Exposed Grade Polyurethane – Terrace Waterproofing
Terrace is the most crucial segment of a building, and it is exposed to direct climatic variations, extremes of rainfall and structural movements caused thereby. So every effort should be taken at the design stage itself to ensure that a proper protection system has been incorporated. It has often been found that the economic solution is not always the best solution. So, the system, which assures maximum protection, should be selected even though it may cost little more.
Waterproofing of flat roofs, either done during the construction of a building or afterwards, apart from ensuring their full water tightness, should present special resistance to weathering, reliability & durability, sustainability and good adhesion to the substrate.
R.C.C. Slab of the terrace is generally done with ordinary concrete using an integral waterproofing admixture to take care of the extra workability required to proper placement and compaction of the concrete through the congested reinforcement.
Lime terracing, i.e., Brickbat coba with lime, is done on the R.C.C. slab to serve dual purpose. First is weatherproofing of the slab by providing heat insulation for the area below it. The second purpose is waterproofing. This layer also provides the slope required for easy drainage of rainwater.
In due course numerous cracks are developed in the lime terracing, water penetrates through these cracks to the R.C.C. slab below it. Due to shrinkage of cement mortar, lots of cracks are formed on the plaster of the parapet walls. Rainwater seeps through these cracks into the bricks and slowly comes down to the R.C.C. slab. Water, after seeping through the R.C.C. slab, makes the ceiling and walls damp. In severe cases water starts dripping from the ceiling. All these leave ugly patches of dampness on the ceiling and walls and paints peel off, even certain situation ends in spalling of concrete and failure of structure.
Removing Brickbat Coba from entire terrace is time consuming and requires lot of labor efforts. Some part of BBC fixed with mother surface so well that if we make an attempt to dismantle it, surface gets damaged. In these cases, any coating that can be applied on the existing surface with minimal preparations is preferred.
In case the flat roof is to be used frequently by pedestrians and color stability over time is desired, the final exposed surface must have the necessary resistance to mechanical stress and friction, as well as show long-term resistance to ultraviolet radiation.
One-component, polyurethane, liquid waterproofing membrane offers excellent mechanical, chemical, thermal, UV and weather resistance. It offers a uniform, high flexibility, water resistance with excellent crack bridging properties. They are also available in a range of colours to suit the requirements of the owner.
Being, 1K, easy application is also add-on for the applicator team. In comparison to cementitious, acrylic modified cementitious liquid coatings, 1K-polyurethane stands at high in terms of elongation properties and crack bridging.
WPM 158 manufactured by ARDEX ENDURA is a single component, aliphatic polyurethane based waterproofing liquid coating which is environmentally friendly and does not give off fumes or gases which could affect the health. It can be applied on damp visibly dry surfaces without the fear of blistering. Meets the requirement of AS 4858 as class III category, as the cured membrane has elongation of 400%. PU coating, does not require any primer and this can be applicable at metal surface also.
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