NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE FOLLOWED TO ADOPT REQUIRED SPECIFICATIONS, ACCORDING TO THE TYPE OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND NATURE OF THE GROUND (DAMP PROOFING AND THE WATER PROOFING COURSE)

Dampness in building is generally due to bad design, faulty construction and the poor materials used. Structures built on high ground and well drained soil are far less liable to suffer from foundation dampness than those built on low -lying water - logged areas where a sub -soil of clay or peat is commonly found through which dampness will inevitably rise unless properly treated. A sub soil through which water can easily pass such as firm gravel, sandy soil or a soil containing light clay, will usually keep the foundation fairly dry. In coastal towns buildings are particularly prone to seepage because of the high humidity and salt particles in the atmosphere. Since salt absorbs water, the walls become damp. When that is happened, the plaster peels off, exposing the steel reinforcement. In course of time the steel is corroded, further weakening the structure. The sand mixed with cement for the reinforced concrete also is said to be salt -contaminated, endangering the life of the structure. On the other side leaks generally occur from the sanitary fittings. In new constructions leaks are due to inadequate curing of the concrete, sub standard quality of the cement used, and the use of salt- rich sand. Certain chemicals have been developed for use as water proofing agents. These effectively plug the leak by expanding to fill the recess in the wall. It is not desirable to ignore the precautions where sub soil drainage stand about in the foundations, and the warmth of the interior of the building acting through porous concrete floors will set up suction of moisture which will eventually give rise to dampness in the floors and the walls. Where the sub soil water is near the ground surface and cannot be lowered by underground drainage owing to the flatness of the ground or any other reasons, the levels of the floors of the buildings should be kept sufficiently high. It is considered that the height of the plinth should be kept at least 1.8to 2.4 m minus the difference of level between the ground level and the sub soil water table level. A 75 mm layer of water proofed cement concrete can be laid all around. Dampness can also sometimes be reduced by leaving out an air gap around the external wall of the foundations:-- Er Fateh Chand Guleria, Director RTI welfare Association registered number HPCD, 3552 , Bilaspur Himachal pradesh phone number, 9459334377