Balcony is a space for leisure, plants, and relax corner for family member. It is very practical and multifunctional. The important of waterproofing the balcony is to prevent water seeping into the interior and result in damp, peeling paint and other structural damage.
Waterproofing a balcony begin with applying a waterproofing membrane to the concrete surface before tiles and flooring lay on. It is crucial to apply waterproofing membrane for external balcony. Balcony waterproofing requires a well prepared, strong, and stable substrate. Thus, if you consider waterproofing your balcony, these are some key notes to take notice.
Consider waterproofing your balcony if there is floor drainage issue, as it is critical area to ensure no blockage of this area with fallen leaf so that water is not ponding after a heavy rainstorm. In heavy rain days, the rainfall is greater than the drainage ability of the floor drain, ponding may form on the balcony floor. When the water volume may overflow the into the living room, therefore floor drain is better to choose large displacement with smooth drainage.
Window and doorway of balcony is to seal with polyurethane- based waterproofing sealant to prevent rainwater seeping through, especially in heavy rainfall season. Waterproofing sealant also have a finite lifespan and must be reapplied as it degraded over the years.
Open balcony is expose to the nature, hot sun, strong wind, rain erosion, therefore a good waterproofing is crucial to achieve the durability and good protection measures.
In case of rainstorm, there will be large amount of water inflow to the balcony. To avoid rainwater entering the living room, we should consider waterproofing your balcony with the thought of having the right gradient on the ground is tile to ensure that the water can flow to the drainage instead of flow to the room.
Another element is the threshold, namely the connection between balcony or terrace and the window-door that links it inside the house. Preferably to be at least 1 inch higher than the walkway of the balcony, for aesthetic reason.
Most balcony waterproofing will deteriorate, it is good to conduct a check for your balcony regularly. Water damage can result in mould and mildew caused by water penetration and trigger allergic reaction and respiratory problem in the family member. Bacteria can also thrive in damp area and lead to building structure damage. Moisture will rot timber, rust metal, and cause a form of degradation to the building. Which is one of the main factor we should consider waterproofing your balcony.
Most water damage is easy to spot with our eyes, while other is more complicated. Common signs of water damage are blistering of paintwork, leak stain from above the ceiling, pooling of rainwater.
Air trapped between the felt, surface plies or beneath the waterproofing membrane itself will rise, causing surface-level blisters. This warmth may be from direct sun contact, the residual rising heat of the floors below, or any other heat source and is a sign of potential water damage. Blister will rupture, water can slip through punctures and negate the waterproofing.
If you are experiencing leakage particularly on your balcony or from the floor above you, this may also be a sign of degraded or faulty waterproofing. Look for cracks where water is seeping through the crack-line which is naturally accumulation of rainwater from the drainage of the floor above. Rainwater accumulation around the poor drainage area also can lead to water damage, mould growth, further cracking in tiles, concrete and in extreme cases lead to long-term structural damage.
Puddles and pools of rainwater forming on the balcony, due to poor water drainage, can deteriorate waterproofing membranes at breaking point. Water that may find its way into existing cracks and faults to cause water damage to the building. Most waterproofing will hold for a long time, but adequate drainage will ensure that you get the entire lifetime usage from your waterproofing membrane.
Seepage can occur even when these are not visible, but obvious discolouration, or any other obvious signs of wear can be a potential sign of water damage. Check around the outside of any pipe and vent, or any crack within and connection of the membrane to this area.
SWC Construction have a team of professional contractor for both commercial and residential waterproofing service. We provide free consultation to help you in resolve water leakage and waterproofing solution. If you are looking to consider waterproofing your balcony, contact us now for more information and solution for waterproofing solution.