Bitumen waterproofing is not a new thing in tropical asia countries like Sinag. .Over the years, bitumen waterproofing membrane remain as preferred waterproofing material simply for the reason that it is effective and durable, especially for the hot country like Malaysia. Bitumen waterproofing membrane could be in liquid or roll on form material.
Application of the Bitumen Waterproofing Membrane
In the market, roll on bitumen waterproofing membrane is more widely used. The application for the roll on bitumen waterproofing membrane could be self-adhesive type or torch on method. Due to the durability, the market always prefers the torch applied method. More often, it has been called as torch on membrane or torch applied membrane
Before the torching of the bitumen waterproofing membrane, surface preparation is one of most crucial process. During the surface preparation stage, installer will check the surface thoroughly, patch the pot holes with chemical treated mortar, remove all the loosen particles, check the floor leveling, high pressure wash the entire floor area to remove the algae, fungus and contamination.
Subsequently, the installer will apply the bituminous based primer coating at the entire surface. This primer coating will act as the 1st layer of waterproofing to seal up those cracks and pores at the surface.
Once it is done, the installer will start to torch the membrane across the entire floor surface. It is a flexible system, able to maintain its waterproof capacity without causing cracks.
See the general bituminous membrane build-up below.
Applications
- Retaining walls, basements and below-ground structures
- Flat roofs under protective layers of ballast
- Balconies and terraces under tiles
- Wet areas
- Underground car parks
- Bridges
- Raft slabs and foundations
- Protection of various substrates in a wide range of applications
Advantages
- Fully-bonded system
- Resistant to the most extreme weather conditions
- Ease of maintenance
- Excellent mechanical properties
- High resistance to mechanical damage and punctures
