Berger Paints prides itself on being a long-standing, reliable partner to its customers. Be it with our exceptional range of paints, distempers, primers or waterproofing solutions and much more. You will find everything you need for the creation, protection as well as maintenance of sturdy, beautiful walls that will serve you well in the years to come.
One of the challenges you will come by, when it comes to houses in our country, is the issue of water-related damages. This could range from mild dampness, mould development to a fully compromised wall due to excessive cracks that may develop due to a plethora of causes, including water damage.
It is therefore the need of the hour to have a better idea about waterproofing solutions for the interior of your house. Today, you are about to read a direct account of one of our Customer Executives/Berger Personnel, who personally faced the challenges of a severe water-related issue and resolved them completely, much to the delight of his patrons. Get ready to take notes, as you are bound to find some interesting tips in here!
Having worked with Berger Paints for many years, water leakage solutions for interior walls are my forte, and I am quite familiar with common customer issues. The following case that I will relate is of a family who had tried many other interior damp proofing solutions, including products recommended to them by competitors. Still, the issues continued to plague them year after year, until one day, the lady of the house happened to come across one of our product videos on her Facebook profile. Curious, she badgered her husband to try once more, so he reluctantly got in touch with us via our call centre where he was relieved to hear that we offer a free consultation. It was here that he mentioned the recurrence of cracks in their walls, re-appearance of damp spots, especially near the bathroom and kitchen area, as well as visible but mild water damage on the ceiling which worsened during the rainy season.
As all these problems escalate pretty quickly over time when not tended to, I promptly decided to pay them a visit to have a consultation at the earliest. It was the middle of July and we were already well into the monsoon season when this request had come in. The first thing I noticed as I glanced at the address was that the house is located in an urban area close to a nearby lake. This already gave me a rough idea of the increased ground level moisture which could be worsening things for this family, especially in this particularly wet weather.
When I reached my destination, the first thing to strike me was that it was an 8-10 year old bungalow. On stepping in, I received a warm welcome, however, I noticed that the air felt heavy and had a distinct odour to it which was a clear indication that mould or fungus had already set in to a considerable extent.
I was given a tour of all the problem areas and just as was mentioned, the walls and ceiling were in dire need of being treated. The situation was pretty challenging as our workers would be operating during the monsoon.
As I investigated the walls, I noticed that it was around the bathroom and kitchen area where the dampness originated. This was also where greenish mould had developed on the entire surface of the wall. This was something that needed urgent fixing, so I suggested a treatment which would involve Berger Latex Shield 2k, which is a high performance waterproof coating used in wet-prone areas and Berger Home Shield Crack Fill Paste, which is highly adhesive while being flexible thus accounting for concrete’s ability to expand and contract.
But first, the source of the leakage had to be arrested, in this case, it looked like a leaking pipe. This meant that the surrounding tile area would have to be removed in order to treat it. After removing the tiles, two coats of Latex Shield 2k would do the job nicely, along with Crack Fill Paste for any cracks. This would be followed by Berger Tile Adhesive Plus which is an outstanding bonding cement and is used with tile grout to reapply tiles.
After this, it was crucial to provide an effective waterproofing barrier for the wall, this called for Berger Home Shield Waterproof Putty that is an excellent undercoat which, after curing, provides hydrophobicity (by which I mean the ability to repel water) to the surface and a smooth finish. Finally to arrest the development of micro-organisms and reduce water absorption, Berger Home Shield Dampshield 2k was proposed.
The next hurdle to cross was the ceiling, where water logging on the roof above due to the rains, was becoming visible inside the house as well. This was an area that needed Berger Advanced Latex Plus, but before that, it was important to first clean the roof thoroughly so cracks can be identified and filled with Crack Fill Paste. Post filling the cracks, we could go ahead and repair the roof with polymer modified mortar, an application of Advanced Latex Plus mixed with cement to ensure high performance waterproofing that can withstand the external elements. This would be followed by two coats of Latex Shield 2K, including on the parapets. A 2mm of solvent screed concrete would seal the deal well.
I also recommended an additional protective layer of two undiluted coats of Berger WeatherCoat Kool & Seal to ensure durability due to its good crack bridging property. This would also help keep the house cool in the hotter months.
To my relief, the family took my advice and decided to go ahead with my recommendations. It took the next couple of days for our team of highly skilled workers to execute these suggestions successfully. I made sure to oversee the job myself. Now, a year later, I am glad to say that it is monsoon again and that this family which also included an infant and two young kids are breathing clean air in their now-completely-dry home and have not had any complaints!
As they say, the proof is in the pudding, and it is these instances that make us feel elated to have served our customers. We hope the above account has inspired you to take a closer look at your house’s walls and ceilings too, because you can rest assured that we’re just a call away from being at your prompt assistance!
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