Terrace or roof waterproofing is the most important protective layer that you should definitely apply on the building’s terrace. Many people avoid using terrace waterproofing because of a little extra expenditure but this often ends up costing them a lot.
Waterproofing the terrace or roof helps to prevent your building from the damage by water seepage. This seepage can ruin the walls, ceilings, and other structural components of your building. Water and moisture can also rust the metal structures in your home.
The waterproofing process helps to safeguard your building and in the long run, saves a lot of maintenance expenditure. Waterproofing can be done by various methods and techniques. You should have proper knowledge about the most suitable method for your requirement.
Areas In Home That Require Waterproofing
Waterproofing is quite essential in all those areas that have exposure to water and moisture. The waterproofing process makes these areas competent enough to withstand the damage from the water and moisture. Generally, the following areas in a building require waterproofing.
- Terrace or roof.
- The basement of the building.
- Toilet and bathroom.
- Kitchen.
- Washing Area.
- Balcony.
- Verandah.
- Deck.
- Water tanks.
- Swimming pool.
- Exterior Walls.
All the above-mentioned areas have different waterproofing needs. As such, different waterproofing materials are suitable in accordance with the purpose and use of the area of the building.
Types Of Terrace Waterproofing
There are many modern methods of terrace waterproofing that you can use for safeguarding your roof against water seepage. Traditionally, conventional methods of waterproofing like brickbat Coba were used, but these methods are not elastic in nature. As such, they get cracks in them over a period of time.
Many people simply leave normal concreting on the roof thinking waterproofing is not necessary. But this is not a good option, as the concrete is not gas-tight or watertight. The pores on the surface have to be closed by waterproofing the surface to protect it from damages. Let’s have a look at the most popular roof waterproofing methods.
Cementitious or Cement Based Roof Waterproofing
Cementitious waterproofing is an easy and quick method of waterproofing. This waterproofing is done with cement powder, sand, organic and inorganic chemicals, and silica-based substances. One can also add polymers to this waterproofing to increase its flexibility and durability.
The main issue with cementitious waterproofing is that it does not have enough flexibility. The concrete floors flex, contract, and expand but cement waterproofing cannot match with these structural changes. It is also not competent enough to bear extreme climatic changes and sunlight.
This is the reason they mainly use cementitious waterproofing for indoor wet areas like toilets, kitchens, and bathrooms. This waterproofing is also not suitable for heavy traffic areas and areas in which you use chemicals. This waterproofing is also not good for high traffic areas.
Polyurethane Waterproofing For Roof
This type of terrace waterproofing is done by mixing two main components. The first one is the base – Polyol and the other one is reactor – Isocyanide. The combination of both these in a specific ratio creates a liquid coating for waterproofing applications.
This waterproofing is easy to apply on the terrace, and it provides a seamless finish. It has long-term durability and also offers good resistance against wear and tear. The polyurethane liquid membrane also offers higher flexibility making it suitable to resist temperature variations.
It is also UV resistant and chemicals resistant. Polyurethane is very sensitive to moisture content. As such one has to be very careful in evaluating the moisture content of the floor before application. Otherwise, the polyurethane membrane can peel or debond.
Liquid Membrane Waterproofing For Terrace
This type of terrace waterproofing is done by making a thin liquid membrane coating on the surface of the floor. One has to usually do it in three layers, the first layer is a primer coat. And the other two layers are top coats applied by using a trowel, roller, or brush.
This waterproofing offers more flexibility by forming a rubbery coating on the applied surface. These coating systems are usually reinforced with secondary materials like glass-reinforced plastic to provide additional tensile strength to the waterproofing membrane.
Liquid membrane waterproofing is superior to sheet-based membranes as it gives seamless waterproofing. You need to have skilled labor to properly apply the liquid and to provide just the right thickness. If the thickness of the coating is too thin or too thick, then it won’t last long.
Bituminous Coating Or Asphalt Coating
This type of waterproofing is done by polymer modified bitumen emulsions that are available as water-based or solvent-based liquids for coating the floors. The flexibility and protection of the coating against water depend on the solid content of the polymer grade and reinforcement of the fiber.
The bituminous coating or asphalt coating is not suitable for exposure to sunlight. It becomes fragile and brittle when exposed to sunlight for a long period of time. For overcoming this, one can modify it using a more flexible material like polyurethane or acrylic-based polymers.
With proper application, this bituminous coating provides a good protective layer to the roof. This waterproofing method is generally used for both residential and commercial buildings. It also works well in areas like swimming pools that have to continuously face ground moisture.
Bituminous Membrane Waterproofing For Terrace
The bituminous membranes are available in the form of rolls. You can unroll these sheets and lay them down on the terrace surface. These membranes generally have a thickness of 2 to 4 mm. These membranes also have a ‘torch on’ layer and a self-adhesive membrane of waterproofing materials.
These self-adhesive compounds consist of asphalt, polymers, and other fillers. They have a low shelf life as the bonding properties of the membrane reduces with time. As such, one has to add certain resins and oils to improve their adhesion characteristics.
One has to apply the ‘torch on’ membrane by using a heating fire torch to melt the bituminous layer. The bituminous membrane rolls come in black color and they get soft because of the summer heat. Also, they only have a limited life span due to frequent solvent evaporation.
