Table of Contents
- Why do waterproofing in winter at subzero temperatures?
- How to make waterproofing at subzero temperatures? Technology and regulatory requirements
- Waterproofing in winter– Choice of materials
- Features of waterproofing work in subzero temperatures for various constructs and structures
- Waterproofing of the foundation for the winter at subzero temperatures
- Waterproofing of concrete at subzero temperatures
- Drainage in winter – is it possible to do drainage in winter
- Waterproofing and roof repair in winter
- Calculator of the cost of waterproofing works in winter
Do people often ask if it is possible to make waterproofing of the basement, foundation, or roof in winter when the temperature outside is negative? Some may be tempted to postpone issues related to waterproofing for the warm season.
Why do waterproofing in winter at subzero temperatures?
Postponing waterproofing for later may not be such a good idea, as it can cause even more damage to your home, and here’s why:
- In the presence of groundwater, heavy precipitation, or snowmelt, the soil around your house is saturated with moisture. If your foundation and its walls are below ground level, then the concrete from which your foundation is made, in the absence of waterproofing, will absorb moisture (concrete and brick absorb water very well), which freezes at subzero temperatures, and when spring comes thaws, thereby destroying concrete and, accordingly, your foundation.
When thawing frozen water in concrete, microcracks, voids, and pores are formed, through which water can leak and flood your basement in the future. If the grade of concrete is not very good or when it was poured, it was poorly vibrated, and as a result of the lack of waterproofing it saturated moisture, then the temperature difference from negative to positive can lead to a more serious consequence, such as cracks on the surface of the foundation and walls. - Winters, as a rule, have a freeze/thaw cycle, as a result of which your house and the land around your foundation expands and contracts with different strength and speed. This tends to increase existing cracks and open up seams through which water penetrates.
- With the onset of frost, the so-called icing occurs, which clogs many pipes, gutters, trays, downpipes, and drains. When these auxiliary elements stop letting water through, it finds an alternative path, which increases its presence around the foundation of your house or building and increases the risk of it getting inside.
How to make waterproofing at subzero temperatures? Technology and regulatory requirements
To make waterproofing in subzero temperatures, it is necessary to perform one of two:
1. Create a thermal circuit where a positive temperature will be maintained:
From the inside: If we are talking about indoor work, then it will be enough to close windows, doors, and other places through which cold air can pass, and put a heat gun to maintain the temperature necessary for waterproofing in the room.
Outside: It is necessary to install a coal thawing pit around the walls of the basement, foundation, socle, roof section, or any other surface where it is planned to apply to waterproof. The coal thawing pit can be made of a wooden crate and reinforced film or tarpaulin (see photo). Further in this coal thawing pit, a heat gun is installed that maintains the desired degree in the work area.
Important: In no case, day or night, do not leave the area where the electric or diesel heat gun works unattended-it can end in a fire!
Important: Do not forget, when it is winter outside, the plus temperature in the work area should be maintained not only at the time of application of the waterproofing material but also during its formation and drying (for each material there is its period of setting with the surface).
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2. Apply special waterproofing materials
Today on the market, there is a fairly large number of waterproofing materials that can be applied at negative temperatures up to minus 20 degrees. When choosing such a composition, it is necessary to pay attention to the instructions for its application and the requirements for surface preparation for its application. Sometimes the surface needs to be warned up with burners to a certain temperature.
Important: when performing work at sub-zero temperatures, it is important to pay attention to 3 things: Proper preparation and drying of the surface Instructions for storing materials before using them Application instructions
Waterproofing in winter– Choice of materials
Today there are quite a lot of materials on the market, that allow you to deal with waterproofing arrangements in winter up to -25°С:
- Membrane coatings made of PVC base and ethylene-propylene
- Coating compositions and mastics based on bitumen and polymer-bitumen
- Polymer mastics
- Rolled surfaced materials
- Injection waterproofing
Mounted membranes
The most popular type of waterproofing membrane is PVC membrane. Thermoplastic polymer membranes do not lose their properties even at -25°С. PVC membranes can also be mounted in winter, as they are mechanically attached, and the seams are connected by hot air. In winter, this type of membrane should be maintained at a temperature of at least +10°С from at least 12 hours before the start of installation. It is possible to keep the material at a plus temperature, for example, in a heated coal thawing pit.
You can read more about membrane waterproofing in the article – “Membrane waterproofing: Types of materials and methods of their installation“.
Coating compositions and bitumen-based mastics
Not all bitumen mastics can be applied when the temperature outside drops below zero. The most famous bitumen-based coating materials that allow waterproofing work in harsh climatic conditions are Technonicol No:24 from the Technical production company and flex lock Pro from the German company “HYDRO”.
You can read more about bitumen waterproofing in the article – “,“.
Polymer mastics
There is a polyurethane waterproofing, that can be applied in minus, for example, one of the modifications of the polyurethane mastic company. Before applying most polyurethane mastics in sub-zero weather, they should first be kept for 12 hours in a special heated awning.
You can read more about polyurethane in the article – “Polyurethane waterproofing“.
Rolled surfaced
If we take high-quality surfaced membranes that withstand subzero temperatures, then with the right approach to their storage and installation, they can be used as a waterproofing coating in winter.
The following types of surfaced materials are suitable for winter conditions:
- Technolust
- Uniflex
- Biol
Before installation, these materials should be kept in a warm place for at least 24 hours at a temperature of at least +15°С. Just before the installation, the materials are taken out of the warm room directly to the place of work.
The ambient temperature and the temperature of the material itself should be higher than the temperature of the flexibility of the material:
- Technoelast – not higher -25°С;
- Uniflex – not higher-20°С;
- Biol – not higher -15°С.
Important: When working with the above materials, it is necessary to use burners and gas cylinders. To increase the efficiency of working with gas equipment in winter, as well as to ensure the safety of such work, it is necessary to install a special heater for cylinders, which ensures special gas pressure in the cylinder
You can read more about surfaced and roll waterproofing in the following article – “Roll waterproofing installation with detailed installation instructions“.
Injectable resins and gels
These compounds are injected under pressure into concrete or brick with the help of special equipment. When maintaining a plus °С indoors, they can be injected, including when the outside air temperature is below 0. One of the most popular injection compositions in industrial insulation is HydroInject.
You can read more about the injection method in the following article – “Injection waterproofing“.
Features of waterproofing work in subzero temperatures for various constructs and structures
When arranging waterproofing foundations, roofs, and other structures in severe weather conditions, it is necessary to take into account various nuances associated with the choice of materials and their installation technology
Further, you can familiarize yourself with some of these constructs:
- Foundation
- Concrete
- Roof
- Drainage
Waterproofing of the foundation for the winter at subzero temperatures
Waterproofing of the foundation and basement can be done in winter, but it depends on the waterproofing systems used. If the house is not excavated, then the external waterproofing of the basement or foundation includes groundwork around the perimeter of the house, so that it is possible to dig out the foundation to the bottom of the slab, usually manually or mechanized. In winter groundwork becomes more complicated as the ground freezes.
Frozen soil is very difficult to dig, which leads to an increase in the cost of the process by at least 2. In this regard, if the house is not dug out along the perimeter, and you need to protect it from water, then it is best to do it from the inside, using special compositions working on negative water pressure by type of polymer-mineral cement insulation or by type of Hydroinjectment.
If there is access to the foundation from the outside, then insulation in winter can be done using waterproofing, which can be applied at negative air temperature, or with the installation of a coal thawing pit.
You can read more about the waterproofing of the foundation and walls in the following articles:
- Waterproofing of the foundation plate. Methods and materials
- Horizontal waterproofing of the foundation. The technology of the installation and the materials needed for this
- Waterproofing of foundation blocks and walls
Waterproofing of concrete at subzero temperatures
Pouring concrete:
If you pour concrete in winter or at negative external air temperature, then you violate the technology of pouring concrete. To avoid disruption of the technology and the subsequent formation of cracks and voids in it, it is necessary to apply the following technology:
- Use special additives and additives for concrete and masonry mortar — Antifreeze additives are used at temperatures up to -15°С and can increase the rate of hardening and plasticization of concrete. Some additives also improve their hydrophobic properties.
- After pouring concrete, use thermometers — special devices, resembling mats, thanks to which the concrete composition hardens at the right temperature for this (according to the norms and technologies of laying).
Only after the concrete has gained the necessary strength and hardened, you can proceed to its direct protection from the penetration of water moisture.
Waterproofing of concrete:
If you plan to perform concrete waterproofing in winter, then this can be done in the following ways:
- Use special additives to concrete
- Use materials that can be used in negative temperatures
- Create a thermal circuit around the work area
You can read more about the concrete waterproofing methods in general in the article – “Concrete waterproofing and how to do it: Types of materials and methods of installation“.
Drainage in winter – is it possible to do drainage in winter
Drainage — is a special system designed to drain water from your building, foundation, or house. To answer the question of whether it is possible to do drainage in winter it is necessary to understand what this drainage consists of and how it is mounted.
Stages of the drainage system installation:
- Groundwork – manually or with the help of equipment, a trench is dug to the desired level, in compliance with the slope marks.
- Arrangement of geotextile with outputs.
- The installation of the crushed stone base – the drainage trench is filled with gravel of the 20-40 fraction for a thickness of 0.2-04 taking into account the slope marks.
- Installation of flexible drainage pipe and drainage inspection wells.
- Filling the pipe with crushed stone to a thickness of 0.1-0.3 and covering it with a pre-prepared geotextile.
- Filling the trench with river sand, washed, coarse-grained – it is precisely sand that has maximum water capacity, and without proper filling, drainage simply will not work.
The answer to the above question is – Yes. You can do drainage in winter. If you look at the listed stages of installing a drainage system, you can immediately understand that there is no barrier to installing drainage at subzero temperatures, except for the difficulty in developing the soil, since frozen soil is very difficult to dig.
You can read more about the drainage system installation in the article – “Drainage installation around the housing turnkey. Proper drainage, its types, installation technologies, materials, schemes, and prices“.
Waterproofing and roof repair in winter
When repairing or insulating the roof in winter, it is necessary to take into account what kind of roof you plan to repair and what material it is made of. If the material from which the roof is made allows it to be repaired in winter, then there are no problems with work when, on the street, minus ° C.
Waterproofing of the roof can be performed in winter, when using appropriate systems designed for negative ° C below 0 or when installing a canopy while maintaining a positive temperature inside.
Contrary to some prejudices and misconceptions, work on the repair and replacement of the roof can be carried out during the cold wind in winter. And while it may not be the best or most convenient time of the year to completely replace the roof, there may be advantages to having such work done in winter. Of course, when there are pluses, there will be minuses.
When you need to replace the roof in winter, or at any other time of the year there are significant advantages to using the services of qualified roofers. Our specialists have extensive experience in waterproofing, repairing, and replacing the roof of residential premises, including in cold winter weather, which in turn allows us:
- Work quickly and efficiently;
- Work on the roof using safety techniques;
- Correctly select and apply waterproofing taking into account low temperatures;
- Use the correct methods of removing snow/ice from the roof;
- Comply with all standards and technologies when repairing or insulating the roof in winter.
You can read more about roof waterproofing in the following articles:
- Waterproofing of a flat roof. Recommended materials, methods of installation, and prices for work
- Waterproofing of the roof: methods of its arrangement and types of materials for the performing quality works
