Waterproofing Services

Water seepage marks, mold growth, water leakage, crack lines, efflorescence, stalactites forming from your ceiling and rotting parquet flooring are signs of issues with your waterproofing. Clear signs water leakage such as dripping water is easier to fix but water seepage is also commonly found in older buildings or even newer buildings that are poorly maintained or constructed.

Tracing sources of water leak or seepage is challenging and often may require equipment to track, document and monitor the source of leak. Water flow has a life of its own, turning corners or even upwards, entering unprotected roof rafters or through capillary effect seep further from its source then expected. Not surprisingly, in Singapore with hot and wet contraction or retraction cycles, wear and tear with heat and thermal changes may stress existing waterproofing membrane resulting in water seepage or leakage.

Rain is a common source of seepage or unseen water sources such as grouting from your toilet bowl (WC), drainage PVC pipes for your air-conditioning unit or dirty water piping. Heavy rain with strong winds can overtime force entry through the grouting lines along any buildings ledge.

1. Roof: Over time, wear and tear with our constant wet and hot cycles may result in a tiny tear via the waterproofing membrane. This is sometimes made possible by additional structure or equipment added. It could be as simple as a new condensing air-conditioning unit with its wall plugs and screws weakening the waterproofing membrane. Or the air-conditioning maintenance personnel stepping on the roof tiles and breaking it.

These are common issues affecting roof seepage:

• Improperly laid sheet roofing membrane, or insufficient overlapping of acrylic modified cementatious waterproofing system,
• Not enough time allowed for curing of the waterproofing system before application of screeding or rendering for protection. All acrylic-modified type such as the Davco K11 Flex or Green Sheet R brands require protection from rain and sun, or it could also be sudden rain downpour washing away the waterproofing membrane
• Roofing ventilation not properly sealed as water seepage from rain may move upwards through capillary effect,
• Movements of building joints
• Roof gutters not cleared of debris or ponding at critical corners allowing seepage
• Formation of crack lines on the walls not fixed allowing the waterproofing protection to be affected.

2. Floors and ceilings over toilet and wet areas: First signs of water seepage are when the paint starts to flake off, or signs of protrusions or bubbling, or wet patch appears. If left unchecked especially unseen and hidden inside a false ceiling, stalactites would start to form.

• Waterproofing membrane that is damaged by drilling from fitting out works such as from installation of new concealed piping, vanity sinks or cabinets, water heater, wear and tear over time
• Water seepage or leak occurs below bathtubs. Often the piping joint over time may develop a slight crack. This is formed as users move in and out of the bathtub stressing the joints around the drain hole, and sometimes the area below the bathtub may not have undergone proper waterproofing works during construction,
• Cracks appearing along grouting lines in one corner of the toilet or around the water closet (WC) or toilet bowl, shower trays or in buried drain pipes,
• Shower drain holes which are detached from the piping allowing water to leak around the neck between the drain hole and pipe. This means water can leak or seep out below the waterproofing membrane into the slab below the floor.

3. Sliding doors and windows: Singapore’s morning Sumatra thunderstorms and afternoon rainstorms subject windows and sliding doors to water seepage and leakage. A combination of strong winds and heavy rain will create opportunities for rainwater to penetrate and seep into the building structure. Especially after the rain, hot sun will dry the rubber gasket or sealant around the skill level and window hinge arms. This is the long terms affects water tightness around the seals.

4. Common causes of seepage in windows are:

• Gaps between the concrete wall and window frames without proper filling. Water seeps through the gaps, and slowly will affect the wall structure itself over time. Wet patches below the window sill is one a common occurrence,
• Sliding doors mounted on aluminum frame often has issues of water seepage. This may lead to consequential rotting and termite infestation especially if you have parquet flooring. Water seepage comes from drain holes built into the frame of the sliding door. And the sliding door frame at times is at a higher level then the parquet floor. Improperly sealed door frames on the parquet flooring side would surely lead to seepage and subsequent rot,
• Window overheads or lintels can also be a source of water dripping leading to seepage. This is due to the capillary effect of water going upwards especially the flow is not properly directed away,
• Improperly installed window air-conditioning units may also result in water seepage that means the sealant is defective or drainage PVC pipe has a leak somewhere or joint is cracked. It could also be a lengthy list of reasons leading to heavy condensation from the cooling copper pipes such as overloaded condensing units, poor insulation applied, length of copper pipes being too far away between the fan coil and condensing units.