Kelambakkam and the villages around it are full of new houses, many of them still being built. WATREX works across Kelambakkam, Thiruporur, Pudupakkam, Mambakkam and Thaiyur, on homes that are just going up and on ones that are already leaking. Our office is a few minutes north at Kazhipattur, which makes it easy to visit a site at each stage of construction.
What we see on Kelambakkam sites
Most of the building here is independent houses and villas on plotted layouts, often put up by small local builders working to a tight schedule. The roof slab gets its weathering course and tiles quickly, bathrooms are tiled straight onto the screed, and the sump is filled the week the plumbing is done. Waterproofing is the step that gets skipped, and the first monsoon shows it.
The water itself adds to the problem. Many homes here rely on borewells, and hard, salty borewell water slowly breaks down cement grout and plaster in bathrooms and tanks. White crusts on taps and tiles are the visible sign.
Building a house here? Waterproof at three stages
- Roof slab, before the weathering course goes on. Mother roof waterproofing costs far less now than after the tiles are laid.
- Bathrooms and balconies, before tiling. A membrane over the floor and up the walls, pond-tested before the tiler starts. See bathroom waterproofing.
- Sump and overhead tank, before the first fill. A potable-safe coating and sealed pipe entries. See sump waterproofing.
Tell us your builder's schedule and we will plan visits to match it.
Already living there and seeing damp?
We trace the leak first. In newer Kelambakkam homes it is usually an untreated slab, an open parapet joint, or a bathroom with no membrane. We will show you which before quoting.
Neighbourhoods we cover
Kelambakkam, Thiruporur, Pudupakkam, Mambakkam, Thaiyur, Kovalam and the Kelambakkam–Vandalur Road, plus OMR to the north and Tambaram to the west.
Waterproofing in Kelambakkam: common questions
We are building a house in Kelambakkam. When should waterproofing be done?
At three points: on the bare roof slab before the weathering course, in bathrooms before tiling, and in the sump and tank before the first fill. Each is much cheaper to do then than to repair later.
Our borewell water leaves white marks. Does it affect waterproofing?
Yes. Hard, salty water wears down ordinary cement grout and plaster. We use epoxy grout in bathrooms and drinking-water-safe coatings in tanks, which hold up better.
Do you cover Thiruporur and Thaiyur?
Yes. Both are close to our Kazhipattur office.
