Universal Group Inc: The Importance of Waterproofing your Home

By impermeabilizing our roof, we avoid uncomfortable situations and prevent damaging the interior of the house.

Water is a creator force, but it can also be the destroyer of a building. Therefore, waterproofing a structure is very important, and it’s become more of a necessity in recent times. It is now understood that if water gets in a house and it’s not stopped in time, it can cause severe damages to the structure. The life of your home (a priority for us at Universal Group INC) depends upon its stability, and that is why is affected by water.

Waterproofing, or protecting structures against the damaging actions of water, derives from the need to avoid water and humidity to cause damage to a building and its materials. This adverse effect can manifest in several ways, creating health problems, structural detriment, corrosion, which is like a sort of cancer for a building, facility damage and several other issues. Repairing (and more important, preventing) a construction from water damage can be very expensive, particularly corrosion damage.

The primary goal of building waterproofing is to prevent as much water as possible from getting into a structure, and providing outlets and drainage so that, if water does get inside, it cannot possibly remain there. While creating their layouts, many designers forget that there is going to be water.

Dear Universal Group: How can water enter my house if it’s built well?

The science behind this lays not only in the construction itself but in the materials that have been used to build the house. Concrete, bricks, stones, and mortars are composed of crystals of elements like carbonate, silicate, aluminates or oxides, whose surfaces are abundant in oxygen atoms, which carry a negative electrical charge of hydroxyl groups and can give both negative and positive charges.

Such surfaces are polar and are also called hydrophilic (they get along with water). When water comes in contact with these surfaces, hydrogen bonds are formed between the surface and the water molecules. Once the building materials come in direct contact with water, they absorb it through their pores by capillary action.

Concrete, which is prepared by mixing cement, sand, aggregate, and water, is the most successful building material of the postmodern era. Once the cement has been mixed with water, a reaction begins. The chemical reactions are complex, but the hydration reaction of cement with water produces insoluble silicate compounds, and calcium hydroxide carbonation starts simultaneously with hydration. Carbonation hardens the concrete and helps reduce the permeability of the concrete.

The Importance of Having a Waterproof Structure

Protects your Belongings from Water Damage: The inner part of any house is usually exposed to many unpredictable weather conditions, like sun rays and rain. Waterproofing your home protects the walls from creating a seepage. It will help prevent water damage from occurring, procuring in your fledgling building a healthy, strong start.
Prevents Onset of Health Problems: When moisture finds its way into your walls and ceilings, it leads to the growth of mold and mildew. This creates spores, which again lead to many health problems. Spores get projected into the air, and when you breathe in, they will travel to your lungs, which can cause health problems.
Saves Your Money: While waterproofing your home can feel like a daunting task, the cost of the process also seems like a blow to your budget. But prevention is always better than cure. It is best to think of it as a long-term investment that will make you money during the building’s lifetime.
Ensures Long-Term Stability: Waterproofing helps to seal a new structure which has been found to promote long-term comfort. The measures help to reduce the moisture in the interior of the building. It makes it more comfortable to live in, while also providing a foundation for further work later on.

A bit of advice from our Universal Group professionals. Build your houses on stone, not on sand. Build for the future, and you will be prepared for when the rains come. Please follow us on our social media and don’t hesitate to contact us for future inquiries.