Worried About Wall Seepage? Here is How You Can Get Rid of This Common Problem

India is a tropical country and receives a considerable amount of rainfall every year. Now, while this may seem to be a blessing for your garden plants, it is terrible news for your house or apartment. Prolonged exposure to heat and rainfall results in the development of cracks and fissures on the walls of your place. Most old-fashioned Indian homes are not well-built to resist wall seepage. Neither are they well-equipped to bear the brunt of erratic climatic changes of the recent years, which lead to the collapse of many old buildings damaged by water leakages. So, what seems to be a mere crack on the surface wall may eventually bring in the destruction of an entire building. 

Wall seepage refers to a condition in which liquids (mainly water) flow through the porous materials, cracks, and holes of your house, creating damps on walls and ceilings, giving it an unpleasant look. In addition, the percolating water slowly corrodes the iron base of your home, disintegrates the bricks, and weakens the structure. 

Are you worried regarding seepages? Read to know what you can do to protect and safeguard your house against these.

Common Reasons Behind Wall Seepage

Water seepage through walls may occur due to underlying construction issues like usage of poor-quality raw materials or inadequate adherence to waterproofing measures during the construction process. In addition, prolonged exposure to severe climatic conditions, mainly heavy rainfall, may lead to cracks in the outer walls of buildings and houses. If not repaired on time, moisture and water seepage through these cracks may eventually dampen the interior walls of homes. 

Seepage Of Water in Walls May Also Occur Because Of The Following Reasons:

1. Leakage from bathrooms, kitchens, water tanks, or sewage lines
2. Faulty internal plumbing
3. Leakage from drain pipes, sanitary fitments, and water supply lines
4. Accumulation of water on roofs due to poor outlets
5. Water seepage is common in buildings where the outer walls are not plastered
6. Water percolating through gaps between tiles in bathrooms.
7. Moisture from the ground can rise above ground level and damage floors and walls. 

How Does Wall Seepage Affect Your House?

Water seepage on walls can harm your house in ways beyond your imagination. Besides giving an unpleasant look, seepage affects the paints and plasters on the internal walls. In addition, it leads to dripping ceilings and dampened walls and floors. So, it won’t be surprising if you catch a cold quite frequently while living in such a house.

Iron bars that form the base of your house eventually start to rust, bricks disintegrate, and your structure loses its strength. Heavy rainfall may also lead to flooding of rooms because of continuous seepage of water through floors, walls, and ceilings. 

Wall seepage damages both tiles and wallpapers. Prolonged seepage may lead to tiles falling off the walls. In addition, damps and moistures make it easy for moulds to develop. This severely restricts the scope of decorating your house since humidity may affect your place’s wooden and iron furniture. 

How To Hide Wall Seepage?

Wall seepage gives your room an unpleasant look. This may leave you embarrassed in front of guests, relatives, or other neighbours. To avoid such undesirable situations, you can try the following tricks for hiding wall seepages:

•  Place massive furniture to cover the dampened part of the wall. Avoid placing wooden or iron furniture as moisture affects both wood and iron.
• Install a painting. Besides concealing the seepage, this would add an abstract and glamourous look to your room.
• Create a vertical garden. You can even use artificial plants for this.
• Place a massive sculpture or statue to hide the seepage.
• Repainting your place with the help of a painting expert with high-quality paints that let moisture escape.

Paint For Seepage Walls

Repainting is often considered the best solution for wall seepage. However, it is essential to realize that repainting does not fix the root cause of the seepage. While this momentarily can help you get rid of dampened walls, the solution is not permanent. Damps would return soon until you address the root cause of the seepage or leakage.
Read: 13 Ways to Save Energy at Home

Painting may not offer a long-term solution to the problem of wall seepage. However, several industry experts have recently introduced a range of high-quality paints and painting procedures that help effectively treat dampened walls. For example, Berger Paints India uses a moisture meter to investigate and identify areas of your house that require treatment and fixation. Accordingly, dirt and debris are removed, cracks are filled, and waterproof putties are applied. Finally, premium quality paint is used to give your walls a glossy finish.

Water Seepage in Walls Treatment

Fixing water seepage in walls is essential to prevent further damage to your house or building. Moisture and seepage corrode the iron bars that form the base of buildings and homes. This reduces the longevity of your apartment and makes you compromise with your living styles and standards. To get a permanent solution against wall seepage, it is essential to address the root cause of the leakage at the earliest. 

It is important to note that leakages and seepages from different segments of your house need to be treated separately. For example, the way you treat seepage in bathroom walls may not be the ideal way to treat seepage on exterior walls or floors. It is equally significant that we address the root cause of the leakage. For example, treating dampened walls without fixing the leakage may lead to the eventual reappearance of damps and patches on walls. It is, therefore, necessary to identify and resolve the root cause of the leakage and treat each dampened segment separately to get the best result possible.

Interior Wall Seepage Solution

Interior wall seepage begins on ceilings or near doors and windows where cracks develop first. It is essential to note that damages and fissures on exterior walls, when left untreated, gradually lead to internal wall seepage and damps. The use of inferior quality paints is another reason behind wall seepage inside houses.

What can be done?

1. Use high-quality, water-resistant paints containing elements like silicon that provide extra strength to areas prone to seepage.
2. Seal the gaps between window and door frames and walls.
3. Remove the plasters from the dampened areas and apply a layer of white cement or mortar or any other waterproof material. The site needs to be plastered again, and one must use high-quality paints to prevent further damage.
4. Immediate repair of cracks and fissures with cement and mortar and other water-resistant materials.
5. In the case of water leakage from taps or tanks, those need to be individually addressed.
6. Building cavity walls. It consists of two parallel walls with a gap or cavity in between. It prevents the transmission of moisture or dampness from the exterior l to the interior walls. 

Exterior Wall Seepage Solutions

Prolonged exposure to heavy rainfall and heat often leads to the development of cracks and fissures on the outer walls of buildings. It allows water to enter these cracks and crevices, causing damps and seepages. Leakage from pipes and cisterns, not plastering the exterior wall well, usage of poor-quality raw materials, and other construction issues can also lead to seepages on the outer walls of houses.

What can be done?

1. The outer wall should be plastered with suitable quality materials.
2. Using premium quality water-resistant paints containing silicon to paint the exterior walls at regular intervals.
3. Grunting may be done to waterproof pipes, cisterns, etc. to prevent leakage of water
4. Methods like shot concrete or pressure grouts (cementation) can help prevent external wall seepages
5. Cracks and fissures on exterior walls need to be immediately repaired with mortar or other water-resistant materials.

Solutions For Seepage from Ceilings

Water seepage from ceilings occurs mainly due to the accumulation of water on roofs. Blocked outlets or through cracks from the terrace or water leakage from the apartment’s bathrooms above.

What can be done?

1. Repairing the cracks on ceilings using cement, mortar, or other durable materials.
2. Application of waterproof putties and coatings after sealing the cracks.
3. Cleaning and clearing outlets, drainpipes, and rainwater pipes for smooth passage of water.
4. In case of water leakage from the apartment above, you can request the residents to fix the problem at the earliest.

Sidewall Leakage Solution

Buildings encounter seepage from side walls mainly because of faulty plumbing. In addition, prolonged exposure to rainfall and other climatic hazards often leads to cracks and fissures on the sidewalls of buildings and houses. It leads to water seepage and dampened walls.

What can be done?

1. Early detection of the cracks and fissures can prevent interior wall seepage.
2. Grunting can be done to waterproof pipes, cisterns, etc., to prevent leakage of water.
3. Addressing the faulty plumbing conditions.
4. Repairing the cracks and fissures at the earliest with cement or mortar.
5. Damp-proofing treatment may be done. Here, cement or mortar is mixed with compounds like chalk, talc, etc., to fill the pores present in the concrete and make them waterproof.

Bathroom Wall Leakage Solution

Wall seepages in bathrooms may occur due to leakages of taps, pipes, and other sanitary installations. Gaps in tiles may lead to water seepage on adjoining walls.

What can be done?

1. Mend the leakage at the earliest.
2. Fill gaps and cracks on floors, walls, and tiles with cement, mortar, or other water-resistant materials.

Solutions For Floor Seepage 

Moisture rising from the ground can cause wall seepage and water seepage through the cracks on the floors. They wear out tiles and concrete and, therefore, need treatment.

What can be done?

1. Paving the floors with waterproof materials. 
2. Ensure that there remains no gap between tiles and floors.
3. Install a damp-proof course. Here, a preventive barrier of waterproof material is constructed into the wall to prevent moisture from the ground from rising and damaging the floors and walls. 

Tips And Tricks to Prevent Wall Seepages

Repairing wall seepages is a tedious and costly process. The best way to protect and secure your house is to prevent such seepages and leakages. Follow the tips below to ensure the same:

1.  Using premium quality, water-resistant paints to paint both external and internal walls at regular intervals.
2. Using suitable quality materials for plastering the exterior walls
3. Periodic inspection of pipelines, drainage systems, and other sanitary installations for early detection of leakages.
4. Ensure proper ventilation of rooms. 
5. Regular cleaning of pipelines and other rooftop installations to prevent accumulation of water on rooftops.
6. Fast repairing of developing cracks and fissures with cement, mortar, or other water-resistant materials.
7. You can do modern techniques like grunting, pressure grout or damp-proofing installation for long-term protection.

Wall seepages, if left untreated over the years, can lead to the eventual disintegration of houses and buildings. If you, too, are facing a similar problem, do not worry. Are you planning to buy a home? Learn what you need to check to prevent seepages in the future. NoBroker has made their expert advice available to you free of cost! Contact them and see which method suits you the best or what you need to look for while buying a new apartment. Hurry! If you are facing a wall Swwpage and looking to paint your walls just Contact NoBroker Painting services just click below to find out more.

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