Waterproofing of building to prevent the ingress of water is an activity, which, perhaps is practiced in one form or the other, ever since the first building was built on earth. The ">best waterproofing company has been changing with the changes in the architectural designs and with the availability different building materials in construction.

• In the initial stages, when the stone was the main building construction material placed in position with mud or lime mortar, the emphasis used to be to make the construction so that the rainwater does not collect on the roofs. Hence old architecture relied mainly on dome structures or slanting roofs. The slow speed of such construction material manufacturers and unaffordability of common people to build such structures for their dwelling made constant evolution and development in the construction material technology.

• With these developments, the concepts of waterproofing also changed. In present-day construction, wherein the ordinary portland cement and its blends with pozzolanic and slag materials has come to stay, many compatible alternatives are available for a builder to choose from various waterproofing solutions. Some systems are old and conventional but still practised successfully, and some are modern systems designed to take the material and structural behaviour into consideration.

• There are some compounds, which are used in plastic concrete to make it less permeable to water. These compounds are known as integral waterproofing compounds. They are based on plasticising and air-entrainment or water repellence principles. These are used as good waterproofing precautions when other factors such as good mix-design, proper mixing/placing, compacting/curing etc., are taken care of. This subject of integral waterproofing compounds requires in-depth discussion; hence will not be taken up here. Similarly, there are some waterproofing techniques for vertical surfaces. These techniques are also used for preserving heritage buildings by stopping/minimising the ageing process of these buildings.

For doing water seepage dilemmas, buyers use both standards as well as current waterproofing techniques.

Some of the old and popular waterproofing systems are as follows:
• Brickbat coba system or lime terracing
• Bituminous treatment
• Metallic sheet wrapping
• Polyurethane based waterproofing treatment
• Epoxy-based waterproofing treatment
•Box-type waterproofing system

Brickbat coba system
This system was developed during the initial stages of flat roof construction with lime mortar burnt clay brick pieces. This system involved laying lightweight mortar on the roof and spreading it to give gentle slopes for draining away the rainwater immediately. The mortar consisted of lightweight brick pieces as aggregates and ground brick with lime as a binding matrix.

During ">top waterproofing companies in India, this system became more popular not because of its waterproofing efficiency but because of its efficiency in keeping the interiors cool. Some applicators developed better skills in laying these systems, with neatly finished top with lines engraved on top of plastic mortar now known as IPS. Some practised embedding broken tile or ceramic pieces in the plastic mortar and called it china mosaic.

This type of system remained most popular with multi-storied construction in all major cities. The system lasts up to 15 years if done by skilful applicators. However, this system may be considered more from its weatherproofing abilities rather than its waterproofing qualities. Once the water starts entering into the brickbat Coba, the brick pieces absorb too much water.

The roof becomes an invisible pond of water continuously, causing leakage and increasing the burden on the roof slab. It will be highly beneficial if brick-bat Coba is laid on a flexible waterproofing membrane as waterproofing and economical weatherproofing can be achieved with this system.