Time, money, effort, pain, countless hours of thinking, and whatnot it takes to build your dream home. And to let it get hit by water seepage is not what you want. Every penny spent and every attempt made to build a sturdy building is at risk here.
You can think of waterproofing as ‘A Stitch in Time that Saves Nine’. It is like one effort that prevents suffering lying ahead. Proofing your home against water leakage protects your roof, your walls, basements, and foundation as well.
If you are building a new home, construction stage inspections in Melbourne can also help identify potential issues at important stages of construction before they become difficult or costly to address.
To understand its importance, one may have to dig a little deeper. Here, take a look.
What if there is no waterproofing?
For starters, one will have to get the leakage removed sooner or later. But by then, there are a few issues that you can encounter.
- Damage to the Foundation: Just like the roots of a plant, your home depends on the foundation to stand straight in adverse conditions. Water seeping into the ground directly impacts the foundation. And consequences usually occur when it gets too late. One day you are taking a sip of your coffee, and the next thing you know, the building’s strength is weakened. A residential building inspection can help identify visible concerns with foundations, walls and other accessible areas of a property.
- The Metal that gets Fragile: Rust is one thing that eats the metal from within. Water leakage acts as a booster for rusting processes. One day you see a speck, and the next thing you see is your window edges, iron castings, all getting corroded.
- The Impact on Wood: Wooden floors have never gone out of trend. To this day, these floors come at the top of the list for Flooring. To extend the life of wooden floors, waterproofing becomes essential. Seeping water or even moisture can make the beams go soft. The floors get cracks over time, and you can visualise hefty repairs piling up in front. Where moisture and timber are concerns, a building pest inspection can also help identify visible signs of timber-related problems.
- Troublesome Health: It is well known that dampness in walls might pose a few problems for health. People have experienced difficulty breathing and more. Moreover, the moisturised air inside your house is not the one you wish to breathe. It becomes absolutely unbearable over time.
- The Time that Adds Cost: Time is of the essence here. The more you wait to get waterproofing done, the more damage it does, and higher expenses are likely to occur. At first, it is just damp walls; next, cracked wooden floors; and lastly, an environment or air impossible to live in.
If you are considering buying a property, a pre-purchase building inspection can help identify potential structural, moisture and water-damage concerns before you commit to the purchase.
What you want to do here is have the waterproofing done in the early stages only.
The Ideal Time To Waterproof Your Home
As important as it is to waterproof your abode against water, it is even more vital to get it done at the right time. Here are a few tips that can come in handy:
- A big No to the Monsoon Season: You do not want to get caught in the clutches of rain. Waterproofing should be done in the dry season or pre-monsoon time. Humidity during monsoon does not let the sealant stick properly. It either cracks or, even worse, gets washed away by frequent rains.
- The Construction Phase: As mentioned above, one definitely needs to get it done during construction. Since every edge, every casting, every hole, and every crack is visible, the professionals at work find errors and loopholes easily. Conclusively, the work is done with ease and efficiency. Foundations are a must here.
- Look out of the Window: You see rain outside; that’s a big NO. If you feel extreme heat out there, that is a deal breaker as well. Moderate and dry temperatures suit the most. Sealants are applied with ease, and they settle in properly. When the wet season comes, you can take a seat back and relax.
Types of Waterproofing
It is for professionals to inspect your home and tell you what suits you best. However, homeowners should know the common kinds of waterproofing available in the market. These are:
- Bituminous Waterproofing: Perfectly suited for foundations and roofs, Bituminous Waterproofing is done by applying a liquid coating. The coat consists of a petroleum tar-like liquid. Pre-formed membranes or sheets are also available these days.
- PU Liquid Membrane: When we talk about PU Membranes, we are looking at one fine waterproofing solution. This is a marvel here. A liquid membrane that hardens into a UV-resistant skin over time is what you are going to see here. The highly resilient coat does not let even a drop of water seep through.
- Cement-Based Waterproofing: An inexpensive prevention technique used for years. This one right here is ideal for bathrooms and basements. However, one might not compare this with the other two. It requires cement to be applied to concrete as a way of preventing water from leaking in. With time and adverse climatic conditions, it is prone to developing cracks as well.
Vital Areas to Waterproof
Now that we know how important it is, one must delve into the spots that require protection against seeping water. Here is a guide that makes it easier for you to notice key areas in your building.
- Foundation: One might think about how the water from above affects the foundation of the building! Well, that’s not the case here. It is the groundwater that rises above that poses a threat. It weakens the foundation while one is taking a chill pill on his couch. Months go by, and the next thing you hear is a professional quoting you one hefty expenditure to rectify the water leakage.
- Walls: A relative visiting you sees your home right after stepping out of his vehicle. The cracked walls, the peeling paint, the dampness, and even fungal-like outgrowths could be visible. Hence, exterior walls should be waterproofed before you get to the paint work. It is done to ensure that the paint stays intact, the wall stays free from dampness, and no filthy odour comes out.
- Roof: Your roof is most prone to water leakage. Heavy rains can cause water leakage in no time. Water seeps into the ceilings and even starts to drip. To prevent water leakage, one can opt for one of the techniques mentioned above. Homeowners usually leave it for afterwards. Pro Tip: Do not be that homeowner.
- Kitchens: One tap over a sink is enough to get water leaking into the walls if the edges aren’t sealed. Therefore, you might want to check if the corners or edges are preventing water from seeping through the tiles.
- Bathrooms and Toilets: Where there is water, there needs to be waterproofing. Once the water finds its way around the tiles and starts seeping through, you are going to feel your wallet getting drained. As soon as the construction is complete, get the waterproofing done before regular usage.
For a newly constructed home, a pre-handover property inspection can provide an additional opportunity to identify defects before the property is handed over.
Why take Professional Advice?
Homeowners tend to take it on themselves to get the job done. At first, it might seem like the job is done. And as the clock ticks by, you find out why you needed an expert. Here are a few tips that might influence your decision to ask for an expert’s help.
- Diagnosis: Only the one who can do the diagnosis right can give the most suitable treatment. Professionals in the field can take one look and tell you where the root of the leakage is. One diagnosis is all it takes to save you from months or even years of trouble. And with the right problem identification, one is able to get it fixed from the very core. Guardian’s professional building inspectors are qualified building inspectors and registered builders who assess properties for issues including structural defects and moisture ingress.
- Advanced Knowledge: The technical know-how, the experience, and the efficiency of getting the job done are crucial here. You do not want to spend days sticking to the very task that gets done in hours here. With great skills and knowledge, experts tend to give out their advice on what suits you best.
- Anticipating Issues: DIY kits and video tutorials can guide you. Only an expert in the field can anticipate the problems that might arise. What to do if the leakage continues afterwards? What if the sealant is not applied properly? What should be done if the water is seeping continuously? And a lot more needs to be checked in order to get the work done properly.
- Long-Term Effect: It might look like an expense now. But it is an investment for the coming years. A job done properly and precisely at the right time here has a long-term effect on your wallet. Not to mention the peace of mind that it brings to the table. A detailed building inspection report can also help property owners understand the issues identified during an inspection and the areas that may require further attention.
At first, waterproofing the home seems like an ignorable task. Only when it takes its toll on the building do people tend to fix it. And by then, it has already done the damage.
Word of Advice: To have an interior that gives you luxurious feels, one should take measures to prevent any outside force from harming it. And waterproofing is one way to ensure that.
Choose Guardian Building Inspections
When it comes to protecting your home from water damage, getting the right advice at the right time can make a big difference. Guardian Building Company helps homeowners identify potential issues and understand the areas of their property that may need attention before minor problems turn into costly repairs. From the roof and walls to the foundation and other vital areas, professional guidance can help you take the right steps to protect your home and keep it in better condition for years to come.
