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Waterproofing

Keep water out of roofs, terraces, walls and below-ground structures, with step-by-step systems for new build and repair taken from the Sika data sheets.

12 solutions
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 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 Balcony section with a waterproof coat under the screed and tiles, turned up the wall, and a railing post. Terrace and balcony waterproofing Balconies, terraces and open verandas that people walk on, usually finished with tiles. The waterproofing goes under the tile bed and turns up at walls, door thresholds and drains. 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 Brick wall with a row of injected holes along a mortar joint near the base, stopping moisture rising from the ground. Rising damp in walls Ground moisture rising up masonry walls that have no damp-proof course, or a failed one, causes seelan, salts and peeling paint near the floor. The fix is a new chemical damp-proof course injected into a mortar joint, followed by re-plastering. 6 steps Basement section with a membrane on the outside face of the wall and under the floor slab, facing the groundwater. Basement waterproofing from outside (positive side) For new basements, or where the soil can be dug away, stop water on the face that the soil and groundwater press against. Build watertight concrete, seal every joint, coat or sheet the outside face, then backfill carefully. 7 steps Basement section with a waterproof coating on the inside face of the wall and floor, groundwater pressing from outside. Basement waterproofing from inside (negative side) In an existing basement where the outside cannot be dug out, water is stopped on the inside face. Plug active leaks, inject leaking cracks, then apply a cement-based coating that works against water pressure from behind. 7 steps Retaining wall section with a coating on the soil side, a gravel drain and a weep pipe through the wall. Retaining walls Walls that hold back soil and water, such as boundary walls on slopes, ramps, and the walls of basements and underpasses. Waterproof the soil face, seal the joints, and treat the exposed face and any leaks. 7 steps 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 Lift pit section below the floor, lined inside with a waterproof coat, with guide rails and a buffer spring. Lift pits and drainage sumps Lift pits and drainage or sewage sumps are the lowest points in a building, so groundwater collects there. Build them watertight, seal the kicker joint, and line them with a slurry rated for water pressure. 6 steps Planter section: waterproof layer, root barrier, drainage layer and soil with plants, draining to a roof outlet. Green roofs, roof gardens and planters Roof gardens, landscaped decks and built-in concrete planters stay wet under soil for years, so the waterproofing must be done before any soil goes in. The data sheets we hold cover bitumen and cement-based layers; ask us about root barriers and dedicated green-roof systems. 5 steps

Water tanks, pools & wet areas

Structures that hold or carry water, and the rooms that get wet every day: drinking-water tanks, pools, fountains, sewage and treatment works, canals, bathrooms, showers and kitchens.

12 solutions
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 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 Section of a new concrete swimming pool with waterproof coating and tiles on the inside, a sealed pipe and a floor joint New swimming pool (concrete shell) Build the pool shell watertight from day one: waterproof concrete, sealed joints and pipe entries, a cementitious waterproof coating, then pool-rated tile adhesive and grout. A structural engineer designs the shell itself. 7 steps Close-up of a repaired pool wall and floor with a mortar patch, sealed crack, new waterproof coating and new tiles Leaking or damaged swimming pool Older pools lose water through cracks, joints, pipe entries and failed grout, and tiles start to drum or fall off. Find the leak, repair the shell, renew the waterproofing and re-tile with pool-rated products. 6 steps Section of a fountain basin with a water jet, waterproofed and tiled inside, stone clad outside, with a sealed pipe Fountains, water features & ornamental ponds Decorative fountains, water walls and ornamental ponds lose water through cracks, joints and pipe entries, and stone cladding stains. Seal the basin with a cementitious waterproof coating, then fix tiles or stone with water-resistant products. 6 steps Section of an underground sewage manhole with pipes, step irons and a protective lining on the inside faces Sewage tanks, manholes & septic tanks Sewage and wastewater structures leak out, let groundwater in and are eaten away by aggressive effluent. Plug and rebuild the concrete, waterproof it, and add a chemical-resistant lining where the effluent is aggressive. 7 steps Two treatment plant tanks: a covered clean-water tank with a thin lining and an open settling tank with a thick lining Water & wastewater treatment plants Clarifiers, filter beds, clear-water reservoirs and process tanks need watertight concrete, sealed joints and the right lining for each water type. Drinking-water compartments take only products approved for potable contact. 6 steps Cross-section of a lined canal with water, a waterproof coating on the concrete lining and sealed panel joints Canals, channels & open drains Irrigation canals, water channels, nullahs and storm drains lose water through cracked lining, open joints and eroded concrete. Repair the lining, waterproof it, and seal joints with sealants made for submerged use. 5 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 walk-in shower with full-height waterproofing behind the tiles, sealed pipes, a drain and a glass screen Shower area & walk-in shower The shower is the wettest spot in the house: floor, walls, niche and drain are soaked every day. It needs a continuous waterproof layer from floor to wall, epoxy grout and a mildew-resistant sealant at every corner. 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 Section of an upstairs toilet floor with restored waterproofing and a repaired, dry ceiling slab in the room below Toilet or bathroom leaking into the ceiling below Seelan, drips or falling plaster on the ceiling under an upstairs bathroom. Find the source, fix it from the bathroom side, then dry and repair the ceiling slab below. 6 steps

Tiling, grouting & joint sealing

Fix tiles and stone so they stay on, grout them for the room they are in, and seal every joint, frame, glazing line, sanitary edge, fire-rated gap and pipe entry with a product whose data sheet covers that job.

17 solutions
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 Large thin porcelain slabs on a full orange adhesive bed, and the next slab with buttered back lowered onto ridged adhesive Large-format porcelain tiles and slabs Porcelain tiles of 60 × 60 cm and larger, on floors and walls. They need a flat base, a C2TE flexible adhesive and full bedding by back-buttering, or they ring hollow and crack. 7 steps Concrete stair in section clad with veined marble treads and risers set on an orange adhesive bed Marble, granite and natural stone Fixing, grouting, sealing and cleaning marble, granite and other natural stone on floors, stairs and walls. Stone can be sensitive to water, acids and staining, so test first and choose each product with that in mind. 6 steps Two layers of floor tiles, old grey tiles below and new tiles on an orange adhesive bed above with orange grout Tiling over old tiles (tile-on-tile) Laying new tiles straight over sound old tiles, saving the noise, dust and time of breaking them out. It only works if the old tiles are firmly bonded and properly prepared. 6 steps Outside wall in section with tiles on orange adhesive and a sealed movement joint at floor level, with rain falling External wall and facade tiles Ceramic, brick-slip and stone-look tiles on outside walls face sun, rain and building movement. Use an adhesive whose data sheet allows outdoor walls, grout for exterior use, and seal the facade movement joints. 6 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 Tiled shower wall with orange grout lines, falling water, and a cartridge gun filling a joint Epoxy tile grout (showers, kitchens, hospitals) Two-part epoxy grout from a cartridge gun gives stain-resistant, easy-clean joints in wet rooms, kitchens, malls, hospitals and indoor pools. It is for interior use, and the tile face needs protecting during grouting. 7 steps Factory floor tiles on orange epoxy bed and grout, a drain in the floor, and liquid dripping from a tipped drum Chemical-resistant tile grout and bedding Tiled floors and walls in food plants, dairies, labs, industrial kitchens, plant rooms and thermal or salt-water pools need epoxy bedding and grout that resist acids, cleaning agents and wash-down. These are specialist systems. 6 steps Two concrete slabs on columns with a gap between them sealed with orange sealant over a round foam rod Building expansion and movement joints The gaps between building blocks, slabs, walls and roofs that let the structure expand, shrink and settle. They need a sealant or tape matched to the movement, a correctly sized joint and a backer rod, or water gets in and edges break. 7 steps Floor joint with steel edge angles and orange sealant over a foam rod, and a heavy wheel rolling towards it Floor joints in car parks, warehouses and roads Saw-cut, expansion and connection joints in floors that carry people, cars, forklifts or trucks. The sealant must take both traffic and movement, and the joint must be sized for it. 6 steps Building facade panels with orange sealed joints, and a close-up of one joint with sealant over a foam rod in the rain Facade joints (concrete, block, precast and cladding) Movement and connection joints on outside walls: between precast panels, at floor slabs, around infill panels and in metal or stone cladding. A sound joint keeps monsoon rain out and lets the facade move. 7 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 Two double-glazed panels meeting at an aluminium mullion, sealed with orange silicone, with rain outside Glazing, curtain walls and shopfronts Weather-sealing joints in glass curtain walls, windows, shopfronts and metal cladding, and the specialist silicones used in structural glazing and insulating glass. This is professional facade work and needs project-specific adhesion tests. 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 Joint between two wall sections sealed on both faces with orange fire-rated sealant, with flames on one side Fire-rated joints Joints in fire-rated walls and floors, such as stair and lift shafts, compartment walls and plant rooms, must hold back fire and smoke for the rated time. The rating comes from a tested configuration, not from the sealant alone. 6 steps Pipe passing through a concrete floor slab with an orange sealing collar round it and orange sealant at the top Pipe and service penetrations Pipes, ducts and cables passing through basement walls, tank walls, roofs and fire-rated floors are weak points for water and fire. Seal each one for its job: watertight, weathertight, fire-rated, or a simple interior gap. 6 steps

Concrete repair, strengthening & protection

Repair spalling and cracked concrete, stop rebar corrosion, strengthen and jacket members, and protect concrete against weather, chlorides and chemicals, following the EN 1504 repair-and-protect sequence.

11 solutions
Concrete beam with a square cut-out repair: cleaned steel bars coated, and repair mortar being trowelled in flush. Spalling concrete (chhajja, balcony, beam, column) Concrete that cracks, bulges and falls away, usually with rusty steel behind it, on chhajjas, balcony slabs, beams, columns and tank slabs. This guide follows the EN 1504 sequence: remove, protect the steel, rebuild, seal and protect. 7 steps Concrete section with steel bars: one zone rebuilt with repair mortar, the rest treated with inhibitor and a rolled-on coat. Rusting reinforcement (rebar corrosion) Steel bars inside concrete rust when carbonation or chlorides reach them; the rust swells and cracks the cover. This guide covers finding corrosion early, treating exposed steel, and slowing corrosion in concrete that has not spalled yet. 7 steps Concrete wall with small pores filled and smoothed, and a deep square pocket being filled with grout through formwork. Honeycombing, blowholes & voids Honeycombing is concrete where the cement paste did not fill the gaps between the stones, leaving pores, pockets or hidden voids, often after poor compaction or leaking shuttering. Small surface defects are filled with fine mortars; deep pockets in load-bearing members need assessment and a structural repair. 7 steps Cracked concrete beam with a sealed crack and injection ports, connected by a hose to an injection gun. Structural cracks in beams, columns & slabs Cracks in load-bearing members can come from overload, settlement, corrosion or design faults, so an engineer must find the cause first. Dry or damp cracks are then bonded by epoxy injection; leaking cracks follow the leaking-cracks guide. 7 steps Wall section with water-bearing soil outside; angled drilled packers inject resin into the crack from the dry inside face. Leaking cracks & active water seepage Cracks and holes that let water through basement walls, tanks, roof slabs or retaining walls. First stop running water, then seal the crack with elastic injection, then waterproof the surface; rigid epoxy is not used while a crack is wet. 7 steps Plastered wall with hairline cracks filled from a caulking gun and a facade coating being rolled over the repairs. Surface & plaster cracks (non-structural) Hairline and map cracks in plaster, renders and concrete surfaces, mostly from shrinkage and heat, which let rain in and spoil paint. This guide covers telling them apart from structural cracks, filling them with the right sealant, and preventing them in new plaster. 7 steps Concrete beam between two columns with a carbon-fibre strip bonded to its underside and fabric wraps near the supports. Structural strengthening (FRP wrapping) Adding capacity to beams, columns, slabs and walls with bonded carbon or glass fibre fabrics, for change of use, design or construction defects, corrosion loss or seismic upgrading. This is engineer-designed work installed only by trained specialists. 7 steps Old concrete slab with roughened top and dowels, a bonding coat brushed on, and new concrete placed over it. Bonding new concrete or mortar to old Joining fresh concrete, screeds, toppings, renders or repair mortar to existing hardened concrete, for slab thickening, extensions, toppings and repairs. The joint is only as good as the surface preparation and the bond coat. 7 steps Existing column in formwork with new bars and links, micro-concrete poured into the jacket; plan view beside it. Column jacketing with micro-concrete Enlarging and strengthening columns, piers or beams by adding steel and a flowable, non-shrink micro-concrete cast in formwork. Used for under-strength or badly damaged columns, extra floors and change of use, always to an engineer's design. 7 steps Concrete building facade half coated with a protective coating by a roller on a pole, with rain beading off. Protective coatings & water repellents for concrete Coatings and impregnations that keep water, chlorides and carbon dioxide out of concrete facades, bridges, car parks and repaired structures. Choose a clear impregnation, an anti-carbonation coating or a crack-bridging coating to suit the exposure. 8 steps Concrete sump in the ground with a continuous protective lining inside, holding liquid fed by a dripping pipe. Chemical-resistant protection (tanks, bunds, sewage) Linings and coatings that protect concrete and steel from acids, sewage gases, fuels and industrial chemicals in treatment plants, chemical tanks, bunds and manholes. The coating is chosen for the actual chemicals, concentrations and temperatures, on a strong, prepared substrate. 7 steps

Concrete, floors, grouting & anchoring

Admixtures for ready-mix and site concrete, industrial and decorative floors, and the grouts and anchors that carry loads into concrete.

20 solutions
Concrete slab poured under a hot sun from a chute, with an admixture drop and a curing spray coating the finished part Hot-weather concreting In a Pakistani summer, concrete loses slump in the truck, sets before it is finished and cracks if it dries early. Use a hot-climate superplasticiser or retarder, pour in the cooler hours and start curing straight away. 6 steps Wall cast in insulated timber formwork in snowy weather, with an accelerator dose going into a truck mixer drum Cold-weather concreting In winter in Murree, Quetta and the northern areas, fresh concrete can freeze or gain strength too slowly to strip the forms. An antifreeze accelerator, warm materials and insulation keep the work moving. 6 steps Truck mixer with an admixture dose discharging into a concrete pump that pipes the mix up to an upper floor slab High-performance ready-mix concrete Ready-mix plants supplying high-strength, pumped or long-haul concrete need a superplasticiser that holds slump, cuts water and works with GGBS, fly ash or microsilica. Durability admixtures cover corrosion and air entrainment where the specification asks for them. 6 steps Fluid concrete flowing level through dense reinforcement in a sealed beam form, with no vibrator, after an admixture dose Self-compacting concrete (SCC) Self-compacting concrete flows into congested reinforcement and fills forms without vibration. It needs a high-range polycarboxylate superplasticiser, an SCC mix design and strong, well-sealed formwork. 6 steps Precast element cast in a steel mould on a casting bed beside a finished unit being lifted out early by a crane hook Precast concrete production Precast yards need early strength for quick stripping and mould turnover, or semi-dry mixes that fill moulds evenly for pavers, blocks and kerbs. Choose the admixture by process: wet-cast or semi-dry. 7 steps Thick raft placed in layers by a pump hose, with a temperature sensor and a chart showing a lower, flatter heat curve Mass concrete & set retarding Thick rafts, dams, bridge piers and large foundations heat up as the cement hydrates and can crack, and big pours risk cold joints. A retarding superplasticiser or set retarder spreads the heat release and keeps each layer workable until the next one arrives. 6 steps Basement wall and base slab of waterproofed concrete holding back ground water, with a waterstop in the wall-slab joint Waterproof (watertight) concrete For basements, water tanks, pools and sewage works, make the concrete itself resist water with a low water–cement ratio, an integral waterproofing admixture and sealed construction joints. This is for new pours; it cannot fix a structure that already leaks. 7 steps Low-pressure sprayer coating a fresh concrete slab with curing compound while water evaporates from the uncoated part Concrete curing Curing keeps water in young concrete so it gains strength and does not crack or dust. In Pakistan's heat and dry wind it must start within minutes of finishing, by wet curing or a sprayed curing compound. 7 steps Tunnel arch in rock partly lined with sprayed concrete, with a rig nozzle fed by an accelerator line spraying the rest Shotcrete, tunnels & slope stabilisation Sprayed concrete supports tunnel faces, galleries and cut slopes and lines channels and pools. The system is a pumpable base mix with a superplasticiser, an accelerator dosed at the nozzle, and often fibres. 7 steps Fresh slab with a retarder rolled on one half, and a water jet washing the other half to expose the stone aggregate Exposed aggregate finish Exposed (washed) aggregate gives slip-resistant, decorative paving, walls and panels, and a rough key at construction joints. A surface retarder stops the top layer from setting so it can be washed off to reveal the stone. 7 steps Floor section: concrete slab, primer, thick epoxy layer and a top coat being rolled on, with a sealed floor joint. Epoxy industrial floors Epoxy floors give factories, warehouses, workshops and labs a seamless, dust-free and easy-to-clean surface. Success depends on a strong, dry slab, mechanical preparation and a trained applicator. 7 steps Floor section: flexible polyurethane floor over primer, coved up the wall and bridging a hairline crack in the slab. Polyurethane & elastic floors Polyurethane floors are tougher and more flexible than epoxy, can bridge fine cracks and, with the right seal coat, resist UV. Use them on crack-prone slabs, for comfortable decorative interiors, on balconies, and as PU-cement screeds where heavy wear and heat occur. 7 steps Fresh concrete slab with hardener powder scattered and power-trowelled into a hard top skin, and a sealed saw-cut joint. Warehouse floor hardeners (dry-shake) New warehouse and factory slabs get a hard, dust-free wearing surface when a dry-shake hardener is trowelled into the fresh concrete and cured straight away. Existing dusty slabs can be densified with a liquid hardener. 7 steps Car park deck section with a coated, sloped surface draining to a gully, a sealed joint, rain and a car tyre. Car-park decks & ramps Car-park decks face tyre wear, oil, water and, on the open top deck, sun and monsoon rain. A crack-bridging resin system with a UV-resistant seal coat and sealed joints protects the slab and the floors below. 7 steps Food plant floor section: thick seamless screed coved up the wall, anchored at a drain channel, with steam and water. Food, beverage & chemical floors Dairies, bakeries, beverage plants, pharma and chemical areas need floors that resist hot water, steam cleaning, thermal shock and chemicals without tainting food. Polyurethane-cement screeds (PurCem, Ucrete) with coved upstands are the usual answer. 7 steps Glossy speckled decorative floor surface with a section below showing the coloured layer, primer and concrete slab. Decorative floors Showrooms, offices, malls, lobbies and homes want floors that look good and still wear well. Options range from coloured epoxy with décor granules and soft polyurethane to terrazzo-look PU, coloured dry-shake and polished concrete. 7 steps Steel column base plate with grout poured from a raised box on one side, flowing fully underneath to the far side. Base plate & bearing grouting Steel columns, bridge bearings and equipment sit on a layer of non-shrink grout that carries the load into the foundation. Choose the grout by gap depth, mix it with only the specified water, and pour it continuously from one side. 7 steps Motor and pump on a steel bedplate, bedded on grout over a concrete block with bolts set in grouted pockets. Machine foundations & equipment bedding Generators, compressors, presses, pumps and turbines need a foundation that carries vibration and impact without loosening. The usual build-up is engineered concrete, anchored or grouted holding-down bolts, and a high-strength non-shrink bedding grout. 7 steps Existing concrete with resin-filled drilled holes holding new steel bars and a threaded rod fixing a steel plate. Chemical anchors, rebar & dowels Chemical anchors fix bolts, threaded rods and new reinforcement bars into existing concrete or masonry for extensions, railings, machines and services. Load capacity depends on the design, hole cleaning and base material, so safety-critical work needs an engineer. 7 steps Crane rail on a continuous grout bed along a concrete runway beam, with crane wheels running on the rail. Crane rail & runway grouting Overhead and gantry crane rails in workshops, steel mills and ports sit on grouted sole plates fixed with holding-down bolts. A high-strength, non-shrink grout with good fatigue and impact resistance keeps the rail level under repeated wheel loads. 6 steps

Pictures: MCT technical illustrations (schematic, not to scale). Solutions are drafts pending technical sign-off.