CLADDING // CONCRETE // INSULATION // STEEL // THATCH // TIMBER // TRANSLUCENT // WATERPROOFING // COMPONENTS
FEATURES
Workers use burners to roll up ruberoid for waterproofing.
well as how to keep the maintenance of an“ Flat concrete roofs are often regarded as installed system in check. Anderson says‘ the roofs that leak’. However, to seal a there are essentially four common types of conventional screeded roof should not be roof finishes in South Africa: tiled roof, slate difficult. Prior to the onset of the rains, the roof, flat roof and‘ tin’ roof. flat roof area should be swept clean of
For tiled roofs, Anderson says all gutters wind-blown debris, the outlets cleared to should be cleared of debris and downpipes allow free flow of rain water. The internal checked to see if they are running freely.“ A angles, such as the joints between the wall visual inspection of the tiles would show and floor, are the most likely to leak so any cracked or broken tiles, which should these areas should be checked regularly. be replaced. Roof valleys should be
The lap joints of the bitumen membranes checked and cleaned to ensure free flow of also need to be evaluated every two years the rainwater. The ridge tiles should be by an approved waterproofing contractor inspected for displacement or cracking. to ensure the membrane laps have not
“ Tile cracks can be treated with a opened up. rubberised liquid bitumen emulsion, which“ The areas between the horizontal and must be used in conjunction with a good vertical interfaces should be checked for quality membrane which can be used to damage either through movement, or wear waterproof flashings, parapet walls, roofing and tear, and repaired with materials joints, laps and roof screws on corrugated compatible with the waterproofing system roofs. As most tiled roofs have parapet installed. The life cycle of a flat roof can be walls, the crowns of these walls should be extended by the application of a product examined for cracks in the plaster. which protects against UV attack and acts Deterioration of the wall will be speedy if as a thermal barrier by reflecting the rays of the correct actions are not taken.” the sun, thereby reducing the internal
Anderson says prior to the rains the temperature. The life cycle of a flat roof gutters of slate roofs should also be with a bitumen waterproofing membrane cleaned and downpipes checked. Valleys can be extended by coating the should be cleared of obstructions and waterproofing every two to three years ridges checked for displacement. A visual which will protect the bitumen membrane examination of the slate tiles should show from degradation from the UV rays,” any cracked or broken slates and slippage highlights Anderson. or displacement. A slate roofing contractor For metal roofs, again, gutters and should inspect the integrity of the undertile membrane to ensure that the valleys cleaned and the ridges inspected.
downpipes should be cleaned regularly, the
membrane is still sound to prevent leaks.“ The wind can cause the sheets to move
Waterproofing Association of Gauteng
“
Environmentally sound products are changing the face of the waterproofing industry locally and internationally.”
– Donovan Slade, chairperson Waterproofing Association of Gauteng.
against the securing fasteners, widening the penetration and allowing water ingress. The lap joints, cross-lap joints and roofing bolts on metal roofs can be easily waterproofed,” notes Anderson.
In terms of primers, there are numerous available for various substrates, says Slade.“ These primers have been especially formulated to be able to adhere and or penetrate onto or into the substrate. There is never a universal primer for all substrates. Ceramics and glass would have a different primer to a concrete substrate that is wet. It would be wise to consult with your supplier on what primer to use for whichever substrate,” notes Slade.
Reshaping the waterproofing sector
In terms of the latest trends, Slade says the use of‘ green’ raw materials and application methods are changing how the systems process and last in the application. Faster, more safe, easier to use and environmentally sound products are changing the face of the waterproofing industry locally and internationally, adds Slade.
With the industry changing due to new innovation and the need to be more efficient and transparent, Slade says the future of waterproofing will be more of a regulated industry working towards a common standard of workmanship to ensure that the end customer receives the product that was sold to them, and that the life expectancy of the waterproofing system lives up to the guarantee.“ The industry would be managed by a national authoritive who has been tasked to govern and look after the industry for its members and invested parties,” adds Slade.
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SEPTEMBER 2018