Is Your Condo or Apartment Facing Water Leakage Issues?

A water leakage complaint from a downstairs neighbour can come as a surprise. So it’s best to act fast to maintain the peace and solve the issue before it gets worse!

There will come a time when you will be notified about persistent leaks in a high-rise building with many units all at once. In some cases, it may occur as early as the first few months or years after moving into a house. In either case, your downstairs neighbor might not be too happy about the situation, so find a way to fix the leak!

Here are 3 quick solutions you can use to waterproof your apartment or condo.

1. PU injections for a quick bandaid fix- if your neighbour agrees to it, of course.

This conventional waterproofing method will have a contractor pumping in chemicals into the ceiling of the affected floor! As you wait for the solution to dry, expect it to leak and splatter from these cracks.

Injections of Polyurethane foam are a method of waterproofing that involves drilling a line of holes on the ceiling that will be filled with expanding foam. Although it is not a hacking method, drilling, repainting, and the use of a loud mix-and-pump motor are still required.

In order to find the problem area, the contractor must inspect the leaking ceiling. Therefore, you’ll have to coordinate with your downstairs neighbor to let contractors in.

Whenever you live in a high-rise building with many units, you will eventually hear that there is a persistent leak coming from your unit. For some, it may come as early as the first few months or a few years after moving into a house. Either way, your downstairs neighbour might not be too happy about the situation and it’s best to find a way to get your water leakage issue fixed!

During the drilling process, your neighbor should be warned that fine dust and noise are likely to be generated. Consider this scenario: Your neighbor is probably very frustrated about the water leakage issue and just wants some peace. You could escalate the problem if you introduce a noisy, messy, and dirty procedure into their home, that they must schedule themselves! Waterproofing your bathroom without disturbing your neighbors is much better.

2. Epoxy waterproofing for a thick, waterproofing layer- that changes the overall look of your bathroom floor’s surface.

Laying down epoxy waterproofing coatings takes an experienced hand and special safety equipment to make sure the layer is even and covers the floor thoroughly. As you can see, it will change the overall look of the floor below.

You might get recommendations from friends to let contractors use the epoxy waterproofing methods on your floors. This technique coats the entire floor from wall to wall into one big layer that usually has a design. Because of its wide coverage, it’s a popular technique used in low-cost homes, public toilets and even car park areas.

This waterproofing method, however, will change the whole look of your bathroom or toilet. Because of the way it is applied and dried, the coating is irreversible after application.

Not to mention, some service providers might choose to first sand your perfectly fine tiled floors to create a rough surface. Some solutions require a very specific profile that allows the epoxy to properly bind and stay on the floor. So, expect your expensive tiles to get thoroughly scratched and damaged!