Seepage Issues in Pakistan

Seepage Issues in Pakistan

I live in an apartment and I have seepage issues in my Karachi based apartment. Anyone who lives in Karachi can tell you the pain and waste of money and other resources to fix seepage. On the top, don’t forget the arguments with the neighbors. These neighbors become your family friends but when it comes to seepage, they don’t give a damn about it! Why is that? It has happened to me and I am sure you can relate this to your dwellings as well. This issue is not just a Karachi issue. It’s an issue all over Pakistan. I interviewed online with one of my vendors MH Sons, based in Gujranwala, who has told me that the issue is also common in Punjab. Since MH Sons is based Gujranwala, who has handled various seepage issues in Lahore, Gujranwala, and surrounding areas. Expert on Seepage Issues in Pakistan This article is written with the assistance and collaboration of MH Sons. In this article we will try to find out issues and solutions on seepage from our experts MH Sons. You can visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MhsonsCO/. MH Sons Co, a Real Estate Construction Company based in Gujranwala, with its branches in multiple cities of Pakistan. Established in 2010. They are dealing in construction, sales & purchase of real estate, interior and exterior designing for the locals and Overseas Pakistani’s as well. You can always email them or call them at your leisure time. Any homeowner or lease owner need to self-educate about these small renovation work. Homeowners Seepage Issues in Pakistan Do you know why real estate market is always booming? People use cash to purchase home or build houses. Cash is liquid. Cash is king. Cash is power. You simply can’t deny it. You get the drill why I am emphasizing about cash is this and cash is that!!! Pakistani homeowners are often concerned about water and ground seepage. Since the buying power is pretty low in Pakistan; owners use low quality materials that were utilized in construction and construction regulations were not followed. The water can seep through the ground or a wall due to this. It is the contractor’s job to properly examine the project and audit their own work on a daily basis. Having said that, contractors are not 100% to blame for. If you are not supplying with high quality material then the contractors don’t give attention to the whole project. Contractors will simply focus on the delivery and not the quality. Homeowners and commercial property owners supply cheap materials to contractors. The owners believe that buying a cheap material is enough to build the house. Oops, you just wasted and guttered your hard earned cash. Please stop blaming contractors because you as an owner don’t know jack about construction. Protect Your Cash!!! Well, I was too harsh on the owners. The failure to take water proofing precautions seriously throughout the construction process is another cause of seepage. The concrete in building's exterior walls are exposed to the elements, extended exposure to precipitation or any kind of weather condition can cause cracks in the outer coating and allow moisture and water to seep into the wall. The walls become moist as a result of the seepage. If wall seepage is not addressed quickly, this issue penetrates into the interiors, destroying the paint on the walls, the wood, and even the steel.   Factors that contribute to seepage Common causes of seepage A leak in the water tank, bathroom, kitchen or sewer pipes. Water supply lines, sanitary fixtures, and drainage pipes leak. Badly installed bathroom tiles and the use of subpar grouts. Poor plumbing systems. The exterior walls are not plastered. Ground moisture that rises causes flooring and wall seepage. The lack of drainage pipes makes it possible for water to accumulate on the roof or balcony. Defective window frames or liners may also be the cause of seepage in walls. Broken caulking at the window seams, a lack of paint seal around the glass' edges, and cracked putty between the panes can all result in seepage or moisture and allow water to trickle in. Poor construction quality Ignorance of Damp Proof Course (DPC) levels Improper Waterproofing Ground Moisture Cracks in exterior walls Leaky Plumbing    What is Damp Proof Course (DPC)? It’s a chemical solution layer that is laid out on walls of the plinth where the walls will be erected. DPC is not a new technology. It is a small expense that is necessary to conduct to stop seepage. Let’s say you have not done DPC and your contractor is missing out on these small but important things; you can actually insert several seepage rods into the walls where the seepage occurs. It takes about 6 months to stop the seepage after rods insertion. After 6-months you will be able to see walls drying up. It’s a slow process but every effective. Check out an image how DPC is done. There are tons of videos out there on search engines. DPC is important but again when living constructing a house in Pakistan; the issues comes to the material. Pakistani market does not have good material that can actually do the job. Even if the materials are available; then there are no labours or even contractors to do the job right. These labours and contractors are simply not trained and not educated. For this unskilled labour and shortages of high quality building materials, the construction charges goes up. No wonder people always complain about contractors. Some homeowners have experienced heist in the beginning of the house while living in grey structure without paved ground floor. As I say all the time; it is hard to trust someone with your hard earned cash in contractor’s hand. So, a homeowner must visit construction site every day from 9-5. As a homeowner, you can also hire someone to be on site from 9-5 every day. Your health as well as the beauty of the home are both negatively impacted by seepage through walls. While a home with significant wall seepage is unsightly, it also causes wet walls and floors, which can be harmful to your health. Wall seepage damages the paints, the wall coverings, and in extreme circumstances, even the tiles. Additionally, this spreads to deteriorate the household's heavily used furnishings, particularly wooden furniture. The growth of fungus and mould on damp walls also has an effect on your health. Seepage through walls is bad for the longevity of the house's structure since it eventually affects the foundation, which includes the iron bars, bricks, and other building materials. Water pipes used in construction for water usage are several and some are cast iron, plastic, PVC, steel, and copper. We will discuss these different pipes in a different article. Stop Hiding Pakistan's Seepage Issues Now, here comes the scary part. How ironic is this that homeowners are investors but are not investing in high quality building materials. Honestly speaking, no one is to blame. The construction industry has not matured in Pakistan. The new technology, high quality building materials, and most important skilled labour is not introduced in the Pakistani market. We do not take these labours as humans but rather a person where can give our zakat. Middle class of Pakistan literally think that these labours are an official and certified zakat holders. No, they are not. They just don’t have access to basic education, health, and whatever the world has to give. Stop blaming your contractors. Contractors in Pakistan do not do any actions until homeowners nod their heads and give green signals to use cheap materials. Contractors are not investors. They are simply your developers who are there to erect a building. You tell them what needs to be done. You can hire a firm to do that for you. If you are handling a contractor directly; then you as a homeowner need to self-educate and don’t be an ignorant person. Some examples of hiding seepage instead of fixing it. These hiding examples are not cheap but these are not fixing the stop of the seepage instead hiding only. The seepage will occur in these factors as well at a later stage. Install tiles from group up to the ceiling Paste wallpapers across walls – cheap but honestly more work and costly at a later stage Wall Paneling – can be wood or plastic wall paneling – they can add character, charm and personality What is the solution to Pakistan's seepage problem? Liquid Chemical Treatment or Solution – Easily available in Pakistani market Seepage Rods – Not easily available in Pakistani market Spray Adhesives – Not easily available in Pakistani market About MH Sons MH Sons is based in Gujranwala city of Pakistan. They have been in business since 2010. They deal in several construction services including cost estimation, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering services, architectural, 3D maps, interior and exterior designs. MH Sons Co has creative approach and extensive experience in the construction industry that gives them the opportunity to work with variety of clients on the variety of projects. They can easily cater from high-end residential extensions and renovations to new construction from ground up. Please call MH Sons Architects & Builders at +92-335 292 9289 and +92-321 295 2929 or email info@mhsons.pk. Please visit their website at https://mhsons.pk/. Their Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/MhsonsCO. About Muzdoor.com Muzdoor.com is a bidding service in construction industry. Customers can post their work and get several bid/quote prices from our muzdoor/vendors. Customers can save money on bidding prices. Muzdoor.com generate leads for plumbers, electricians, contractors and help them market in several ways. Muzdoor.com is a startup and caters customers and muzdoor/vendors all over Pakistan. Muzdoor.com is a division of Intelisales (https://www.intelisales.com).;