The most common mistakes when waterproofing a façade

Often, when problems of damp caused by fissures or cracks in façades arise, hasty decisions are taken to solve the problem quickly, without taking into account other criteria such as its duration over time, its aesthetics or its effectiveness, which, in the long run, can lead to greater problems and costs. With the aim of avoiding these uncomfortable situations as far as possible, Molins wanted to explain some of the common mistakes that are made when waterproofing a façade.

The first of these involves using acrylic paints as an express solution when dampness penetrates the façade through cracks and crevices and is transmitted to the interior of the home. Although, a priori, these help to close the pores or seal them, they are normally paints designed for terraces and pavements that are not effective in solving the problem on façades or, at least, in a lasting way.

In addition, these paints also fail to even out the irregularities of the wall and, if damp is adhering to it, blisters and flaking will soon appear which, as well as requiring the problem to be dealt with again, will make the façade look unattractive and old-fashioned.

Likewise, due to its durability and poor aesthetic appearance, another mistake is the use of expanded polyurethane. This material, which forms an insulating and waterproofing skin on the façade, ends up deteriorating due to the effects of the weather, losing its waterproofing properties. Likewise, its breathability is practically non-existent, which means that dampness from the interior can also cause it to detach.

Another of the most common mistakes is to resort to corrugated sheets. These, which have evolved into what are known as ventilated façades, hide cracks by preventing the façade from coming into contact with rainwater, but they can also cause problems if their anchorages or overlaps are not properly sealed. In addition, they are not breathable and are not particularly attractive.

Solutions that protect, repair and also beautify

However, what the general public is not aware of is that there are already complete, fast, effective and economical solutions that are being used by architects and engineers to waterproof the surface, repair cracks and renovate the aesthetics of the building. All this in just five days and without the need to incur the costs associated with rubble removal, as no chipping of the façade is required.

This is the case of the Propam® Renovación Antifisuras system, a solution composed of several layers that slow down the degradation of the façade and its ageing, being permeable to vapour and impermeable to rainwater, which eliminates damp. It can also be installed on different substrates such as block, concrete, cement mortar, lime mortar, natural stone, insulation panels or plastic paints as long as they are well cleaned and adhered, and has different finishes with textures and colours that provide a new and improved image to the building.

According to David Rodríguez, a Molins technician, “when we think of a solution to put an end to the damp that causes cracks and fissures in the façade, we must consider a complete solution that restores the building’s healthy appearance and puts an end to the problem permanently. In this way, we will not only improve the comfort of those who live inside the building, but we will also stop the building from ageing, thus revaluing the building in the broadest sense of the word”.