Table of Contents
- The purpose of conducting a construction examination and waterproofing tests
- How it is possible to check the waterproofing and its quality
- Waterproofing testing and the stages of its control at the time of work
Waterproofing and protection of buildings from water is one of the most important elements in construction. Waterproofing protects a building or house from water penetration into structural elements-concrete, brick, etc… and prevents their further destruction.
There is no need to spare money and time for an examination and assessment of the current state of your waterproofing, since to redo it after the house or buildings are built, landscaping or finishing works are completed-it will cost many times more expensive and this is without taking into account the fact that leaks as a result of poorly performed insulation can damage your expensive finish and/or interior and décor items, which will also have to be restored at your own expense.
The purpose of conducting a construction examination and waterproofing tests
During the operation of a building or a private house:
During the operation of a structure, it makes sense to conduct a construction examination mainly if water leaks or moisture in various parts of the structure were detected in the building or house. If you have moisture or water in your house, it means that there is no waterproofing on the outside of your foundation, walls or roof, or it has become unusable.
The performed insulation can pass water for several reasons:
- Incorrectly selected material;
- Low-quality material;
- Non-compliance with storage and transportation conditions;
- Non-compliance with the technology when applying waterproofing.
Carrying out construction and other expertise at the operational stage will help:
- Identify the cause of leaks;
- Identify problem areas and leak areas;
- Get recommendations for correcting the situation and eliminating leaks;
- Make an official claim with an expert opinion to the culprit: The construction company (the contractor) that performed the work or the management company;
- Apply to the court with an expert opinion.
During the construction of a building or a private house:
The most correct thing is to provide good waterproofing at the construction stage. Improperly performed waterproofing can lead to very unpleasant consequences, namely:
- Water leaks into the room and its flooding;
- Formation of cracks on walls and foundations;
- The formation of mold dangerous to human health (which may be hidden behind the finishing elements);
- Destruction of finishing elements (wallpaper, plaster, paint, tiles…) if the walls or foundation slab absorb moisture.
If during the construction of a house or building, waterproofing will be performed in violation of technology, then correcting the situation will cost twice as much as doing everything correctly initially. In order to eliminate leaks and fix the waterproofing of the foundation or roof, you will have to:
- If we are talking about waterproofing underground parts of a building and structures, for example, the foundation or walls of a house, then to fix the waterproofing coating, you will have to dismantle the blind area, dig out the building around the perimeter, dismantle the insulation and the old insulation layer. After the dismantling work, all the waterproofing will have to be done anew with the reverse erection of the walls layers, filling the resulting pit and the arrangement of the blind area.
- If we are talking about waterproofing the roof, terrace or balcony, then to fix the waterproofing coating, you will have to dismantle the floor covering in the form of tiles or decking, screed, insulation and other layers of roofing cake to the insulation layer on the base slab. Then it will be necessary to replace completely the insulation and re-erect the entire roof layers.
How it is possible to check the waterproofing and its quality
When conducting a waterproofing survey and its examination, it is necessary to check 2 components:
- Quality control of waterproofing material
- Verification of the work performed on the installation or application of waterproofing coating –the material is applied to the surface in compliance with all standards and according to the technology provided.
In order to answer the above questions and check how well the waterproofing was performed, you need to contact our organization and call a design engineer specializing in waterproofing inspection and construction expertise of buildings and structures to your facility.
Important: In most cases, the problem is not the quality of the waterproofing material itself, but the wrong choice of the same material or its application in violation of the technology described by the manufacturer.
The construction expertise of waterproofing has several stages:
- Visual inspection of the waterproofing coating, places of leaks, inspection and examination of waterproofing by a non-destructive method with possible drilling of the soil (in order to get to the desired layer) and the production of mechanical openings of the existing waterproofing. Photofixation, making the necessary measurements, drawing up a defective statement and determining the casual relationship of the identified defects.
- Instrumental examination and measurement control with the removal of samples for laboratory research. Identification of violations and inconsistencies of the performed waterproofing works and the existing project of project standards. During laboratory tests, it is also possible to determine the quality of the materials used.
- In-house processing of the data obtained from visual examination, instrumental examination, measured control, photo fixation, etc…
- Provision of a detailed report on the results of the examination with a detailed designation of the existing situation and defects identified in the examination, recommendations for correcting waterproofing, eliminating leaks, the cost of repair work.
Important: To save money and time, in most cases, the 2nd stage of the examination can be avoided. In most cases, an experienced design engineer visual and non-destructive inspection is enough to see the full picture and make a detailed report on the quality of the waterproofing and drainage work performed. Accordingly, first, it is recommended to perform the expert work described in the first stage and proceed to the 2nd stage only if the 1st is not enough
Inspection of waterproofing and leaks
At the initial stage, the examination can be performed with the help of a visual inspection from an experienced expert or an engineer specializing in waterproofing. During the visual examination, the expert can:
- Identify visible violations committed during the installation of the insulation coating;
- When conducting an inspection of the building from the inside, by the nature of leaks, streaks and efflorescences on the walls, an experienced engineer will be able to understand how problematic the waterproofing coating is and the approximate range of this problem;
- Propose methods of solving the situation both from inside the room and outside.
In most cases, a visual inspection is enough to understand how big the problem is and how it can be solved. In particularly difficult situations, it is recommended to proceed to the next stage of the examination, namely, an instrumental examination.
Inspection and examination of waterproofing and the quality of its application according to regulatory documents
Any work performed should comply with the design and technical standards. These standards are described in the project documentation, and manufacturer’s instructions describing the correct technology for working with their materials.
Waterproofing testing and the stages of its control at the time of work
As mentioned earlier, it is best to check the correctness of the waterproofing even at its initial arrangement. Such a check will save you time and a lot of money to repair the problem room and alter the work already done.
If you want to prevent the subsequent occurrence of leaks, then when installing waterproofing, you need to follow the following stages of control and testing:
- Entrance
- Operational
- Acceptance
Entrance stage
At this stage, it is necessary to make sure that the contractor or designer has chosen the right waterproofing material and waterproofing method suitable for your situation. From the existing methods, we can distinguish:
- Pasted or surfaced
- Mountable
- Coating
- Liquid rubber
- Polyurethane waterproofing
- Cement compositions
- Injection resin
At this stage, it is also important to monitor the quality of the material supplied to the facility. When delivering and storing waterproofing compounds and membranes, certain standards described by the manufacturer should be observed, for example, storage temperature, shelf life, etc…
Operational stage
This is the stage of the direct installation of the waterproofing layer. It is important to make sure that the builders or the contracting company comply with all design standards, technical standards and instructions of the manufacturer of a particular material. Failure to comply with the technology of laying or applying insulation increases the risk of leaks within 1-2 years after completion of work.
Testing and control at this stage should focus on the following aspects:
- Proper surface preparation — cleaning of dust, dirt, flaking elements, rust, sharp stones, etc.;
- Installation of the necessary elements for the transition of waterproofing from the horizon to the vertical — fillet or special tape;
- Priming or applying primer to the base;
- Proper mixing of all components of the material (relevant for different types of double-component mastics);
- Compliance with the temperature regime during construction work;
- Strict compliance with the waterproofing application technology;
- Measures to protect the work performed, for example, if there is a mechanical filling of the foundation pit of a building on the walls of which insulation has been applied.
For different structures and constructs, it is necessary to apply a different approach to the choice of the waterproofing method and the technology of its application. You can read more about the waterproofing of various constructs in the following articles:
- How to do the waterproofing of the basement properly from the outside
- Waterproofing of the basement from the inside: Methods, materials, and stages of work
- Elimination of basement leaks once and forever
- Waterproofing of the basement floor of the house: Methods, technologies of the arrangement, and materials
- Waterproofing of the roof: methods of its arrangement and types of materials for performing high-quality work
- Waterproofing of a flat roof. Recommended materials, methods of their arrangement, and prices for work
- Waterproofing and repair of pitched roofs
- Foundation waterproofing arrangement: Methods, materials, prices, and recommendations of specialists
- Waterproofing of basement house walls from outside and inside – Methods, materials, prices, and technology
Acceptance stage
This is the final stage in which the final inspection of the performed waterproofing works is carried out and all previously undetected defects are identified. At this stage, the Examination takes place as follows:
- Visual examination;
- Tear-off or adhesion test;
- Waterproofness test – To do this, you can perform hydro-tests, namely, fill the surface with water and wait a few hours (relevant mainly for roofs and terraces);
