Why it is important to waterproof the lift pit?
In order to preserve your property and save expensive remediation, lift pit waterproofing needs to be done correctly the first time. Since lift pits are especially prone to waterproofing problems,professional diagnosis, solution design, remediation, and preventative maintenance are crucial.
If you don’t have high-quality waterproofing in place, a lift pit is a crucial location of water ingress. Like a basement, lift pits extend below ground and are moist and susceptible to water seepage from the surrounding earth. Water has a propensity to seep in through cracks and rise until it reaches the level of the natural water table.
Water entering a lift pit can seriously compromise the lift mechanism, leading to frequent failures or full breakdowns, as well as increase dampness and mold throughout your structure, posing a severe risk to your health and safety.
If you don’t have high-quality waterproofing in place, a lift pit is a crucial location of water ingress. Like a basement, lift pits extend below ground and are moist and susceptible to water seepage from the surrounding earth. Water has a propensity to seep in through cracks and rise until it reaches the level of the natural water table.
Water entering a lift pit can seriously compromise the lift mechanism, leading to frequent failures or full breakdowns, as well as increase dampness and mold throughout your structure, posing a severe risk to your health and safety.
What are the methods of waterproof the lift pit?
A lift pit can be waterproofed in one of two ways: from the outside or from the inside.
The best way to safeguard the concrete, steel, and internal space is to waterproof from the outside, also known as positive-side waterproofing. Use the right application techniques when waterproofing your lift pit during pre-construction to obtain the best performance out of your waterproofing system. The catch here is that your waterproofing contractors must strictly adhere to the application guidelines.
The second option, often known as negative-side waterproofing, entails waterproofing your lift pits from the inside. This could be brand-new construction or it could be done as a part of a restoration project, depending on the project.
The number of calls we receive from multi-story building maintenance managers would surprise you (or perhaps it wouldn’t?). They frequently find themselves holding the bag since their lift pits have a history of poor waterproofing prevention and protection.
Most people, you see, believe it’s acceptable to simply coat the walls of the lift pit with a non-breathable coating to “waterproof” them, not realizing that doing so will only cause the coating to trap moisture and cause it to bubble and flake off the concrete surface, leaving their lifts with no real protection. The surrounding structure’s intrusive hydrostatic pressure keeps pushing through until there is a small leak, which develops into a larger leak that can be very expensive to fix and cause a public relations problem with the building’s occupants.
Unaware maintenance manager finds two feet of water in the lift pit when he arrives at work one morning. They must therefore shut down the lifts, attempt to remove this water, which can occasionally be very challenging, and then deal with the leak’s root source. At the same time, they’re also dealing with unhappy tenants.
The best way to safeguard the concrete, steel, and internal space is to waterproof from the outside, also known as positive-side waterproofing. Use the right application techniques when waterproofing your lift pit during pre-construction to obtain the best performance out of your waterproofing system. The catch here is that your waterproofing contractors must strictly adhere to the application guidelines.
The second option, often known as negative-side waterproofing, entails waterproofing your lift pits from the inside. This could be brand-new construction or it could be done as a part of a restoration project, depending on the project.
The number of calls we receive from multi-story building maintenance managers would surprise you (or perhaps it wouldn’t?). They frequently find themselves holding the bag since their lift pits have a history of poor waterproofing prevention and protection.
Most people, you see, believe it’s acceptable to simply coat the walls of the lift pit with a non-breathable coating to “waterproof” them, not realizing that doing so will only cause the coating to trap moisture and cause it to bubble and flake off the concrete surface, leaving their lifts with no real protection. The surrounding structure’s intrusive hydrostatic pressure keeps pushing through until there is a small leak, which develops into a larger leak that can be very expensive to fix and cause a public relations problem with the building’s occupants.
Unaware maintenance manager finds two feet of water in the lift pit when he arrives at work one morning. They must therefore shut down the lifts, attempt to remove this water, which can occasionally be very challenging, and then deal with the leak’s root source. At the same time, they’re also dealing with unhappy tenants.
What are the steps to be taken when you first detect the leaking in the lift pit?
The good news is that there is a low-cost approach to completely avoid this problem.
Nevertheless, let’s first discuss the actions you may take to waterproof your lift pit from the inside. The steps include: –
- Turn off the lifts.
- Determine the source of the leaks. This is important. Water always seeks the path of least resistance; therefore, the leaks might have been present for years. The “usual suspects” for water infiltration are cracks, joints, and poorly cemented concrete.
- Pumping the water out of your lift pit.
- Drying out your lift pit.
- It is essential for you to determine if there is an admixture or any other type of material on or within the concrete that could be disruptive to your repair, or could repel the coating that we recommend to use. Hopefully, the original engineer, contractor, or building owner will provide you with access to this data. If not, there are techniques, such core sampling, that can assist you in figuring this out. If so, we’ll require the findings from that core sample in order to determine what your best alternate solution is.
- Inspect the concrete, to check whether we need to repair it. Any cracks? Is the concrete so badly damaged that the reinforcing steel is visible? All of these are in need of urgent repair. Polyurethane injection or even a hydraulic cement, both of which are intended to block the flow of water, can be used to fix active leaks.
- Furthermore, patching and repair mortars should be used. Without extensive training, these kinds of waterproofing materials can be applied by simply mixing them with water. However, doing so carries some risk because, without a thorough understanding of waterproofing techniques and materials, the repair may not be as successful, leaving you back at square one.
- Protecting the surface from drying is essential after applying the waterproofing material. The waterproofing material needs to be allowed to cure for 72 hours on that surface.
Prevention has a huge return on investment?
We advise all building engineers, maintenance supervisors, and owners to pay the additional money up front to simply waterproof their lift pits with a premium material that contains no volatile organic compounds. By using this kind of material, you may avoid the yearly inconvenience, labour costs, and non-breathable coating costs, not to mention the much more expensive hassle of emergency lift leaks, which can also cause your building owner to lose valuable, reliable tenants.
Key Takeaways
An efficient solution design and skilled installation are required for optimal waterproofing. Our team at Structural Repairs (M) Sdn Bhd is well-trained and educated to work with all brands and types of
membranes. We would typically add a hydrostatic membrane to the lift shaft’s interior for lift pits, but we make sure that every solution design is properly suited to your type of property, the use of the building, and the location.
In Structural Repairs (M) Sdn Bhd, we will often do a site inspection to identify the leak’s main root cause prior to making a recommendation for the best course of action. Rapid action can aid in lowering the scope and expense of the required repair. We can assess the lift pits’ leaking problems and recommend the best course of action.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require more information. Our team will be happy and glad to assist you
Kindly visit to our website at https://structuralrepairs.com.my/ or contact us at Tel: +603-91731728/29 Whatsapp: +60 12-334 9113
In Structural Repairs (M) Sdn Bhd, we will often do a site inspection to identify the leak’s main root cause prior to making a recommendation for the best course of action. Rapid action can aid in lowering the scope and expense of the required repair. We can assess the lift pits’ leaking problems and recommend the best course of action.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require more information. Our team will be happy and glad to assist you
Kindly visit to our website at https://structuralrepairs.com.my/ or contact us at Tel: +603-91731728/29 Whatsapp: +60 12-334 9113
