A house is the one of the biggest assets for a person and it should be cared accordingly, says one of our senior waterproofing contractors, Mr. Koushik Sarker. While a properly built concrete house should have an overall life of 70 to 100 years, it can vary widely depending upon 3 major factors which are:
- Raw material’s quality
- Scientific Structure of the Building
- Maintenance
The problem is that most of home owners discover the issues in the first two points when it’s too late and the worst thing is, it’s non-reversible. But, you always can act seriously on the third point — that is ‘maintenance’.
How to maintain a cement roof?
Cement is one of the strongest and most durable raw materials used in building construction. But, being a chemical, it demands some care to maintain the bonding and chemical structure. No, it’s not anything about chemistry – there’s no rocket science. Here is a quick guide on this:
Do Regular Cleaning
Roof remains out of our day to day sight and thus debris get deposited. It holds water and moisture which can badly affect the cement and can cause mildew and damping issue, says our waterproofing contractors. So, clean your roof at least once in a month. If there are trees around your building, then you may need to increase the frequency, especially during the winters. Also give special care on the drainage system so that rain waters can drain out easily. In case of commercial buildings, you need to hire professionals for thorough cleaning and time to time structural analysis.
Check for Sloping Issues
Roofs are designed to glide through water easily in a particular direction so that water doesn’t get blocked. But, roofs developed by unprofessionals may have some sloping issue. Also the old houses may develop such issues due to sinking of the roof over time. Get it checked by experts before it damages your concrete layer. If required, you may have to apply an additional layer of concrete to fix the slope-issue.
Check for Cracks and Damages
After a certain age, roof becomes weaker and it can develop cracks after an earthquake. If your house is located beside any highway or railway, it can be an easy victim due to the tremor caused by the passing heavy vehicles. In case, you find any such symptom, get in touch with any experienced structural analysis expert to analyze the severity of the damage and the possible cure.
Find Damp Signs
Damp signs in roofs is common in both residential and commercial buildings. But, it can literally affect the life of your building and also make your house unsafe. Long term damping issue damages the strength of the structure badly and it may not be able to sustain a mid-range of earthquake. So, don’t take it lightly and go for roof treatment for water leakage.
Check Blisters in Ceiling
Blistering of ceiling is another symptom of damp and water leakage where you may not be directly able to see the damp signs. Actually, it’s the effect of vaporization of the moist during the sunny days after a rain where the vapor spreads and detaches the concrete – eventually causing blisters. They are highly risky and it can cause concrete cancer.
