Waterproof houses

[Gladdynook]

Anyone else have a view on the latest scheme in flood prone areas to waterproof houses? Basically what they are doing is spray a waterproof membrane over the lower weatherboards, block base and foundations. This is to stop the water penetrating the house when the area floods..

So, I'm not a builder, but if water can't get in, water therefore can't get out. Aka leaky buildings. So let's take a perfectly good weatherboard house that lets water in, and they do, but they also let straight back out, and ensure it rots.

Seems ludicrous to me. Apparently it works in the UK, but they say construction is different there... like really??

[Glizzle]

I don't understand the angle your coming from. Talking about too totally different forms of water penetration. You have said that they are doing this for flood prone areas, flooding is recorded and they know the height on avg, this will be to stop water from flooding up and in thru the wall, around door frame etc.
There are too many forms of the leaky house to have a aka I would of assumed as well. It was more the technique and product they were using that was the downfall.

[Gladdynook]

My view is that water will always enter any type of cladding, but where older weatherboards homes, brick veneer etc are different is that the water can escape back outside at the bottom. Builders are now installing cavity systems on monolithic clad houses to do this.

So by spraying a waterproof membrane over the lower metre or two of any house will prevent this water escaping and hence the framing will surely rot?

[PC]

It sounded expensive $15K+ from memory.
Old house on piles might be cheaper to just jack it up.
Pity about anything on a concrete slab.

[Wayne]

Unless you turn it into a boat I can't see how it would work really.

[Glizzle]

So by spraying a waterproof membrane over the lower metre or two of any house will prevent this water escaping and hence the framing will surely rot?

This isnt what they are testing. I believe only one of the houses is membraned in the way you have mentioned. Considering this is already being done on houses overseas and structures that are under ground level, i fail to understand exactly how some form of membrane couldn't help.
I don't believe you can just paint it to a certain height, it will be more joints, framing, doors where it will be effective.Think about how it could work as the aim of the game is to stop damage from flooding, its pointless to just say it will rot the wood dumb idea, too costly or it needs to be a boat.

[Wayne]

I didn't say it was a dumb idea or too costly but I still don't see how it would work. I don't understand it (but am interested).
Any links showing how it works?

[Glizzle]

I dont think it can work, not to a degree where the cost will be worth it. But lets be real, why are houses being built in flood prone areas and why are we thinking about adding xtra cost on a city that is already requiring everything it can get its hands on.

[PTILoveYou]

Sell the house, move to a non-flood prone place, that's a better solution in my book.

[speights boy]

It's the city council doing this.

[Meehole]

It sounded expensive $15K+ from memory.
Old house on piles might be cheaper to just jack it up.
Pity about anything on a concrete slab.

You wouldn't be able to jack it up for under $15k.

[PC]

Could buy a lot of glad wrap though.

[Meehole]

Too many houses in Christchurch built low to the ground, I blame the Council. From my observations in the past 2 1/2 years they were slack and should have been more vigilant. Old boys network was alive and kicking for decades, too many mates in the know turned a blind eye (too bad if it was the one good eye!)

[jimO]

It's the city council doing this.

ratepayers you mean

[jimO]

having seen it on the telly i say it will never work as it relies on the numpty homeowner sealing up doors and vents etc every time there is potential for flooding. And can someone tell me why they were wearing hard hats (apart from one woman with a bike helmet on) was the roof going to cave in?, health n safty gone mad, im surprised they wernt wearing life jackets i bet there was some wayn ker with a glow in the dark vest and a clipboard there doing a safty induction