MBR final low res

Malta Business Review
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
The Storm is over or is it not?
By Antoine Bonello
The heavy rainstorm has finally stopped but
we still have a long winter to go,
Not long ago I have received a phone call from
a dear friend and vivid reader of my articles,
which unfortunately I haven’t seen for years.
I did not recognise his voice at first and I was
a bit confused until my brain registered this
lovely and unexpected surprise. Surprises
can be good and bad but when it comes
to water entry inside our houses it is never
a nice surprise. Water entry is the result of
many things like poor DIY works, bad roofers
or materials or both. Structural movements
and carelessness is another factor, many
of us think that the roof should protect us
unconditionally without the need to do any
form of maintenance to it.
While good weather may seem like a relief,
the potential for water damage may just
be the beginning. Storm water runoff can
quickly overwhelm natural and manmade
systems, leading to flooding and property
damage. The most common damage from a
storm is to roofing and retaining walls, which
often results in water leakage that leads to
interior water damage and possible mould.
For homes that are connected, or semidetached,
damages on the roof or within the
walls can also cross property lines. In a natural
environment, storm water runoff is absorbed
Thermal waterproofing can easily be applied on congested roofs
Sealing of carpet membrane joints with resin and fibreglass
by soil and vegetation,
evaporates into the
atmosphere or flows
into bodies of water.
Urban development has
dramatically changed
this natural system.
Rainfall is nowadays
directed rapidly by roofs
and roads into pipes and channels leading
into wells or other water storage facilities.
The help of qualified experts in these
situations is of utmost importance. Only a
qualified roofer can provide you with a tailor
made waterproofing system that suits your
needs. The steps you take today to prepare
your home with proper waterproofing and
appropriate drainage system can help you
avoid time-consuming and costly repairs
when the bad weather does blow through.
The good news is that there are products
and techniques that can withstand UV rays,
high winds, sea salt corrosion and water
stagnation and can save you the ordeal or
constant maintenance and vigilance.
How Can You Protect Your Home from Storm
Water?
Most of the water intake from retaining
walls are simply related to the use of nonelastic
and non UV resistant paint that
becomes rigid and starts to flake and peels
off when subjected to Sun rays and building
movements. An easy way to avoid these
types of problems is by using a certified
UV Resistant and Elastic waterproof paint.
These certifications must be clearly visible
on the cans and are usually found only on
CE certified products. If in doubt consult the
product data sheet that nowadays are easily
available on the internet. The application
is important as the product itself, we tend
to believe that two coats of product is
sufficient to withstand our Mediterranean
climate and in many cases the primer is
left out. For optimal results the application
of a consolidating primer is required to
strengthen the sand and cement plastering,
together with a minimum of three coats
of product for an average consumption of
500g-1kg per square metre.
Roofs are no exception and before we apply
any form of protection we have to put into
the equation many factors such as its size,
the location (by the sea or inland) and its use
(BBQ and leisure).
Salt, wind and hail can easily damage plastic/
acrylic based membranes, while traditional
carpet bitumen membranes and cement
based membranes are too rigid and fail very
easily when subject to structural movements.
Resins membranes on the other hand are
proving to be the future; they are designed
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