Dampness in buildings

Under the Planning and Building Regulations and the Israeli Standard, waterproofing has to be done perfectly so that dampness does not get into the building or any part of it. Water penetration creates an aesthetic and functional nuisance, and if it is neglected, a safety hazard as well.

Dampness in the common areas, and dampness that passes from the common areas into the apartments, usually appears in a few places:

1. Dampness in the underground parking garage.
2. Dampness in the storage wing.
3. Dampness through the building's windows (also in the apartments).
4. Dampness through the building's external envelope into the apartments.

Dampness in an underground parking garage

In an underground parking garage, a few basic waterproofing details need careful attention:

1. A proper waterproofing detail around every pipe that penetrates the garage ceiling.
2. Bituminous membranes, or another type of waterproofing, above the garage ceiling (in the open areas) and behind the walls that are in contact with the soil.
3. Special attention to the joints between precast elements.
4. Proper drainage of the areas above the garage ceiling.

More on this on the pages Waterproofing problems in a building's parking garage and The standard for an underground parking garage.

Dampness in the storage wing

Dampness in the storage wing caused by missing waterproofing has to be distinguished from two other phenomena:

1. A one-time flood during construction (a common case), which leaves a lot of moisture in the sand bedding under the floor tiles. In such a case the bedding has to be dried before the storage rooms are handed over to the residents.
2. Insufficient ventilation, which causes condensation in winter. The condensation creates mold on the items in the storage rooms and a musty smell throughout the wing. The solution to this is given as part of the engineering inspection.

Details on the page Storage rooms.

Dampness through windows

If the problem recurs in a large number of apartments in the building, it is included in the expert opinion on the common areas, and it is checked in several apartments during the engineering inspection.

The waterproofing details of aluminum windows vary with the building's cladding method, and the detail has to be done perfectly. When the sealing and filling behind the aluminum profile and under the window sill are not perfect, water, and sometimes wind as well, gets in through the window.

Dampness from the external envelope into the apartments

This problem is usually seen inside the apartments, at the junction between the wall and the ceiling. It can have several causes, depending on the construction method. For example, in construction with precast elements, the joints between one floor and the next have to be perfect. A joint without a water stop, closed only with an elastomeric material, will let water in.

More on this on the page Dampness in an exterior wall of a shared building, and on finding dampness with a thermal camera.