28 Mar Subterranean Wall Finally Withstanding Heavy Rain

Subterranean Wall Finally Withstanding Heavy Rain

To no surprise with the consistent rainfall that has stuck around for most of the month in the Brisbane region, numerous properties are starting to feel the effects of all the persistent rain.

Recently Waterstop Solutions tended to a home that identified with some unusual building details that made the remedial process all the more challenging for everyone involved. The property is located in one of the hilly parts of Brisbane and like many buildings in hilly areas, this building is partially built into the hill.

The subterranean retaining wall that was leaking a noticeable volume of water into the client’s bedroom and storeroom area located on the interior side of the wall. As a result of the persistent water ingress, the property’s wall sheeting and carpet in the affected rooms began to show considerable signs of water damage. It is not uncommon to find signs of mild to severe water ingress issues in older and newer style homes with subterranean retaining walls.

On our initial inspection, Waterstop Solutions recommended the client to engage RTL Trades to help redirect rainwater away from the house. RTL Plumbing installed AG pipes to the property, which were working very well during normal rainfall, however, struggled to drain the high volumes of water quickly during heavy downpours. Consequently, this allowed the quick build-up of water to seep in through the floor to wall joint of the subterranean wall causing damage to the interior features of the rooms.

Fortunately, the problems occurring were able to be effectively treated by Waterstop Solutions, however, this process was not completed without its challenges due to the property’s nonstandard method of construction. While the wooden framework remained in place, the preparation work took only a surprising 8 labour hours to be completed prior to the start of the waterproofing works.

Catering to the property’s needs, we recommended the following scope of works:

• Installing a bed of flexible wet/dry epoxy to the rebate in the floor to wall joint.
• Applying a waterproofing membrane to the total height of the affected bedroom and storeroom walls plus rebate
• Injecting a flexible and durable polyurethane into membrane termination vertically up to approximately 2.4 metres high on return in blockwork wall to form a deep seal in the wall itself to complete termination of waterproofing.

Since completion of the recommended works to the property, positive feedback has been reported on both the condition and quality of the waterproofing systems installed. During recent periods of heavy downpours, the client has reported that since the completion of the works, the area has successfully managed to stay bone dry!