02-Mar-2022
Share:
Waterproofing is the process of forging a subject in the form of an object or material or structure waterproof or water-resistant. The subjects that go through this process of waterproofing are generally used in areas with a wet environment or underwater to a designated depth. Generally, the process of waterproofing is used in the construction business while building structures like basements, decks, or other wet areas. In the field of construction, a building or specific structures are waterproofed using membranes and coatings to protect the structure’s content and its structural integrity. The process of waterproofing has evolved as a fundamental aspect of the construction business these days. The overall process of enveloping the building with waterproofing is called a controlled environment. The major areas of a building that demand the need of going through the process of waterproofing are roofs, sidings, foundations, and all other surfaces which will have direct contact with water and need proper waterproofing.
The ordinarily used materials in the process of waterproofing of the building or structures are:
As mentioned above, there are various procedures used for waterproofing in buildings, the most commonly used procedures are:
Let us make you understand the processes involved in all these procedures in a detailed description of all.
Cementitious Waterproofing technique is considered the most facile procedure amongst all. All the matters and pieces of stuff required for commencing this procedure are readily available at a plethora of purveyors of workmanship products. Mixing and applying these materials is just like a piece of cake. This particular procedure is usually used in waterproofing the enclosed wet areas of a building or structure like bathrooms and kitchens. This procedure is considered as an inflexible or semi-flexible type of waterproofing, however, being used in the internal part of the buildings or structures like bathrooms, exposing to sunlight or weather-beaten isn’t there. Hence, this procedure doesn’t go through the process of contraction and expansion. Apart from toilets, the other areas where this procedure is best-suited are:
A procedure involving a thin coating consisting of a primer coat followed by two topcoats that are applied by either spray or roller or trowel is called the Liquid Waterproofing Membrane procedure. Liquid Waterproofing membrane procedure proves to be relatively flexible as compared to the cementitious waterproofing procedure. The liquid used in this procedure smokes into a rubbery coating on the walls. The prolongation properties of each coat used in this process can reach as high as 280%. However, the durability factor of the waterproofing coating depends on the type of polymer used by the manufacturer in the making of liquid waterproofing material.
The Liquid waterproofing membrane can be applied as a spray-liquid membrane having a composition of polymer-modified asphalt. Apart from the liquid waterproofing membrane, a manufacturer can easily find polyurethanes liquid membranes in distinctive grades for either trowel or rollers or spray.
The coating used for waterproofing and supple and shielding coat according to the formulation and polymerization grade comes under the process of the Bituminous Coating Waterproofing procedure. The supple and shielding nature of this procedure against the water can be swayed by both polymer grade and reinforcement of fibers.
The other and more common name of Bituminous coating is asphalt coating. Areas that are underneath screed wet are the most common areas of applications of the bituminous coating. This is an excellent waterproofing agent and a protective coating specifically for surfaces with concrete foundations.
The coating used under the bituminous coating is made out of bitumen based materials that aren’t suitable for sun-exposure. In any case, having prolonged exposure to sunlight can make the material extremely crumbly and fragile unless it is altered with more supple material such as polyurethanes or acrylic-based polymers. The overall flexibility of the finished products solely depends on the solid content of the polymer added to the bitumen.
Another popular procedure of waterproofing amongst low-sloped roofs with proven performance is the Bituminous membrane waterproofing procedure. The Bituminous membrane waterproofing procedure has flambeau membranes and self-adhesive membranes.
The self-adhesive membrane is a composition of asphalt, polymers, and fillers. However, at times additional resins and oil might get added to this composition to improve the overall adhesive property. The shelf-life of the self-adhesive type is low as the bonding feature of this membrane decreases with time.
On the other hand, the flambeau membrane consists of both exposed and covered types. To confront the damage and rupture of the crumbling this membrane many a time has mineral granular aggregate and for other types of membranes, the builder or the contractor needs to apply a shielding screed preventing puncturing of the membrane.
The last one on our list is this procedure of waterproofing for flat surfaces like roof areas and other areas that are pregnable to weathering. The polyurethane liquid membrane waterproofing procedure is an expensive waterproofing procedure. It offers higher flexibility and is very sensitive to the moisture content present in the atmosphere. Therefore, the applicant needs to have a careful evaluation of the moisture content of the surface, avoiding the risks of peeling or debonding of membranes after some time.
