People are really fed- up with water leakages and dampness in their home and offices. Even after waterproofing treatments, problem is just delayed a bit but remains the same. So what exactly is the problem? Why no technology has been able to satisfy the industry stakeholders? Answers are quite simple and pretty much known to us but still not accepted by us.
We are not using the right product for waterproofing treatment
Retail market is filled with lots of cheap and below grade chemicals. These products or chemicals are being sold as waterproofing products. But are these products really work? No, if it works, there would be no hue and cry in the Industry over water related problems. It is pretty obvious to understand why these retail products do not work. To make a business of these products in a price sensitive market like ours, manufacturing companies make these products cheaper and hence compromise with their qualities. It is not much difficult to make an effective waterproofing product but it needs a minimum quality & quantity of polymers & some other raw materials but it would increase the cost of products.
With the increase of waterproofing failures, people have started using better quality products. At least those, who have already used below grade waterproofing products 2-3 times and got no result at all, are now taking more logical decisions prior to pick waterproofing products.
Influences of Local contractors/masons/painters/retailers
Not all property owners take consultancy from the Architects or any other experienced individual who can suggest better solutions. So if they find any dampness or leakage in their home, they just call a local mason or visit a nearby retail shop. They either advice what they can provide or what they have to sell as an ideal solutions of problems. They may have no knowledge of prevailing technology and failures of such products or they may have personal benefits in this (irrespective of your frustrations).
Most of the Local or unprofessional contractors also try to cheat their clients by compromising with workmanship and chemical quantity to enhance their margins.
How can we expect to have successful waterproofing with the use of below grade products and by untrained team that too with limited or no supervision? To get successful waterproofing, you should pick expert execution team and appropriate product.
Most Important; People do not realize the real value of waterproofing treatment requirements
We don’t realize the importance of ideal waterproofing treatment while constricting a building and hence don’t pay due attention into it and also allot limited budget for waterproofing part. Though, we already know waterproofing failure is always proved to be much costlier but we still ignore this thought. Cost of premium interiors, repair work and waterproofing redo are more than required to make us repent for this ignorance.
A big change in this Industry about to come
Fortunately, proactive and learnt property owners are started paying due attention in the detailing of waterproofing treatments. Budgets are also started accumulating for waterproofing job. It is still very limited and mainly in premium property constructions or when client is futurist. As stated in the beginning, Industry stakeholders are fed up and frustrated by water related problems and hence there would a much needed change in the market around the corner; a change where below grade products, unprofessional contractors and inexperienced work force would be out of industry.