Balconies often serve as an aesthetic element of one’s house as it helps to make the living area more spacious and breezy with ample air circulation. However, in every situation, there is a good and bad side to things, right? Apart from benefits, there are also downsides.
The balcony is one of the areas in a house that is in constant exposure to the changing weather, just like the external walls. With sun and rain, changes in temperatures, etc., it is bound to deteriorate at a faster rate than the other elements.
That being said, in this article, we will be sharing more on the causes, tell-tale signs and remedies for balcony waterproofing. We urge all homeowners to pay timely attention to their balconies and carry out regular maintenance or rectification works wherever necessary to prevent water leakage problems.
Causes of Balcony Waterproofing Failure
1. Poor workmanship
Proper care must be applied during the design, preparation and execution stages of constructing balconies. Contractors are to be familiar with the correct method of construction, application of waterproofing membranes and installation of the final finishes (e.g. tiles, wooden decking or artificial grass carpets, etc.). Unfortunately, homeowners do come across contractors who take shortcuts and are not adequately trained in waterproofing installations, which resulted in leakages to the lower neighbouring unit. More often than not, homeowners end up spending expensive rectification costs. As the old saying goes, “Do it once, do it right”. Hence, it is important to ensure high-quality workmanship from the get-go to avoid such costly mistakes.
2. Wear and tear
Unfortunately, just like any other products in the world, waterproofing does not last forever. Over time with long-term exposure to the sun and rain as well as foot traffic, it is natural for the waterproofing to experience wear and tear. When this happens, there would be joint failures between the balcony tiles which will eventually wear out the waterproofing membrane beneath it as water can seep through.
3. Insufficient gradient
A balcony which is designed and constructed with an insufficient gradient would often face water ponding problems. Over time, taking into consideration of wear and tear as well, the waterproofing membrane gets worn out at a faster rate, resulting in water seepages to the lower floor. This is exceptionally common in multi-storeys apartments like HDB and condominiums.
4. Defective drainage system
The right waterproofing contractor will carry out an inspection to check the balcony to ensure that a good drainage system is in place before any waterproofing works (i.e. appropriately-sized drainage pipe, sufficient gradient, etc.). This is done to prevent the possibility of water stagnation which will affect the waterproofing membrane’s integrity if water ponding is to happen. It is a common sight, especially in landed houses with big balconies which are not sheltered. Their balconies’ drainage pipes are often too small to drain off the large volume of water quickly. That in turn results in water ponding which wears out the waterproofing membrane at a much faster rate.
5. Absence of regular maintenance
Although we do not spend as much time on the balcony as we do in our living room or bedrooms, it is an area which is most susceptible to wear and tear because of its constant exposure to the fast-changing weather conditions in Singapore. Do also pay attention to the drainage pipe or floor trap to ensure it is not blocked or choked to prevent water ponding. With this, homeowners should conduct regular maintenance and checks on the balconies to ensure there are no defects which require immediate attention.
Tell-tale signs of balcony leakages
Here are some of the common tell-tale signs to help you ascertain if there is water leakage at your balconies:
1. Cracked or missing grout
If your balcony is finished with tiles and you have noticed cracked or missing tile grouts, this is a potential sign indicating that water and moisture have damaged the grout successfully and they are now able to seep through to the waterproofing membrane. It could either be from chemicals when you mop the balcony floors or long-term exposure to sun and rain.
2. Water stains or leaks on the underside of the balcony
It is common in multi-storeys apartments like HDB or condominiums, where the lower neighbouring unit experiences leakages from the underside of the balcony. Some signs indicating water seepage would include bubbled paint, water dripping through cracked paint or yellowish water stains on the underside of the balcony. This would mean that the upper unit owners would need to take immediate action to rectify the problem before it worsens.
Recommended Remedies
1. PU injection grouting
Polyurethane injection grouting, also known as PU injection grouting, is a waterproofing technique that injects polyurethane, a fluid resin, to prevent water leakage through cracks or gaps. When in contact with water or moisture, this fluid resin will react and expand up to 10 times its original volume to fill up the existing gaps until there is no more space to stop water from flowing through structural joints and crack lines. This non-invasive and cost-effective technique is often implemented to repair cracks and stop water seepage on walls, floors, etc.
It offers significant advantages, as it is easy to apply and very durable. Due to its low viscosity and various other properties, it is commonly used to fill cracks in balconies. Due to its elasticity characteristic, it can withstand not only thermal movements but also mechanical loads.
2. Clear Penetrative Treatment
Another non-invasive and cost-effective approach to waterproof your balconies would be applying our clear and penetrative waterproofing chemical solution to ensure water tightness of substrates. The chemical will penetrate and react with the substrates to create a waterproofing barrier to prevent water ingress. This is an effective treatment to waterproof your balconies without hacking.
Treat them right
Identifying leaks early and resolving them at the onset is the best course of action. In such cases, the best approach to rectify your leaking balcony is to hire a professional waterproofing contractor. SWC Construction is a Building and Construction Authority (BCA) certified and approved BCA waterproofing contractor with more than 20 years of experience in the waterproofing industry. We are a team of waterproofing specialists who are dedicated to providing quality workmanship to rectify all waterproofing problems and reduce inconvenience to you – our valued homeowners.
At SWC Construction, it is our top priority to investigate thoroughly, identify the actual sources and propose the best waterproofing membrane system to help stop the balcony seepages promptly. Contact us today for a non-obligatory on-site consultation to solve all your wall leakage problems.