Waterproofing Tips to Prepare Your Home for the Rainy Season

For an older terrace with cracks, Astral Trubuild Rooftect Advanced is one option. It is a single-component PU acrylate coating that creates a seamless membrane and bridges cracks up to 2 mm. Any wider cracks should be repaired before applying the coating.

1. Clear the roof drains

Rainwater requires a clear path off the roof. Sometimes the outlets become clogged with leaves, dust, and plastic. As a result, rain accumulates on the terrace and puts pressure on the surface for days.

Trubuild lists poor drainage as one of the most common reasons for roof leakage for this very reason.

Clearing outlets is one of the easiest home waterproofing tips on this list. Do so by hand and remove all debris completely. Then pour a bucket of water near each outlet and observe how quickly it drains. A slow trickle typically indicates a partial blockage deeper in the pipe.

The good news is that this is also one of the easiest tasks on the list. Remove debris by hand, then pour a bucket of water near each outlet. If it drains quickly, you are good. If it trickles out slowly, there is likely a blockage further down the pipe.

Also check the slope. The surface should gently slope towards the outlets so that water drains completely. And before the rains begin, remove heavy items and pots from the terrace.

1. Analyse Damp Walls and Ceiling Stains  

Signs inside the house often appear before the terrace reveals anything. Learning to recognize these signs is one of the most valuable skills any owner can possess.

Trubuild’s guidance lists these as the common warnings:

• Damp or wet patches on walls and ceilings, particularly after rain
• Paint that peels, bubbles or becomes chalky
• A musty odor inside rooms
• Seepage around window frames, door frames or bathrooms
• Cracks on the roof, terrace, or external walls

If two or more of these appear together, consider it a cue to take action before the rains begin. 

The stain is not always located directly beneath the leak. Water can travel along a slab or a wall before it appears. Therefore, trace the patch back to its source before you repaint. A fresh coat of paint over damp only conceals the problem for a few weeks.

1. Seal the joints and cracks

Water typically enters where two surfaces meet. Examine closely at pipe openings, parapet joints, roof-to-wall connections, expansion joints, and drain edges.