Protect homes from water damage this rainy season

MANILA, Philippines - Never take water damage for granted, particularly during the rainy season. For one thing, leaks and moisture accumulation will make your precious home look ugly. Think of the dark stains that turn into “maps” on your ceiling, or the water marks in your bathroom. Second, leaks and moisture can cause costly, even serious damage like having your basement walls turn “sweaty” or even having “waterfalls” spouting from them because of leaks. Water accumulation in the house can even damage or peel off your flooring. 

That’s not all. Doors that get filled with moisture can swell-up to the point where they don’t fit door frames anymore. Moisture accumulation in the home can reach electrical wiring—flickering house lights may be a sign of this. That’s a fire hazard right there.

In a tropical country like the Philippines, where we experience several months of monsoon rains, floods and typhoons, it is essential to waterproof our homes to protect our investment and maintain the most important shelter for our family.

Here are some essential tips on how to keep our family and our house protected from water damage this rainy season.

Focus on prevention

Preventing water damage is always the better option than having to fix it when it happens. Effective prevention means using the right product to waterproof your home. Some people think that elastomeric paint is a good solution; however, it is a temporary one at best.

Elastomeric paint eventually peels off as moisture sets in the walls, ceilings, and floors. It becomes brittle over time and flakes or fades away.  Another downside is that elastomeric paint is toxic—something that many homeowners don’t usually know about.

A superior alternative to elastomeric paint is a “cementitious” or cement-based waterproofing product. Such a product bonds with the concrete or cement surface where it is applied. It becomes part of the wall or the ceiling, or the floor. It does not peel off like paint. It does not crack or flake. If you’re waterproofing anything concrete or cement, especially, your best bet is a cement-based waterproofing product like Super Thoroseal.

Super Thoroseal seeps into and bonds permanently with the concrete or cement surface, effectively sealing even the tiniest pores or spaces so that moisture does not go through. Best of all, Super Thoroseal is non-toxic. It can even be used in swimming pools and be in contact with drinking water.  Be sure to use Super Thoroseal to waterproof your toilet and bath, your firewall, and basement.

Super Thoroseal may be applied even on wet surfaces. Simply mix one gallon of Super Thoroseal with 1.5 liters water, and it is ready to use. It is strong enough to withstand extremes of temperature, weather, abrasions, and even exposure to environmental chemicals.

Plug active leaks ASAP

What if there are cracks on your concrete wall and the rain is pouring outside, sending water into your house? What you need is Waterplug, a cement-based product that immediately plugs the leak and seals the cracks— it is specifically formulated so you can apply it even while a leak is ongoing.

Waterplug is a fast-setting, fast-drying hydraulic cement designed to plug active leaks in concrete surfaces and structures (even concrete water tanks). Amazingly, Waterplug sets in just three minutes so you’ll have your leak plugged in such a short time.

Waterplug is non-toxic and very strong. Once it is set and bonded with the concrete, it can withstand a force of up to 1,500 pounds-per-square-inch (psi). In comparison, an open faucet has a force of about 40 psi. Waterplug can also be used to seal cold joints and even anchor bolts of gates and other fixtures.

Go for flexibility

Some parts of a house are more prone to experiencing movement or tremors—for example, a roofdeck, the upper floors and walls of a house, or a tall building. For such structures, it’s best to use Optimum Flex, a cement-based, flexible waterproofing product; its optimum flexibility keeps concrete surfaces sealed against water and moisture despite movement and tremors. Without such flexibility, an ordinary sealant would crack.

Optimum Flex is very easy to use thanks to its pre-packaged, pre-measured components. It’s composed of a powder and an emulsion that are simply mixed together without having to do any measuring anymore. It only takes a short time for Optimum Flex to dry, set, and bond permanently with the concrete surface. It may be applied in wet areas.

For real and effective protection against water damage, remember to choose cementitious or cement-based products like Super Thoroseal, Waterplug, and Optimum Flex. Depending on which area of your house, building, or establishment you need to waterproof, these products provide superior protection.

Super Thoroseal, Waterplug, and Optimum Flex are distributed in the Philippines by Jardine Distribution Inc. To know more about these waterproofing products, call or text the Engineer Lunas Hotline 0920-910-2629 or go to www.jardinedistribution.com