In this blog we are discuss that what are the negative impacts of seepage? A pertinent issue within Pakistan and India’s construction industry needs to be systematically investigated and solved as we believe it is a public health crisis. We often talk of air pollution and when we discuss air pollution we are naturally talking about outdoor air quality. However indoor air quality is equally important when it comes to the health of any buildings inhabitants. Bad indoor air quality can lead to many adverse health affects on its inhabitants mainly respiratory illnesses.
A lot of us live in or work in apartment blocks or office buildings with very poor indoor air quality. One of the main reasons for this of course is poor air ventilation but an indirect reason which is often overlooked is seepage which leads to an accumulation of moisture and resulting mould growth which leads to bacterial overgrowth. This bacterial overgrowth leads to a deeply unhealthy indoor environment.
To prevent seepage, it is necessary to first address water damage possibilities at the onset of design and construction. This is because it is not always possible to rectify water damage errors in a building once it has produced its negative impacts. This can be quite costly and extensive.
We will produce a series of videos and blogs where we will explore how seepage and water damage can be prevented in a thorough, proactive way.
The question remains, why is seepage so bad for the inhabitants of a building? We mentioned it is a health hazard. Did you know that the 2002 SARS outbreak in Hong Kong spread more rapidly due to some housing and apartment clusters’ bad ventilation and drainage systems? This is due to the presence of moisture. When moisture enters a building, it can lead to fungus overgrowth and this in turn can cause a host of respiratory illnesses.
The other hazard that seepage produces is structural instability. If moisture and water reaches the structural steel or reinforcement within a building’s envelope, it causes the steel to rust and therefore corrode more easily. Structural steel and reinforcement is otherwise quite durable and can last for decades however water damage can inevitably speed up the corrosion process and lead to a building being structurally unsafe and unstable. If you live in or work in a building that has seepage problems along with the presence of large cracks in the walls, you must immediately contact a structural engineer and have your building assessed.
The other major issue that comes with seepage is an economic one. Of course, it is quite costly to repair the damages that come with seepage and also to rectify the causes of the seepage. These causes could include use of substandard pipes, inaccurate drainage slopes and poor water proofing. What this leads to is the building in question loosing its resale value. If you want to rent out or sell your property and it has seepage issues, it becomes almost impossible to convince a potential buyer or tenant to invest in it. Therefore it is crucial to incorporate water damage prevention strategies at the design and construction phase of your project.
In this new series on seepage we will cover various methods, technologies and solutions for water damage so you can be better educated on how to construct and design a seepage-free building. Stay tuned in the following weeks and months for more information.
For more blogs click on the given link below:
https://gharplans.pk/how-to-avoid-buying-sub-standard-pprc-pipes-fittings/
For video click on the given link below: