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House / villa

Pakistani homes leak mostly at the roof, bathrooms, water tanks and external walls. Waterproofing done in the right order during construction avoids breaking finished tiles later.

Two-storey flat-roofed house in the rain, with the roof waterproofing turned up the parapets highlighted in orange

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Solutions in build order

What this project needs, step by step

Footing, column and plinth beam in soil, all buried faces coated, with a damp-proof layer under the brick wall. Foundations, footings and plinth Protect footings, column stubs and plinth beams against groundwater and aggressive soil, and stop damp rising into the walls above. This is done during construction, before backfilling. 6 steps Section of an underground concrete water tank in wet soil, lined on the inside, with joint waterbars and a sealed pipe Underground water tank Below-ground tanks leak out when full and let groundwater or dirty water seep in when empty. Plug and repair, then line the inside with a drinking-water coating; on new tanks, build watertight concrete and joints first. 7 steps Roof section: slab, waterproof coat turned up the parapet, sloped screed, then tiles with sealed joints. Roof waterproofing under screed or tiles Waterproofing that is hidden under a protective screed, brick tiles or floor tiles on a flat roof. Use it when you re-do a traditional roof finish or turn the roof into a usable terrace. 6 steps Flat roof section with an exposed coating on the slab, turned up and over the parapets and into the drain outlet. Exposed roof waterproofing A liquid-applied membrane that stays open to sun and rain on a flat or sloped concrete roof (chhat). Use it on a new roof once the slab is 28 days old, or to refurbish a leaking roof before the monsoon. 6 steps Wall section with roof coating running up the parapet and over the coping, plus a coated sunshade over a window. Parapets, copings and chajjas Parapet walls, copings and chajjas (concrete sunshades and projections) take rain on three sides. Leaks here show up as damp on the walls below, broken edges and rust stains. 5 steps Brick wall section with a waterproof coating on the outside face and sealed window frame joints against driving rain. Damp external walls (rain penetration) Rain soaking through brick walls, cracked plaster or open joints around windows causes seelan and peeling paint inside. This guide covers walls above ground. For damp rising from the floor, see the rising-damp guide. 6 steps Section of a bathroom floor with waterproofing turned up the walls under the tiles, sloping to a floor drain Bathroom waterproofing (under tiles) Most home leaks start in bathrooms: water gets through grout and cracks, runs along the slab and shows as seelan on the ceiling below or the wall next door. Strip, seal cracks, waterproof the floor and lower walls, then tile, grout and seal the fittings. 6 steps Section of a kitchen with a sink counter, tiled splash-back, sealed worktop edges and waterproofed tiled floor with drain Kitchen floors, sinks & wash areas Kitchens get water, grease, food acids and cleaning chemicals at the sink, dishwash and cooking line. Home kitchens need sound tiling and mildew-resistant sealing; commercial kitchens also need waterproofing under the tiles and chemical-resistant epoxy grout. 5 steps Tiled wall shown cut through and from the front, with an orange adhesive bed behind the tiles and orange grout lines Wall tiling (rooms, kitchens and bathrooms) Fixing ceramic, porcelain, mosaic and marble tiles on internal walls. Choose the adhesive by the wall behind the tile (cement plaster, concrete, brick or gypsum) and by whether the wall gets wet. 7 steps Floor tiles on an orange adhesive bed over screed and slab, with sealed movement joints and a notched trowel above Floor tiling (homes, shops and outdoor floors) Fixing ceramic, porcelain and stone floor tiles indoors, on courtyards and terraces, on heated floors and in shops with heavy foot traffic. A flat, mature base and the right adhesive stop hollow, cracking and lifting tiles. 7 steps Close-up of floor tiles with joints filled with orange sandy grout and a rubber grout float above Cement tile grout (everyday floors and walls) Coloured cement grout for ceramic, porcelain, marble, granite and mosaic joints, on floors and walls, inside and outside. In wet areas it is mixed with a latex instead of water. 6 steps Window in a brick wall with an orange sealant bead round the frame, and a close-up of the frame-to-wall joint Window and door frame sealing Sealing the gap between aluminium, uPVC, steel or timber frames and the wall, plus glass-to-frame and interior finishing joints. This is a common place for monsoon rain to get into a home. 6 steps Bath against a tiled wall with an orange silicone bead where the bath rim meets the tiles, and a shower running Sanitary sealing (baths, basins, showers and kitchen tops) Silicone joints where tiles meet baths, shower trays, basins, WCs and kitchen worktops. Choose a mildew-resistant sealant that suits the surface, and reseal before water gets behind the tiles. 6 steps Section of a rooftop concrete water tank full of water, lined on all inside faces, with sealed pipe entries Overhead water tank (drinking water) Rooftop RCC tanks that leak, wet the ceiling below or show rust stains. Repair the concrete first, then line the inside only with products whose data sheet allows drinking-water contact. 6 steps