Water Seepage In The Walls

• Why water leaks through walls: the main reasons
• How to find a leak
• What can cause a leak
• Why cracks appear in the walls: common causes
• How Do You Fix Cracks In The Walls
• How Do We Stop Water Getting Into Walls?
• Seepage In Wall: How To Hide It?
• Waterproofing Your Walls: All You Need To Know

Water seepage is a process whereby water passes through a wall or flows from one place to another through small holes (cracks) or imperfections in porous materials. It is one of the most common problems for homeowners. In this situation, you need to carefully inspect the area and have the sealing wall cracks repaired to avoid more problems in the future.

Why water leaks through walls: the main reasons

Fixing cracks in concrete walls that leak can be caused by poor quality building materials used during construction or improper insulation. The outside walls of the building are regularly exposed to adverse weather factors that can provoke moisture seepage. If this problem is not solved in time, it can ruin the interior renovation.

Various factors can trigger moisture in the walls:

• A burst sewer, a leak in the kitchen or bathroom;
• Breakdown in the water line, plumbing, and drain pipes;
• Water leaking into the tile in the bathroom;
• improper plumbing work;
• unplastered walls;
• an increase in the water table on the property;
• lack of drainage;
• poorly finished window frames.

How to find a leak

Professional fixing of cracks in walls is done after identifying the problem. To identify the leak, you must take the following steps:

1. Locate water stains.
2. Identify the source of the leak. It can be old pipes, faulty plumbing, and more.
3. Call an engineer to see if there is a gap between the walls of your home and your neighbor’s.

Leaks can also sometimes be caused by poor quality building materials used to exterior plaster the walls.

What can cause a leak

Improperly waterproofing a wall from the inside often leads to leaks. Water often seeps through walls or ceilings because of its accumulation on the roof. More often than not, wet footprints are the result of faulty plumbing. Clogged gutters, broken vents, chimneys, windows, and doors can also be the problem. Sometimes the cause can be at a lower level – improper drainage of gutters, broken sprinkler pipes, or poor building alignment.

Whatever the source, any situation will require qualified wall seepage repair to effectively and quickly resolve the problem.

Why cracks appear in the walls: common causes

Fixing cracks in poured concrete walls can be necessary for various situations. Often these defects are due to several causes:

1. The building is very new. In this situation, cracks appear due to the shrinkage of the house. Cracks caused by shrinkage should be sealed only 12 months after construction completion. It applies in particular to wooden construction.
2. Settlement cracks in window and door openings. All houses shift a little over time. Where it’s thin, it tears – so there’s a good chance the weak spot will crack.
3. The structure has stood empty for a long time. Often these defects occur in vacation homes and those structures that have remained empty for quite a long time (more than a few months). The reason for the cracks is that the rooms do not have proper air circulation, as in a house where people live.
4. Improper installation of tape. During the installation of gypsum board sheets, a special mortar is applied between the panels, and paper tape is attached. The tape can eventually fall off if the solution is sparingly used. In its place, you can see a micro crack. If the crack is only one, you should take the glue and attach the tape. If it has fallen off several places, it is worth re-gluing it completely.

Regardless of the cause, it would be best if you did a qualified patching of the reason and the visible defects. If you ignore this process, it will provoke more severe problems. It is better not to delay the repair and immediately contact real professionals who know how to solve the problem so that it does not happen again.

How Do You Fix Cracks In The Walls

Use unique waterproofing solutions for interior walls to seal cracks. If the crack is deeper than ¼ inch, you should use a filler for the task before applying the jointing compound. You should first dilute the compound according to the instructions. It is then applied to the crack until the mass fills the defect. Next, tape and seam sealant is used to achieve a completely smooth and even wall. It is the easiest wall crack solution to handle.

If you want to entrust this task to real professionals, contact the right company.

How Do We Stop Water Getting Into Walls?

You can prevent structural wall cracks in the following ways:

• Install exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom. This equipment will help remove excess moisture.
• Do not dry laundry after washing inside the house. You can also put special dehumidifiers in the house that remove excess moisture from the air.
• Do not paint the walls during the cold season, as this leads to increased humidity inside the walls.
• When cooking in the kitchen, use extraction, ventilation, and other methods to quickly remove steam from the space.
• Make sure that window frames are installed at the proper angle so that rainwater does not accumulate but drains away from the soffits. You can seal openings with installation foam, rubber, and other things.

You may also want to consider adding more plants to the house that can soak up the excess moisture in the air.

Seepage In Wall: How To Hide It?

Cracks in walls and water running through them make a house ugly. If you want to hide it, here are some practical tips:

• If there is a leak at the bottom of the wall, you can hide it with furniture – just put a large sofa against the wall. At the same time, it is worth remembering that increased humidity can significantly damage the furniture’s upholstery.
• If the traces of the leak are at the top of the wall, you can cover them with a picture or a frame with a photo.
• Also, you can repaint the wallpaper where the moisture seeped.
• You can arrange a vertical garden on the wall to hide the traces of defects.

In any case, the above masking methods are only an extension of the capital solution to the problem. Good quality fixing water seepage in walls requires more thorough work to identify the source, solve the leak’s cause, and eliminate the visible signs.

Waterproofing Your Walls: All You Need To Know

Waterproofing house walls must meet the most important rule – it must not allow water to enter and must not prevent it from exiting. The bathroom should be the waterproofing center of the whole house because it is where a lot of moisture is concentrated. Any leakage of water can adversely affect the condition of the adjacent walls.

At the same time, interior wall waterproofing should be carried out. It would be best if you also remembered that external factors such as rain, snow, etc. might harm the house’s condition. In this situation, not only the walls in the bathroom should be waterproofed, but also other rooms.

You should also pay special attention to the ceilings – they can leak if the house is not properly waterproofed. These surfaces should be checked regularly, and problems should be corrected in case of leaks.ф