Generally, homeowners need to spend a lot of money every year to repair the water damage of their house. The water damages may include the water leaking of the second floor or the roof. That is why it is always a better option to make the second floor waterproof.
If you want to waterproof the second-floor balcony of your house. Firstly, you need to examine the floor condition. Then you need to prepare the floor surface that you want to waterproof.
If there are any holes or cracks. It would be best if you sealed them up. In order to finish the whole process, you need to focus on in-depth details.
So, in this writing, we explain the step-by-step process of how to waterproof a second-floor balcony and every detail about the hidroizolatie balcony. Keep reading.
Step 1: Test the Condition of the Floor
To waterproof the balcony or the roof, the first thing you need to do is to test its condition. In some cases, people skip this step.
As a result, it leads to a severe problem afterward. For that reason, when you will plan to waterproof the balcony’s floor, you also need to test the floor first.
When you test or examine the floor, you may find so many leaks and holes. Usually, holes and cracks are easy to find.
But sometimes, leaks are quite impossible to spot. So, there are some ways to find out those leaks. Once you find those leaks and holes, you need to seal them before going for the main process.
In some cases, you will also notice some moulds inside those areas. Sometimes those moulds are not very easy to spot.
They hide inside the holes, cracks, or leaks. But there are some common spots where you can easily look for those moulds. They are mentioned in the following list:
- Any visible spots on the balcony
- Any cracks or holes in the balcony
- Tiny leaks in the roof
- Damp in the roof
Step 2: Prepare the Floor for Waterproofing
The next thing you need to do is to prepare your floor for waterproofing. Before preparing the floor, you need to make sure that the floor surface is neat and clean.
If you find any dirt or debris, try to clean it as much as you can. If possible, you can use a vacuum cleaner to wash the surface.
It would be best if you remembered that dirt and debris would disrupt the process of waterproofing. If there is any dirt on the floor, it will not let the membrane bond in the floor.
As a result, you will be unable to create a smooth surface. Therefore, you should always prepare the floor before applying the waterproof membrane.
Step 3: Seal Up the Cracks and Holes
In this step, you need to find out all the cracks and holes in the balcony floor. And it would be best if you sealed them up with polyurethane sealant. Polyurethane sealant or concrete substance like cement is a great one to seal the cracks and holes of the floor.
If you find out any joint in the walls or floor surface, you can apply those sealants. You have to make sure that every tiny little crack and joint is sealed properly before moving on to the next step. If you need to apply cement for big cracks or holes. You should wait at least 24 hours to dry them up.
Step 4: Apply an Extra Layer of Primer
After waiting 24 hours, the next thing you need to do is to apply an extra layer of primer to the floor. This is one of the most important steps that you should not skip.
You will find various types of primer in the marker. But you need to choose and select a good quality primer for your floor.
To apply it to your floor, you need to mix it up with the mixture. Then you can use a brush or roller to apply it to the floor.
Once you are done, you need to wait some hours to let them dry. After waiting few hours, you can apply the second layer of primer.
Usually, the primer mixture takes 2-3 hours to dry completely. If you think the primer is still wet, you should not apply another layer of primer.
It would be best if you waited few more hours to let them dry. Applying another layer of primer to the wet surface will ruin the whole primer layer.
Step 5: Apply the Waterproofing Membrane
When you seal the cracks and holes by applying the polyurethane sealant, it will only help the floor keep out the moisture.
It will not be enough for waterproofing unless or until you are applying the waterproofing membrane. It would be best if you used a liquid membrane and the PVC waterproofing membrane.
Firstly, you need to put the PVC waterproofing membrane in the joint areas. After that, you need to apply the liquid membrane. After applying, you need to let them dry and wait few hours.
Once it dries, you need to apply the second layer of the membrane. You have to repeat this same process in every single crack and joint area.
Step 6: Finishing the Waterproofing Process
The final step is also crucial. Sometimes people skip this step, and as a result, the waterproofing will not work that way. That is why another final layer of liquid waterproofing membrane helps a lot in this case. You can simply use a roller or brush to apply the final layer of the membrane.
While applying the finishing layer, you should be very careful. If there are still any visible cracks or joints, you just need to cover them with the finishing layer.
You can also cover the edges with mesh tape and then apply the second layer. Once it is done, you will have your waterproof second-floor balcony.
The Bottom Line
If you want to avoid any kinds of water damage on your balcony’s floor, you should go for waterproofing the floor. But in some cases, maintaining a waterproof balcony can be critical and complicated. For that reason, it is always advisable for you to hire a professional to handle those for you.
You can also do it by yourself if you know how to do that. But generally, it may seem very difficult for the person who is doing it for the first time. Hopefully, this writing will help you to Waterproof a Second Floor Balcony of your house.
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