7 Signs Your House Needs Waterproofing

Waterproofing failures rarely announce themselves. By the time water is visibly coming through a wall or ceiling, the damage has usually been building for a while.

Peeling or bubbling paint on an interior wall, especially on an external-facing wall, is often the first visible sign — moisture is getting through from outside and pushing the paint film off the surface.

A musty smell in a room that doesn't air out, damp patches that appear after rain but fade when it's dry, and white powdery residue on brick or plaster (efflorescence) are all signs that water is moving through the wall or slab.

On flat roofs and balconies, cracking or bubbling in the waterproofing membrane itself, ponding water that doesn't drain within a day or two, and any visible tears at joints or upstands all point to a membrane that's reaching the end of its life.

Rising damp — a tide-mark low on internal walls, often with crumbling plaster — is a different problem from roof or wall waterproofing and needs a different treatment, so it's worth getting an assessment before assuming any one fix will solve it.

If you're seeing more than one of these signs at once, it's worth getting the affected area inspected before the next rainy season rather than after.

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