It goes without saying that Bathrooms are the wettest area in most households. It receives a high volume of Water and Steam (Due to Geyser).
Waterproofing your Bathroom is a serious task and should not be considered an optional thing. Poor waterproofing of your bathroom leads to dampness in adjacent rooms, deterioration of bath wares, and leakages from the ceiling underneath.
Here we have provided 10 easy steps and tasks which improve your bathroom's life:
1. Use of Waterproof Material:
Do not use wood, Jute, or any organic plant-based material while making your bathroom. Such material may feel comfortable but will later lead to tons of issues such as an infestation of insects and mold, degradation due to high water flow, and poor cleanability.
It is advisable to use Marble or Tiles which are less affected compared to Organic material and they don't decay or rot.
While making your bathroom, avoid the use of plywood or MDF, instead, use PVC sheets or Acrylic sheets. PVC and Acrylic resist water better than Plywood.
2. Plumbing work to be done by an expert:
If you know a certain level of plumbing and fixed a couple of leaky taps in the past, do not try your hands on plumbing a new bathroom. It is not a "Do-it-yourself" level job and you need to invite an expert for this.
The biggest reason for inviting an expert is that any mistake can lead to a major loss of material and labor utilized in the creation of your bathroom.
3. Exhaust is a must:
Do install exhaust in the bathroom which makes sure that no moisture lingers for a longer period of time. It will help to remove excess steam and dampness before they settle on your furniture or doors.
Install a small exhaust for a bathroom with an area of less than 30 Sqft and install a bigger exhaust if your bathroom area is >30 Sqft. Also, do keep the Exhaust on while bathing and keep it running for 5-7 mins after shower.
4. Use Tiles to cover the walls:
Tiles are resistant to water and installing them on the walls will keep your walls protected. It will add some expense to the budget but will prove affordable in long run.
Also, it adds to the beauty of your bathroom.
5. Use cementitious 2K coating before Tiling and Painting:
On the concrete slab apply 2K cementitious coating. This coating will create a waterproof layer of 1000-1500 mm thickness and protect your floor and walls from any water ingression.
It is considered one of the most effective and easy waterproofing solutions for Bathrooms.
6. Use Epoxy grouting in Tiles:
Water does not leak from the tiles. Water leaks from the gaps joining the tiles. Do not use sub-standard cement grout or white cement to fill the gaps between your tiles. These materials have a short life and may open up in a couple of years.
Use Epoxy grout to fill the gaps between tiles. Being an epoxy compound in nature, these Grouts are highly waterproof and have a very very long life. Apart from waterproofing, it also reduces the wear and tear of tiling work, hence increasing the life of your structure.
7. Seal all Holes and Gaps:
Make sure to seal all unnecessary holes and gaps in your bathroom using silicone sealants. It is especially used to seal any gaps in doors or countertops.
Silicone is easy to apply using Caulk Gun. Do use non-acidic silicone as acidic one causes a highly pungent smell inside the bathroom. You can get a Neutral variant or a weatherproof variant that has no smell and are stronger than the acidic variant.
8. All Sanitary needs to be watertight:
All the faucets, cocks, and showers need to be sealed. There should not be any water coming from the couplings of your sanatory. It seeps down the wall tiles or paints and ruins the bathroom.
9. Use acrylic or PU paint:
Do not use normal paint while doing your bathroom walls. They have poor water-repellant qualities and will wear down in a couple of years.
10. Use water-resistant adhesives or epoxy for furniture:
To fix the furniture of your bathroom, always use high-quality water-resistant adhesives or epoxy which don't get weakened due to moisture.
That's about it. If you remain cautious of the above guidelines, your bathroom will be protected and enjoy a long leakless life.
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