In building construction, waterproofing is one of the most fundamental exercise that ensures that a structure is water-resistance to safeguard its structural integrity.
Likewise, it is very important to waterproof a bathroom or else water leaking into your floor and wall spaces can rot structural timbers and cause damage.
Here is a step-by-step guide to waterproofing your bathroom floor:
1.Clean the floor
It is important that before you start waterproofing your bathroom or any other floor you clean it to remove dust. proceeding with Waterproofing without cleaning the floor may affect the adhesion of coatings, says Eng. Stefano Agnetti, Head of Kimia Technical Department.
2.Apply the primer
Primers enhance adhesive bond strength of both sealants and membranes.A primer or undercoat is a preparatory coating put on materials before painting.
Priming ensures better adhesion of paint to the surface, increases paint durability, and provides additional protection for the material being painted.
Apply the primer using a paint roller, start in the back corner and work your way around the walls to a height of about 20-30cm. Then apply it to the entire bathroom floor.
3.Seal gaps with silicone
Wait until the primer is dry them seal all the cracks and small holes and any gaps you notice between the bathroom floor and the wall.The silicone is left to dry for 24 hours before actual waterproofing starts
4.Apply masking tape to the wall
Next, apply masking tape around the wall to the level you want to make waterproof.
5.Apply waterproofing agent
Begin at the back corner of the bathroom. By using a roller apply the waterproofing agent on the wall to the height of the masking tape. Then apply it around the width of the paint roller where the wall meets the floor.
6.Apply the waterproof membrane
Cut a length of the membrane material to a length you are comfortable working with. Then, Lay the membrane on a flat surface (if available) and peel the paper away from the adhesive side to half the width of the sheet.
After you have covered all of the membrane on the walls and bathroom floor with the waterproofing agent, paint the rest of the floor. Then leave it to dry for 24 hours.
7.Last coat
After letting the waterproofing agent dry, apply a final coat of waterproofing to the walls and bathroom floor with a brush or roller. You’ll need to let this second coat dry another 24 hours before it’s ready.
And that’s the process of waterproofing your bathroom floor.