Terrace waterproofing in Chennai
Chennai is a cool place famous for Marina beach, Temples, Film Industry, Chennai Super Kings, Automobiles and unique culture, and the open terrace kitchen and roof gardens. When you build an open terrace for a new home, you will be excited to utilize it for different purposes like adding extra rooms for a small business or office setup, gardening, storage space, celebrating occasions, growing pets, open dining, swimming pool, kids play area and recreation purposes. It’s a beautiful spot to chat with your family and friends.
Over time, the terrace gets damaged as it is fully exposed to harsh weather conditions like extreme heat, heavy rain, and frost, which weakens the joints, forming cracks in the concrete floor. The leakage and seepage of rainwater through these cracks damage the interior ceiling below.
Why Waterproofing the terrace is essential?
The terrace slab damage, clogged gutters, improper slope for water drainage, cracks, shrinkage, and seam separation cause leakage and seepage of water into the home’s interior. Without notice, it may ruin the building by causing a musty odor, damp spots, bulging of paints, and finally, water flooding inside the house. To overcome this issue, it’s better to waterproof the terrace than to fix it.
Benefits of Waterproofing the flat terrace :
1. Longevity: Waterproofing reduces the risk of critical damage to the deck from rain, snow, ice, wind, and sunlight with the help of a waterproofing membrane. So, it protects the building from severe structural damages and improves longevity.
2. Energy Efficiency: As the waterproofing membrane reflects sunlight, it saves the HVAC costs by maintaining the house’s steady temperature. This saves money which is not achieved in roof repair or replacement.
3. Less Humidity: As Waterproofing seals the building from water leakages, there will be less humidity/ moisture inside the house. This keeps the place dry free of mold growth.
4. Saving Cost: Waterproofing the flat terrace is cheaper than the complete replacement. So it extends the life of the building and saves money in the long-run.
5. Low maintenance: The waterproofed terrace needs less maintenance, and the repair work is simple to perform than on the existing deck.
6. Easy installation: Waterproofing the terrace is comfortable, as it uses liquid spray that reaches challenging areas and minimizes the disruption of day to day operations. It takes only less time compared to the terrace replacement.
The estimated cost of waterproofing the terrace :
Depending on the surface conditions, how old the terrace slab, the life span you are expecting, and the type of treatment used, the Waterproofing of the flat terrace varies between Rs. 45 to Rs. 110 per sq. foot.
Procedure for Waterproofing the terrace :
a) Surface Preparation: It is the first and critical step of the treatment process to build a strong adhesion and improve the waterproofing life expectancy. The cleaning of the surface is done with a brush or pressure Jets to remove the dust, oil, grease, and algae or fungi. Then repairing work is done to loosen concrete or the plaster by re-plastering or re-concreting it. Once done, it needs a curing period of at least three days.
b) Sealing the Outlets and Plumbing projections: Sealing all the rainwater outlets, overflow drains, overhead tank columns, joints, plumbing, and sewage projections are essential before treatment. Waterproofing Contractors in Chennai make sure that there is no space for water to enter through it.
c) Primer Coating: Applying a primer coating over the surface is essential, as it gives uniform coverage, good adhesion, increases durability, and provides additional protection to the body.
d) Applying Base coat: The waterproofing base coat is the primary and critical coating covering the junction of walls and floors. This base coat foundation helps to absorb the movement shocks due to external disturbances.
e) Applying the Reinforcement: It helps extend the performance level and the life of the waterproof coating and overcome crack bridging without failure.
f) Applying Intermediate layer: Another coating of waterproofing material adds extra protection, insulation, and isolation of the system.
g) Final Top coating: The top coating material should be solar reflective, UV protective, Anti Abrasive, and aesthetically pleasing that can be achieved using world-class waterproofing materials and professional waterproofing experts.
As a local Chennaiite, I love to spend my leisure time on the terrace after following these steps for a better experience. The waterproofing failures’ main reasons are Improper application procedures, poor artistry, incorrect selection of products, and low identification of the leakage sources. I am aware of this checklist, while Waterproofing offers no path for the water to enter the structure.
