Team-BHP - Home Construction / Makeover / Maintenance Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prowler (Post 5761791)

What are the best alternatives available ?

I would be eternally grateful for the answers.

If it's an open roof, try putting roofing sheets at a minimum of 9 feet high. Water will fall on them and directly go out. Your roof will be dry, and it also helps in reducing the heat in summer.

There are many such examples from Kerala.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prowler (Post 5763412)

Thanks Atulsian. I would prefer steel instead of glass fiber mesh as steel would give rigidity if people walk on the surface. Other things - Yes.

I know you would have thought about this but still asking- Have you identified the cause of the seepage? Does it occur only in rainy season or all round? If all round then I think, the source of the seepage needs to be caught and fixed. Applying tar sheets on terrace may help in case of rains, but if there is an endemic leakage from sanitary pipes/water pipes then the seepage would still continue below the tar sheet and may cause bigger problems with structural issues later on.

Tar sheets last a long time if installed properly. Two of the people I know of have installed tar sheets more than 5 years ago and they have held up! And neither of them does any maintenance. Only complaint is that since its black the inside of the room heats up more and AC has to work harder in the rooms due to the extra heat radiating from the roof

Quote:

Originally Posted by NomadSK (Post 5763458)

The primary key factor in waterproofing longevity is workmanship.

I would suggest look for a CPWD/PWD/Government approved/certified contractor, they know the job very well, but whether they do it as per the standard or not is a different question, you will have to ensure that.

I have contacted another dealer for Bitumen membrane who will come and decide about the process and cost.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki (Post 5763894)

Have you identified the cause of the seepage? Does it occur only in rainy season or all round?
Tar sheets last a long time if installed properly. Two of the people I know of have installed tar sheets more than 5 years ago and they have held up! And neither of them does any maintenance. Only complaint is that since its black the inside of the room heats up more and AC has to work harder in the rooms due to the extra heat radiating from the roof

Thanks Sagarpadaki.

My roof leaks only when there is continuous rains for days together. The terrace has no other source of water. For nearly 2 decades, I have been trying every technique I could think of but the solution doesn't serve for more than a few years.

Recently Madras has very high rains (but all over the world it happens). Unless the terrace has slope, the water will tend to stagnate. All the cementitious coatings, elastomeric paints eventually develop hairline cracks and allow water to seep in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prowler (Post 5763986)

. All the cementitious coatings, elastomeric paints eventually develop hairline cracks and allow water to seep in.

The slope part what you mentioned is true, however, including slope - by means of putting concrete now may backfire, unless the existing leakage is happening from an area which gets covered by the new layer of concrete.

You were mentioning that the leak is visible only when it rains for many days, we also had an issue similar to that. Wall getting wet when it rains for multiple days. Eventually found out that the leakage point was not exactly on top of the wall, but some 3 meters away, joint of two ceiling slabs had a small hairline gap.
How we got it fixed was -
Remove cement from the fracture side.
Re-did cementing there (no breakage of concrete, just the plastering layer)
Put epoxy coated layer of leak proof paint
Painted remaining section of roof too - this avoids in formation of fungus - faster flow of rain water from terrace.

With this, since past 4 years we are not facing any issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki (Post 5763894)

Tar sheets last a long time if installed properly. Two of the people I know of have installed tar sheets more than 5 years ago and they have held up! And neither of them does any maintenance.

I checked with a building contractor/Engineer who was of the opinion that bitumen will not work in Madras condition as the heat is too high for a longer duration than Kerala/Mangalore. He said it will start bubbling and develop cracks over a period of time. Then it has to be removed with great expense.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpksuhas (Post 5764018)

How we got it fixed was -
Remove cement from the fracture side.
Re-did cementing there (no breakage of concrete, just the plastering layer)
Put epoxy coated layer of leak proof paint
Painted remaining section of roof too - this avoids in formation of fungus - faster flow of rain water from terrace.

The engineer also said that there are 3 ways to solve the issue:
1. Apply elastomeric paint after filling any gaps. (Lowest cost relatively speaking)

2. Apply Poly Urethane Paint after filling gaps. (Higher cost but lasts longer)

3. Completely remove the surface till you reach the bare concrete surface. Apply PU coating and seal. Then lay tiles on top. (Most expensive and disruptive work). Will last longer.

I am waiting for the quote.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prowler (Post 5764065)

Since you are suffering from this issue for a long time, I suggest you go for the third option if budget permitting. I mean you have cumulatively spent a lot of money over the years.

Hey Guys,
Any contact for a reliable carpenter in Bangalore.

We are looking to get bathroom (under the sink) cabinets built; nothing fancy but would prefer someone who can take the measurements and build them at their factory/shop and then set it up. We had discussed the scope of work with a carpenter, who was to start work but he's just stopped responding to calls and isn't reachable.