
Rooftop Waterproofing
This is one of the most common waterproofing issues encountered by home owners. Water leaking issue may range from small issue such as dampness to bigger issue such as water dripping. Fixing your roof top would depend on what type of roof top your house has.
If it is concrete slabs, the best option is always to hack away the plaster, then apply waterproofing coating, and lastly redo the cement flooring for the concrete slab. This is way much better than surface treatment where the waterproofing rectification may just be temporary.
If your roof top is roof tiles, then you may need to identify the holes in your roof tiles, rectify and cover the holes. However, this may not be a long term solution. If your roof tiles start having holes, it may indicate potential problems in other areas. You can choose to replace with new roofing. However, if budget is a problem, you can also choose to paint your roof to protect it. It may save you from replacing the entire roof.
Balcony Waterproofing
The other area where it is common to have waterproofing issue is at the balcony. Usually, water ponding may occur at your balcony, resulting in water leaking from the balcony to the car porch area. Most problems start with clogged rain water outlet and gutter. It slowly creeps to the angle fillet of your balcony slabs with the floors. As this is susceptible to the outdoor weather, if this is not fixed immediately, it may result in many hassles in future.
The best waterproofing treatment is to hack your balcony to the concrete level. Apply at least a minimum of 2 coats of waterproofing on the dry balcony. Then redo the balcony flooring. The most important is to ensure that the waterproofing is done adequately at 2 very important areas, which is rainwater outlet as well as angle fillet. However, if you are tight on budget, you can choose for PU injection on affected area, but warranty is limited, as even if we inject the water leaking area, the water may seep through and find another porous floor to leak through.
Toilet Waterproofing
Last but not least, toilet or bathroom waterproofing is the most common waterproofing of all areas. It will affect your house, whether it is a double storey landed house, or an apartment. First of all, you need to ensure if your water leaking from the toilet is due to plumbing issue or waterproofing issue. If it is plumbing issue, you need to fix the piping before considering waterproofing. If it is not plumbing issue, then most probably water seep through due to inadequate waterproofing. Hence, you need to redo the waterproofing.
If your house is a double storey, where the toilet in the second floor is having waterproofing issue, we recommend to hack the tiles, then to apply at least 2 coat of waterproofing, before redoing the tiles. You may choose to do epoxy toilet floor. However, pay more attention on the water outlet area, and ensure adequate waterproofing is done.
However, if you stay in an apartment where the owner above your unit is not cooperative, the best you could do is to do PU Injection on the water leaking area. You can apply more PU Injection point, to ensure you cover most of the area, and hope that this would fix the water leaking problem.
Conclusion
If you have waterproofing issue, whether big or small, you should always engage a waterproofing specialist. Fix the problem right the first time, and do not need to waste time and money to rework on the same problem in future. You can also choose to do prevention, as this would save you in the long term. Feel free to call us if you have any concerns on waterproofing. If you have any house, office or shop renovation, you can also call us for site visit.