The Buildings Site

Waterproofing Fundamentals:Moisture Sources In Buildings(1)

LIQUID MOISTURE SOURCES

  

PRECIPITATION - RAIN PENETRATION (ABOVE GROUND)

 

To minimize rainwater leaks you need good building design and practices.

Dominant forces are gravity force and wind force.

Although rain precipitation is infrequent and inconsistent it can bring massive leaks and serious damages to buildings and the inside objects. All the same, light but persistent rain can equally induce severe damages.

Flat roofs are very prone to damage due to rain water. Walls receive about the 1/4 of the rainwater quantity.

 

 

GROUND WATER SEEPAGE

 

Water can easily intrude into basements through cracks, gaps and discontinuities on the below ground building envelope.

The best way to prevent this is the efficient management of surface or subsurface water. A solid drainage plan can make miracles.

Water intrusion can originate from high water tables or percolating rainwater runoff.

If discontinuities are not present, the dominant mechanism for moisture movement is capillary suction (or absorption). Rising damp is a form of a capillary absorption. These are molecular phenomena related to water molecules polarization, increased adhesion and cohesion and especially surface tension.

Cracks, construction joints, gaps and pipe penetrations are prime suspects for below ground water intrusion.

 

 

INTERIOR LEAKS (PIPES, VALVES etc.)

  

Maybe this is a purely plumbers domain but a waterproofing expert should easily detect these problems.

Piping leaks can induce real catastrophes. Water quantities from these leaks can reach inconceivable sizes.

Generally these problems are easy to locate. Sometimes, though, when leaks are small, water can travel considerable distances due to capillary phenomena.

 

CONSTRUCTION MOISTURE

 

Construction materials as concrete, renderings, stuccos, wood etc. contain vast amounts of moisture. This moisture is released slowly and gradually and cause higher than normal internal relative humidities for 18-24 months after project completion (especially during the first winter).

Additionally, during the construction process, building materials are exposed to weather conditions and it's most logical to store moisture from the environment.

 

 

About the Author:

Civil engineer with postgraduate studies in MBA and Marketing