MR M L I ABEYSINGHE

18 SAMARAKKODI
MAWATHA,GAMPAHA (W P)
077-1230147
CM180
mliabey@gmail.com
033-2226021
623450295V
011-2882289
MR J A G R JAYALATH
42/3 NEGENAHIRA MAWATHA,
KIRILLAWALA, KADAWATHA
CM081
011011-2695721
MR. W.R.K.WANNIGAMA
150/2, DALUPITIYA Rd, MAHARA,
KADAWATHA
072-40002
CM083
643351579V
011-2522944

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Erica
Concrete and Cement (building material)
Do It Yourself (DIY)
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1.

How can we repair cracks in concrete

roofs?

I live in west Bengal, India. Concrete roof of my house has develop several cracks and and in
rainy season, water sips in through the cracks and damp patches appear on the upper wall of the
room. I don't have resources to bring down the whole roof and re-construct it. so can you suggest
me some ... (more)
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10 Answers

Rakshita Nagayach, Civil Engineer at Indore Municipal Corporation, SGSITS Batch 2015
Written Jun 10, 2015
Cracks in concrete must be repaired as soon as possible. Now that monsoon is approaching, it's
better to get the job done in no time. I believe you can go for any of these methods according to
your convenience:

Waterproofing: It will solve the water-dripping problem immediately, but it is not a

permanent solution. If the rains have already begun, get the roof waterproofed and later
get the proper work done.

Epoxy Grouting: I personally suggest you to go for this. It takes less time and is a proper
permanent and suitable method. The method includes:

1. Cleaning of the crack surface and removing any type of oily dirt or contaminants.
2. Widen the crack just a little to allow the grouting to occur at a faster pace.
3. Fill the epoxy grouting (from Epoxy Injection) and seal the surfaces immediately to
prevent epoxy gel from falling off. If Epoxy grouting cannot be done, you can do the
same using Plaster of Paris with water, ONLY if the crack is shallow and not widening.
When the gel dries up properly, paint the roof to give it a proper finish and to protect it
from dust and water.

Stitching Method: Holes are drilled at both the ends of the crack and 'stapled' using shortlegged u-shaped reinforcement unit. The holes are then filled by epoxy gel or non-shrink
grout.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the A2A Manish Gupta.
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Vinod Kumar Singh, Co-Founder @ www.happho.com

Written Nov 19
Roof reinforced cement concrete (RCC) slabs post casting are waterproofed(w/p),given
insulation layer (brick bat coba) and finally finished at top with a screed. It is the inherent
property of screeds made with Portland cement and sand to shrink during the process of drying
(as exposed to direct sunlight).
These shrinkage lead to crack on its surface,may or may not pass across its section/depth. As far
as possible have expansion and contraction joints on them, when the roofs are finished with
screed.
As there is leakages and visible crack on roof, it can be inferred that the waterproofing of the
RCC slab has failed or there might be chances that there was a never a waterproofing done
before on it.

Check the following before repairing the visible cracks (< 3mm) and do needful as guided
1. Screed De-bonding: Check soundness of top screed, look for di-bonding sings by
knocking it with fingers, if hollow sound appears, then you need to remove the entire
patch giving hollow sound and repair it with a repair mortar (polymer modified mortar).
2. Superficial cracks on Screed: Visible cracks not giving hollow sounds need to be
directly treated by creating a "V" groove (10 X 10 mm),clean the groove (with vacuum
cleaner and/or water jet) and finally sealing it with a Non-shrink repair mortar.
Post doing above (1 & 2) do water ponding on slab and check for damp signs (after 72 hrs.), if
none is observed you are through with its repair.
If dampness are observed you need to do w/p on entire area.
Redoing the w/p from the RCC slab will be cumbersome and expensive (need to break the built
up of Brick bat coba and concrete screed).
It can be avoided by providing an alternate treatment. After sealing the cracks, clean the entire
top screed surface thoroughly (dirt and deposit will de-bond the top water proofed layer applied
over it). Apply priming coat on the cleaned surface. Post application of priming coat, apply two
coats of an elastomeric waterproofing chemical (having Ultra Voilet ray resistance properties)
To check its waterproofing adequacy , do water ponding on slab and check for damp signs(after
72 hrs.).
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Bhuvanan Veeramuthu, 4.5 years into core construction and counting

Written Feb 6
The background: Your roof slab's concrete has shrunk due to insufficient curing / improper
lateral support.
Curing is the process of maintaining sufficient moisture to prevent concrete from losing water
due to internal hardening (setting / hydration)
Thus, it has lost its shape leading to development of cracks.
Temporary solution : Buy Tarpaulins to cover your roof, stitch them together and place them over
your house. Ensure you place sufficient weight over those sheets since you risk them flying off!!.

This works very well and you could see many buildings with such covers in Mumbai city.
Dont worry about the shabby look. Its a worthy temporary remedy.
150GSM tarpaulins are sufficient and there are many people who stitch them professionally.
After the rains get over, get professional water-proofing agents.
1. Ask them to first close the cracks with non-shrink grout materials by pressure grouting.
2. This will eventually close out all the crack.
3. Close all water outlets and stagnate water over terrace for 2 days.
4. If leaks / dampness are found inside the building, let the agency do the step 1 again and repeat
till no more leaks happen.
5. Now, you have come to a point wherein you are sure that the concrete slab itself is safe.
6. Now, do cement based water-proof screeding for a minimum of 50-70mm and do china mosaic
over it. China mosaic only and dont do for terracotta tiles or other refractory tiles based on the
advice by shopkeepers.
- this is laying concrete for 50mm thick
- then allowing it to set for 7-8 days
- doing tiling with broken tiles

7. Sprinkle water over this completed work for next 10days but dont stagnate water.
8. The output should be like this

Most of the professional water-proofing agencies will give 10 years guarantee for their work, if
all the related activities are done by them.
You can get in done in non-judicial stamp paper, and all agencies will do it.
However, do ensure the water-proofing agency in business for long enough, else the firm itself
my not exist in next few year and the stamp papers wont be of any use.

All the best.

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Rohit Kumar, Civil Engineer

Written Jun 9, 2015
If the structural integrity of the slab is not compromised, then you can use

Grouting (cement+bentonite+water mixture) with a waterproof admixture.

Bitumen carpeting (if u wanna save money, putting molten bitumen right in the fissure
could be a cost effective solution.

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Dobryden Mykhailo
Written Aug 10
Main - Roofing Repair!
As a rule, the concrete roof imply a shallow base, or, in other words, a flat plane.
Typically, concrete roofing are taking place in the garage buildings , industrial buildings
destination for residential buildings (flat roof).
Roof of concrete is given preference when there is no confidence in the same wooden structures,
or they are not provided in accordance with the process conditions.
But at the same time, even if your roof is made of high-quality concrete, we should not forget
that it will not function fully without proper waterproofing.
Forms for waterproofing concrete roof
Concrete roof requires the use of
materials for waterproofing

, can penetrate deeply into the surface, clogging any microcracks and pores available.
This is due to the fact that concrete has a high hygroscopicity and great ability to absorb
moisture.
Roof covering of concrete must possess characteristics such as:

resistance to mechanical stress;

independent of the vagaries of the weather and temperature changes;

waterproof.

Today, the market offers enables the consumer to choose the waterproofing of the four possible
options:
1. Okleechnaya insulation;
2. Obmazochnaya insulation;
3. Paint;
4. Sprayable.
When this material can be:

roll;

lubricative - mastics, varnishes, paints;

liquid rubber .

Which is better for waterproofing concrete roof

The easiest way to protect concrete roof insulation is considered to roll fusion.
Such materials are produced on the basis of glass fiber cloth, making them much safer than the
usual long roofing material.
To roll insulation was waterproof backing material is applied on the bitumen layer, and is often
covered with quartz powder.
However, there is one "but."
Not always roll waterproofing is reliable, as the seams and joints to the junction:

walls;

chimneys;

ventilation pipes, etc.,

It provides high-quality sealing.

As a result, the roof makes a leak.
A more reliable option may be surface waterproofing.
In this case, use special mastic that can be imposed by roller or brush.
However, the life of the finished insulation is also not a reliable anyhow - just five or six years.
Much the same can be said of painting materials.
Waterproofing concrete roofs and repair liquid rubber
Liquid rubber is worthy of special attention.
It is sprayed on the concrete surface of the continuous web, completely eliminating the presence
of joints and the ability to pass moisture, even over time.
Liquid rubber has a number of other advantages, which can not match the other insulating
materials:
1. Excellent adgeziynye properties that the liquid rubber can be applied perfectly to any
surface.
2. Elasticity, which guarantees the stability of the strain.
3. Resistance to burning and environmentally friendly.
4. The durability and practicality without the need for major repairs .
5. Easy to apply, allowing to save on the cost of the financial and temporary nature.
Moreover, phasing of work does not require any supernatural forces.
All that is necessary - it is:

prepare the surface - clean and dry;

implement priming;

Apply topcoat.

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Aurojyoti Prusty, d/dx(M)= S

Written Feb 11
If your roof is old enough to be wholly constructed, please do it.Because if more crack is there,
water may have rusted the steel inside, so weakening the roof as a whole. And if it's not, you
make your whole roof top rough upto 20 mm deep and make it somewhat wet.
Mix cement and sand in 1:2.5 ratio, add water and apply it to the rough surface. Do curing(give
water) for atleast 10 days to ensure no crack develops due to drying by making small pond over
it.
Make the finishing somewhat sloppy towards your drainage area, so water won't accumulate on
the roof.
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