The drip-dropping water, the seepage of water into the interior of the room, and the appearance of wall cancer on the walls are all symptoms of water leakage in a house. The most frightening thing about buying a house is that you might end up with a house that leaks water. Especially in Taiwan with its humid climate, if the water leaks into the interior, the quality of life will be greatly reduced. According to experts, the causes of indoor water leakage can be divided into cracks, insufficient filling of the concrete structure, and deterioration of plumbing or concrete, with the most common places of leakage being the bathroom, ceiling, window frames, and walls.
｜Leaking pipes are a common cause of bathroom leaks
When you discover that your bathroom is leaking, the most common reason is a burst pipe. However, it could also be caused by a problem with the waterproofing of the upstairs bathroom or kitchen floor. Therefore, you can determine this by observing the consistency of the leakage over time. For example, if the leak only occurs during peak water usage times such as showering, and the amount of water is not significant, then it is likely caused by a problem with the waterproofing on the upstairs floor. However, if the leak persists and the leak occurs below the toilet, basin, or drainage hole, it could be due to a broken home water pipe.
Kang Yongxin, General Manager of Da Xin Waterproof, stated that the reason for water pipe leakage may be improper selection of waterproofing materials, and the method for repairing water pipe leakage is to start from the point of water leakage and excavate the pipes along the pipeline route to replace them. Generally, water leakage usually occurs at the junction or bend of the pipes, or in cast-iron pipes used in older water pipes. Over time, oxidation can easily cause water leakage due to the rust. Since modern residential buildings are now commonly installing drainage pipes suspended from the ceiling of the lower-level residents, it is not necessary to remove the ground to repair the pipes.
｜Ceiling Leakage Consultation: Upper-floor Residents Check the Situation
Ceiling leaks can be divided into those in the top floor and those not in the top floor. If a top floor owner notices a ceiling leak, they must check the pipes in the roof water supply area or the water tower for any water leakage, and also need to repair the waterproofing work on the roof floor or around the rain gutter. For the ceiling leak problem in non-top floor units, it is usually related to the drainage pipes of the upstairs residents or the waterproofing of the bathroom and balcony floor. In such cases, a discussion must be held with the upstairs residents to work out a solution together.
The top floor’s waterproofing is poor, and the solution is to re-apply waterproofing to the entire roof surface. However, if there is water leakage on the upper floor, aside from asking the neighbors on the upper floor to help with the repair, since the house is old and has a long history, the early ceiling may have been made using cheaper magnesium oxide materials. It is recommended to use materials such as plasterboard or silica-lime board that are less likely to leak water, and to customize the ceiling by removing all the magnesium oxide panels and replacing the materials that are already damp. This will effectively prevent the house from leaking water.
Poor frame-sealing caused water leakage from the windows
Common window frame leaks can be divided into body leakage and structural crack leakage. If there is wall cancer on the inner walls on both sides of the frame, this condition is considered body leakage of the window frame. This is usually caused by the lack of airtightness of the window itself or poor sealing and aging of the frame’s external seams, which allows rainwater to seep into the interior through the gaps in the exterior wall tiles. It is recommended that you replace the window directly.
If the structural crack leaks water, you will see the crack on the wall. It is usually remedied using the high-pressure injection method. A machine is used to inject the injection agent (PU foam agent) into the crack. When exposed to water, the agent expands and fills the crack, and after the general finishing work is done, a new layer of waterproofing can be applied to the exterior wall to strengthen the protection.
｜Bathroom wall seepage requires a new waterproofing project
Water seepage from the walls is most common on the exterior walls of bathrooms; usually after taking a shower or cleaning the bathroom, the exterior walls around the bathroom are prone to water seepage at the corners, and there is also a risk of wall rot and paint peeling off. According to CEO Kang Yongxin, the most common causes of this problem are inadequate waterproofing for bathroom corners or improper selection of waterproofing materials, resulting in water seepage from the exterior walls of the bathroom.
The solution is to repair the crack by sealing the water leak and waterproofing the affected area. The problem area should be scraped off the wall to the structural layer, then filled with waterproof material, followed by work such as pouring concrete and sanding to smooth the surface. When reconstructing, the bottom layer must be waterproof to effectively prevent future wall cancer from recurring. If you don’t want to completely remove the wall, it’s recommended to at least distance it from the ground by 150 to 200 centimeters. The height at which water will splash when taking a shower on a normal day can also prevent water from seeping through the bathroom wall.
Tips:
Prevention is better than cure! To avoid having to repair a house after water leaks, it is essential to inspect the house when purchasing it. If you discover any water leakage issues, immediately ask the builder to fix them and have them re-inspect the property. Additionally, according to the Civil Code, the builder is responsible for a five-year warranty on the property until it is handed over to the buyer. Therefore, if you discover water leakage after moving in, you can request the builder to cover the warranty within six months. If the builder continues to fail to address the issue, you can send a registered letter requesting the builder to repair it within the deadline, preventing the builder from delaying matters.
Original website address:Minute by minute, how to fix a leaking house