Waterproofing: Saving Your House “from” a Rainy Day

By Rashmi Gopal Rao

Building and moving into your dream house has always been considered, conventionally,  an important milestone in one’s life.  However, maintaining it is as important, if not more.    This, therefore, needs to be the focus during the design and construction stage itself and if this aspect has been planned carefully, then future maintenance is a breeze.  One of the aspects to be considered here is waterproofing whose importance cannot be emphasized enough.

Waterproofing: Saving your house “from” a rainy day

Prevention is better than cure

If waterproofing has been catered to during the stage of building the structure, it eliminates nagging issues of recurrent damages, repairs and rework. Needless to say leaking homes always have the risk of potential health issues and escalating costs.  Moreover, dealing with angry and disgruntled neighbors coupled with the embarrassment of staring at ugly patches on the wall and leaky roofs is something you never want to face.

Key areas

While constructing your house there are some main areas that are susceptible to water leaks and seepage.  These are the foundation, external walls, roof or the terrace, bathrooms and the kitchen.

Foundation:

As they say the foundation is the base for a strong and reliable structure that can withstand the test of time.  It is important to know that due to the capillary movement of water, it is common for water to rise from the earth to the plinth and all the way up to the walls.  Hence this needs to be arrested by using an efficient waterproofing agent along with the cement that is applied on the foundation. Effective agents also help the structure against any harmful substances and chemicals in the soil.  It is also key to watch out for drains and vegetation very close to the foundation.

External walls:
This is yet another common area where a high performance waterproof coating along with paint is necessary to prevent the walls from developing cracks. Cracks easily develop due to external exposure and water seepage from these external cracks into the interiors is sure to wreak havoc and wreck your peace of mind!

Waterproofing: Saving your house “from” a rainy day

Roofs and Terrace gardens:

One of the most critical areas, waterproofing of the roof is of utmost importance.  The fact that the roof is exposed to all sorts of weather conditions makes it prone to damage in the form of cracks and fissures and water-logging.  This is the main cause of water patches on the ceiling and sometimes seeping ceilings.  Hence it is imperative to have an effective waterproofing liquid that is mixed with cement and applied on the mother slab.  Special attentions needs to be given to areas where pipes and cables are laid and also where the water tank is installed on the terrace.

And if you decide to have a terrace garden, the significance of water proofing is all the more.   Depending on the size of the garden, there are several techniques used which include applying waterproofing polymer coating on the concrete slabs or surfaces, installation of  fiber nets etc. to waterproof the space.

Kitchens and bathrooms:

Considering that the kitchen and bathroom are exposed to large amounts of water on a daily basis, it is mandatory to plan for waterproofing in the construction stage itself.  If not done, it is likely that one ends up spending a lot of time, effort and money on repairs, ruined interiors and renovation.  Identifying and working on the main areas like the sink area, splash back in the kitchen along with sealing of joints that are found between tiles, between the kitchen platform and sink etc is much needed.

In the bathroom, the main areas include the shower zone, sanitary fittings and drainage pipes.

Dr. Fixit and waterproofing:

While there are a number of products in the market, Dr Fixit today has become synonomous with waterproofing.    A pioneer in the area for over a decade, Dr Fixit is indeed an expert in the field with its wide range of products and services.  Depending on the area, type of construction and the specifics of the problem, the brand has been able to deliver consistently with its high quality products that are developed with cutting edge research and state of the art manufacturing facilities.

The fact that the products are not only robust, reliable and high performing but also eco friendly makes Dr. Fixit a real value add. With  hands on technical support and a large pool of trained applicators, Dr. Fixit has deservedly and rightly earned the tag of “Waterproofing Ka Doctor”!