It is mandatory to waterproof your terrace surface before taking up terrace gardening. RCC slab is porous and if proper waterproofing treatment is not applied, water would seep through the terrace. Generally, most of the planters are made adjacent to parapet walls. Unfortunately, junction of floor slab and parapet wall is the weakest point and hence appropriate waterproofing solution is required.
Adequate drainage and slop is another important thing to be taken care. Traditionally, bitumen based membrane coatings was used as waterproofing solutions and brick bat coba used to be applied on roofs to provide slopes. Though poor workmanship and below grade quality made these processes a failure.
Polymer based waterproofing chemicals are ideal solutions for planter waterproofing and Terrace Garden waterproofing. Polymer based ready to use waterproofing chemicals or cementitious waterproofing systems are now used widely since these techniques are more advanced and credible. Acrylic polymer coatings can also be applied on the surface that makes a seamless membrane which looks like a thick coat of paint and resembles as a rubber sheet.
Planter & Terrace Garden Waterproofing: 5 key points for perfect waterproofing
- Repairing cracks, undulations and honeycombing
- Special precautions are required at slab & pipes intersections and proper sealing should be done in the gaps between pipes and roofs.
- Extra precautions at corners. Should use fiber mesh to make it full-prof. Coving is done at the junctions with polymer mix cement slurry to strengthening the joints.
- Should apply seamless waterproof coatings
- Plants’ roots may damage waterproofing coatings and hence a thick layer of cement concrete with polymer mix cement concrete should be layered. In some cases, Epoxy based concrete should also be applied considering size of plant.
Other related reads:
https://waterproofers.in/basement-waterproofing/
https://waterproofers.in/6-key-points-for-perfect-terrace-waterproofing/