What we get called out to here
- Parapet upstand failures. The defining fault of the area. Membrane terminated too low against a parapet, or never chased in at the top, lets water behind it and produces damp along the top of an internal wall. See torch-on detailing.
- Ponding on low-pitch concrete roofs. Built flat, sometimes without adequate fall from day one, so water sits and works at the laps.
- Face brick and unsealed mortar joints. Face brick is not waterproof. Where the pointing has eroded, driven rain passes straight through the joint.
- Blocked internal outlets. Roofs draining through internal downpipes silt up, back up, and overflow at the door threshold.
- Boundary wall cracking. Long unjointed plastered walls crack from thermal movement, then the copings let water into the top of the wall.
- Hotter, drier summers. The northern corridor runs several degrees hotter than the seaboard, so UV and thermal cycling degrade exposed membrane faster.
Areas covered
Durbanville, Bellville, Brackenfell, Kraaifontein, Parow, Goodwood, Kuils River, Edgemead, Monte Vista, Panorama, Welgemoed, Tygervalley, Bothasig and Plattekloof.
Common questions
Why does damp appear at the top of my wall and not the bottom?
That is the classic parapet signature. Water gets behind a membrane upstand that was terminated too low or never chased into the parapet, runs down inside the wall and shows on the internal face near ceiling level. It is a roof detail problem, not a damp problem, and damp-proofing the wall will not touch it.
Does face brick need waterproofing?
Face brick sheds most water but the mortar joints are the weak point, and eroded pointing lets driven rain through. Re-pointing plus a breathable silane cream on the elevation is the standard fix. Never seal face brick with a film-forming coating — it traps moisture and spalls the brick face.