Water may be essential to life, but it is also one element in this planet which will bring about frequent and huge-scale damage to natural or man-made structures.
Scientific laws prevail, making water in its various forms a very effective agent of corrosion, erosion, and physical damage.
To facility managers and waterproofing contractors, the work to avoid damage in commercial buildings begins with the understanding of how water behaves when present in various quantities. The ways in which it reacts with other materials in its surroundings — for example concrete, soil, wood, chemicals — plus the extent of damage it brings, are important to waterproofing contractors seeking ways to manage or prevent any harm to the facility.
The Sources of Water Damage
Waterproofing contractors often encounter repair projects wherein the damage could have been prevented had the necessary precautions been taken in advance. Furthermore, the severity of harm could have been lesser had immediate intervention been initiated.
Damage occurs when dampness seeps into areas of the building and stays there for long periods of time. The entry of moisture into building areas can come from any of the following sources:
1. Building materials, for example porous surfaces
2. Cracks and fissures
3. Poorly-sealed splices
4. Humidity
5. Roof leaks
6. Damage to the drainage system
7. Poor management of fountains, man-made lakes and pools
8. Groundwater run-off
Combating Water Damage
Waterproofing contractors respond with different kinds of solutions, depending on the source and extent of harm. But in the onset of remediation efforts, any solution always begins with cleaning the waterlogged area.
To guard concrete surfaces from seepage, waterproofing contractors use epoxy-based sealant additives to concrete coatings before application. For concrete structures that need flexibility of movement, materials such as asphalt, vinyl or polymer-based emulsions are used. These materials protect the concrete surface, and move with the structure as needed.
For already-waterlogged surfaces, surfaces are waterproofed with the installation of vinyl or resin coatings, to seal the surface. Other treatments involve the use of materials that sink into the surface to ward off any future water penetration.
Waterproofing Contractors Qualifications and Knowledge
The most effective solution to water damage problems in the property, however, is the hiring of skilled professionals to provide the most effective solution and prevention of moisture-wrought deterioration.
Waterproofing contractors come up with well-planned treatment for just about any permeation already in progress, and supply good preventive maintenance solutions for the property’s long-term protection.
In doing so, contractors often work with other specialists, for example water systems professionals, landscapers, roofing contractors, among others, to understand the problem in-depth and develop the best solution.
Water damage is actually caused by water trying to seep into every nook and crevasse of the facility, but one important thing to be alerted to is that the damage may actually be an indication of a much bigger, more dangerous problem. The building may already be deteriorating right down to its foundation, or it is already showing signs of structural vulnerabilities that have to be addressed to a deeper level beyond waterproofing.
