Securing the House during Monsoon Season
- By Saurabh Agarwal, Director, Kamdhenu Paints

The hassle involved in building a house has eased, owing to the adoption of technological methods in the construction industry. This has made it much more comfortable for the people to get their dream house in designs they want with a multitude of techniques. As much as the designing of the interior spaces (eg. Living room, bedroom) is important, it is imperative to secure the house by taking care of its exterior walls and ensuring a well-built, sturdy roof. Considering this, the exterior of our house deserves a relevant investment of time and money for exterior wall painting and waterproofing.

Leakage Problem
With the onset of monsoons, we should prepare our homes to withstand the damages that the rains harbor. Consecutive and persistent rains can result in the accumulation of water on the roofs. The natural ability of water to seep in through even the smallest of the cracks enables it to percolate down the roofs, into the ceilings, ultimately forming a leakage. This weakens the structure of the house. Furthermore, exposure to water gives way for humidity, which fosters insect infestation, mold and corrosion. It therefore becomes imperative in such cases to make the stitch on time and employ preventive measures like waterproofing.

Every region varies according to its climate, availability of space, materials found, etc. Construction of roofs depend on these factors, and have to be set accordingly to prevent leakage problem. During the laying out of the foundation, one of the huge obstacles that comes across the path of the builders is water. A basement problem would have to be the worst nightmare for a residential structure, as wet soil beneath can swell or lose strength. Shoddy construction and use of sub-standard materials can cause cracks and crevices in concrete structures that allow water to penetrate. These are not just an eye-sore aesthetically, but also pose a hazard to the structural strength of the building. Identifying the root cause and prompt corrective measures to deal with any seepage or leakage is therefore important to prevent the problem from worsening.

Possible Solutions
Installing drainage system and maintaining it is the first logical step that must be undertaken from the construction phase itself. A proper drainage system must, therefore, be installed on priority basis if your home doesn’t have one.

Leakages in the building structures also need to be fixed by adopting waterproofing solutions at relevant stages of construction to ensure a water-proof structure that stands the test of time. Use of suitable materials such as bitumen or silicone-based water proofing systems in terrace and walls along with water repellant paints and emulsions are also effective in the fight against seepage, leakage and dampness.

For new constructions, admixtures, plasticizers and integral water-proofing compounds are available to provide an effective barrier against water from cutting through concrete. These can be conveniently built-in when constructing structures like foundation and retaining walls in basement, wet areas (toilet, balcony and kitchen), terrace, overhead and underground tanks, swimming pools, podium slab etc.

For the water-proofing solutions to be effective, critical components of the structure such as block walls and underground foundation need to be in top shape.

Liquid waterproofing is generally adopted for concrete and plasters. This innovative waterproofing solution acts as a tonic for cement and can be applied from the foundation to the roof of the building. This cement additive is specially formulated to increase the life span of buildings by preventing the development of cracks thereby preventing leakage and rusting.

Water proofing compounds are increasingly becoming popular not only as a deterrent to water ingress but also as an aid for healthy construction, emulsion and protective coatings to limit the effect of vagaries of weather on buildings.

Five water proofing solutions that are currently preferred by housing and infrastructure sector include:
• Conventional systems - This include box-type water proofing with impervious stone slabs
• Crystalline waterproofing systems and flexible membrane water proofing systems - This involve application of chemicals on the surface of concrete
• Chemical coatings - It react with the soft by-products of the cement hydration process and form hard crystals. These crystals lodge themselves in the concrete pores, thereby making it impervious.
• Water-repellant impregnates - These are silicones which due to their low-viscosity impart repellant property to the surface on application.

Real estate developers and individual home builders also have the option to use a new series of Dual Paint, which offers convenience to customers by doing away the need to have two separate paints for exterior and interior walls. Stain Resistance and Anti Dirt features of these paints also ensure long lasting color durability and maintains the aesthetic appeal of the wall. This high quality yet value for money product offers rich gloss and smooth finish thereby embellishing the overall appearance. This paint also complements waterproofing of the exterior and interior walls by acting as a protective layer.

Waterproofing rehabilitation initiatives have helped increase the shelf life of concrete which initially have good returns on investment. Several factors lead to the selection of waterproofing be it foundation construction, environmental conditions, geotechnical factors to be under potential for hydrostatic pressure. Various other additional trends in waterproofing are ‘geotechnical selection factors, hybrid waterproofing materials’. Hydrophilic water stops are the newest trend which relies on the concrete construction joints which are a back-up to the waterproofing membrane installed on the exterior surface.”

Conclusion
Adequate waterproofing measures and proper care of exterior and interior walls of the housecan help us address issues associated with leakages during monsoon season which gives us much needed respite from the summer heat. Now, with a range of solutions easily available in the market to address water damage in both pre and post construction phase of homes and buildings, builders have options to take necessary measures to protect the buildings from seepage or leaks.