The roof system is one of the most important assemblies in a commercial and residential building. Every year commercial maintenance managers and home owners would spend 50% of their maintenance budget on the roof. One of the best ways to protect this important building component is by waterproofing.
Building and home owners would spend abut 5 to 10% of their construction cost on roofing assemblies. Houses located in areas with heavier rain downfall usually have slating roofs, so that the water would slide sideways, away from the surface. However, there are houses and building that have flat roof systems which could cause water to stay on the room for sometime.
It is also common to find commercial and residential buildings with concrete roof systems. Concrete roofing systems are not actually water proof. Concrete roof like those made of tiles or shingle, could easily get weak and crack when consistently exposed to water and moisture. They could also develop serious cases of molds and mildew which could endanger the health of those living in the building.
To determine the condition of your roof, there should be maintenance program that would include inspection and regular maintenance task. For commercial buildings, a detailed survey or inspection could be done to check all the components of the roofing system. Defects would be identified and repairs would be recommended. Ideally, a roof should be inspected twice a year.
If you have concrete roof structures, make sure to use waterproofing materials for the roof. The roof should be regularly checked for broken or missing tiles and shingles or clogged gutters. There are specialized rubber and plastic coats which could be applied to extend concrete life. This coat or membrane could protect the roof; however, it is important to seal all cracks before applying the membrane.
There are some spray-on waterproofing products which could also seal cracks and leaks. There are also some products which are applied to the shingles, just like paint. There are membranes which are applied under the shingles and tiles, creating a moisture barrier.
Concrete roofs should also have proper drainage. Some homeowners would use damp proofing since it costs less, however, waterproofing proved to be more effective in keeping the water away. In severe cases, tiling would be removed and would undergo a special waterproofing treatment. This could be very costly.
If your roof is leaking, how do you look for a roof and waterproofing contractor? The internet and the local roofing companies are the first great sources of information. Just verify with friends or relatives, who have used the services of the contractor before, if they were able to provide good service. You could also ask them for recommendations.
Make sure to get a licensed contractor, this would, at least, guarantee you quality work. When picking a contractor online, check their website for client feedback. Make sure that your agreement with the contractor is written in a contract, the price, services covered and deadline should be indicated in the contract.
It may be better not to pay the contractor full before the project gets started. You could pay half of the fee after waterproofing and roofing obligations are already finished. Having a roofing and waterproofing service provider check your roof could be difficult sometimes, but make sure to call one before the problem turns to worst.
Are you being plagued by a damp or wet basement in your home? You are not alone. This problem is very common especially to houses with basements. The cause of the problem could be minor and obvious. Through simple waterproofing techniques, it could easily be corrected. There are common causes of basement leaking problems as well as there are simple solutions. Here are some of them.
Problem: Possible source of flooding or seepage in the basement could not be identified.
Solution: It would be easy to determine the source of water in your basement. Attach a small square of aluminum foil using a tape into the wall where there is dampness. Seal all sides of the square and make it airtight as possible. After a day or two, remove the foil. If the side that faces the wall is moist, there is seepage in the wall. If moisture is on the other side, there is just a minor problem of condensation in the room.
Problem: There is clogged, defective, or even nonexistent downspout and gutter that allow roof water to create puddles or wet the surrounding soil against or near basements walls. The water may enter through openings or cracks in the masonry.
Solution: You should immediately install downspouts and gutters wherever needed. You should make sure they are free from debris. If twigs and leaves in the nearby trees are collected in the gutter, you should put a basket-shaped wire strainer over your downspout outlet or you could put a screen across the gutter length. Try to repair downspouts and gutters as soon as there is a need to do so.
Use a concrete gutter or use a splash block to lead the water away to avoid concentration of water right at the discharge point. You could also consider extending the downspouts from the rain gutters away from the exterior of the foundation. There is also an option to pipe roof water underground to storm drain, surface outlet, or dry well about 15 feet or more from your house.
Problem: There is dense shrubbery and other vegetations around the walls of the basement, which prevent proper ventilation.
Solution: To remedy this problem, trim heavy growth of shrubbery to enable the soil to get more sunlight so it could dry faster. When digging up plantings, remove pieces of mortar, masonry, or other materials that are buried near the house following excavation of the basement.
Problem: Any unprotected basement window well is acting like cisterns when there is a heavy storm. Water is permitted to seep in below the windows and around window frames.
Solution: Protect the windows or parts of windows below grade using metal or masonry window wells. The bottoms should consist of gravel to facilitate good drainage. You could also use clear plastic bubbles to cover the whole window well.
You should realize that waterproofing your basement need not be tedious and costly. You should first strive to identify the cause of the problem so you could find and adopt simple and practical solutions to remedy the situation.
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