Jamestown Estate Homes has created a two-part video detailing best practices in waterproofing a balcony when building a new home.
In the first video, Spencer Sledge discusses moisture management. Keeping moisture out is paramount when waterproofing a balcony. With Houston’s high humidity and heavy rain, several steps are involved to prevent moisture from getting trapped.
There are a lot of different ways to drain water, but there is no way to prevent it from getting in. Since water can find it’s way behind paper and creases, it’s important to have ways in place for the water to drain away from the house.
A lot of builders in Houston use a rain and ice shield, along with flashing. The concern with this method is that over time foot traffic and nails used in construction can cause penetrations into the waterproofing. Also, the acids in mortar can eat away at the substrate. If this happens, water could reach the plywood and it would rot over time.
Jamestown puts down a waterproofing membrane, that is similar to a tile seal. We also put down flashing along the perimeter of the balcony. This helps prevent moisture from getting inside the home. These are the steps covered in part one of waterproofing a balcony.
Stay tuned for Jamestown’s next video, in which Spencer explains the rest of the waterproofing process. Also, subscribe to our YouTube channel, where we will be presenting helpful videos about home building in Houston!
