Get waterproofing
right the first time.
Waterproofing is one of those parts of a building that can be easy to overlook — until it doesn't work.
By the time water appears inside a building, the real problem often started much earlier. A missed detail, an unsuitable system, a gap between design packages or a construction decision can all create problems that are difficult and expensive to put right later.
Waterproofing failure rarely starts
with the waterproofing.
Most below-ground waterproofing systems are capable of performing. The challenge is making sure the right system is designed for the right conditions, detailed correctly and installed as intended.
Groundwater, hydrostatic pressure, soil conditions, site history, construction methodology and the intended use of the space all influence waterproofing performance.
If these risks aren't understood early, the waterproofing can end up being selected around the building rather than designed for it.
A plant room, car park, storage area, apartment basement and high-value commercial space may all have very different expectations for moisture and water ingress.
If the required performance isn't established at the beginning, it becomes difficult to determine whether the proposed waterproofing is actually suitable.
Waterproofing is sometimes approached as a product selection exercise: choose a membrane, add some waterbars and work out the details later.
A successful waterproofing strategy considers the building, structure, water risk, interfaces, construction sequence and future maintenance before the individual products are selected.
Waterproofing rarely belongs to just one part of a project. Structure, drainage, services, movement joints, penetrations, façade interfaces and construction sequencing can all affect the final result.
When responsibilities aren't clearly defined, important details can fall between drawings, specifications and trades.
Waterproofing details can change once construction starts. Site conditions, sequencing, access and clashes with other trades can all create pressure to change the original design.
Without appropriate inspection and technical oversight, small changes can become significant waterproofing risks.
The cost isn't just
fixing the leak.
Waterproofing problems can have a much wider impact than the area where water first appears.
REMEDIAL WORKS
Finding the source of water ingress can be difficult, particularly where finishes and other construction conceal the original detail.
PROGRAMME
Remedial waterproofing can interrupt other trades and delay handover or occupation.
DISRUPTION
Once a building is occupied, accessing waterproofing defects can become considerably more difficult.
RESPONSIBILITY
When the design intent and responsibilities aren't clear, resolving who is responsible for a failure can become difficult.
Good waterproofing
starts with good decisions.
Getting waterproofing right doesn't mean making the design more complicated. It means making the important decisions early and making sure they remain clear throughout the project.
What is being built, how will it be used and what level of protection is actually required?
What do the ground conditions, groundwater and construction methodology tell us about the risk?
Select the appropriate waterproofing approach based on the building and its risks — not simply the available product.
Deal with joints, penetrations, interfaces, drainage and construction sequencing before they become site problems.
Give the project team a clear specification and defined responsibilities that can be understood and built.
Where required, inspect critical stages and make sure the waterproofing strategy is being delivered as designed.
Waterproofing shouldn't
be an afterthought.
It should be part of the design from the beginning.
At BASE, we look beyond the membrane. We consider the building, the ground, the water risk, the structure, the interfaces and the way the project will actually be constructed.
Understand the risk. Design the strategy. Build it right.
Not sure whether your
waterproofing is right?
An independent review early in the project can identify risks before they become expensive problems.