Waterproof maintenance: where is it useful if there is a leak?

Waterproofing is a technical task, and maintenance is a very technical task.

Many owners usually think like this: where is the missing supplement, how easy is it, So easy! But reality is not as simple as we think.

 If you have a headache, you can't cure the root cause. In the process of waterproof maintenance: water leakage at one location may be caused by multiple leakage points; similarly, the emergence of a leakage point may also cause water leakage at multiple places. This is what we often refer to as "one cause with multiple effects" and "one result with multiple causes."

When the leak is seen, it is blocked, and when the tide is wet, the paint is applied. This repair method is a typical "fried-up" repair method. It may be effective in the short term, such as roof leakage and water accumulation in the roof insulation layer. It is difficult to repair from one point. The water in this house is blocked, and that house is leaking again. "Taking neighbors as the ditch" is not a complete solution after all.

Since it has leaked, it is necessary to fix it, just like a human body. A leak is a wound, and a leak is a disability. I didn’t know where to start after a few more repairs.

In the face of water leakage, you can’t solve the problem by worrying about it, and you can’t solve it by chaos. Therefore, it is obviously very practical to understand some basic common principles related to water leakage.

 The following 8 items are for your reference only

1. Leakage is not only possible to move down, but also flows horizontally.

2. Ordinary cement mortar, inorganic jointing materials of most facing bricks, micro-cracks of concrete, etc. Due to capillary action, water seepage or moisture absorption tend to be more serious than expected.

3. The aging speed of general waterproof materials in exposed environment is quite fast. Even if the sealant on the surface is good for a short period of time, it will cause degumming and cracking after a period of time. In the long run, glue application is not reliable, especially for poor quality glue.

4. Regardless of the roof, basement or outer wall surface, the deformation joints are set for fear of cracks, or the partition joints are set on the wall. In fact, the deformation will be more concentrated on these pre-set seams, so it is impossible to avoid them completely. Expansion and shrinkage deformation cracks.

5. Water infiltration in the basement does not necessarily only occur below the groundwater level. Moisture in the wet soil will also penetrate into the room from the cracks of concrete or the pores of loose concrete through capillary action, causing the phenomenon of wet walls.

6. It rains without leaking and seeps water after the rain is stopped. This situation is because there is less water entering the wall during light rain. After the rain is stopped, it diffuses through evaporation, and no obvious wet marks will be generated indoors. When there is a large amount of water inflow, especially after the high temperature of the sun is irradiated after rain, the water stored in the material will quickly diffuse, causing the surface moisture to evaporate and appear wet.

7. Whether it is blue tiles, brick walls, mortar or concrete, it has a certain permeability, the only difference is the permeability. Why do we usually not see water seepage phenomenon, mainly because the wall material absorbs water and spreads evenly, so that the indoor wall does not show obvious color difference, and the water continuously evaporates quickly, so that no concentrated water seepage phenomenon can be seen.

8. If the problem of condensed water cannot be improved and solved by waterproof materials, it can be solved by reducing the temperature difference between the wall and the air, reducing the relative humidity of the air, and strengthening ventilation.