Why coating over damaged flooring often fails
A waterproof coating can only be as good as the surface it sits on. When terrace tiles or screed have separated from the slab, water gets into the gap underneath through cracked joints and edges. It then travels under the flooring, sometimes several feet, before it finds a crack in the slab and drips into the room below. Painting a coating over the top does not stop the water that is already moving underneath, and the coating soon cracks as the loose flooring shifts.
Signs the old flooring needs to come off
- Hollow sound when you tap the tiles or screed with a coin or tool handle.
- Loose or rocking tiles, or tiles that have lifted at the edges.
- Cracks that keep coming back in the same place after every repair.
- Water seeping out of joints long after the rain has stopped, a sign water is trapped underneath.
- Puddles that stay for hours because the flooring has sunk or lost its slope.
- Leaks in the ceiling far away from any visible crack on the terrace.
If none of these apply and the flooring is firmly bonded, it can often stay. The joints and edges are sealed and a suitable system is applied over it, which saves time and cost.
What we do when the flooring has to be removed
- Inspect and mark. We check the terrace and the ceiling below, tap-test the flooring and mark the damaged areas.
- Chip off the damaged flooring. Loose tiles, hollow screed and failed old coatings are removed down to a sound base.
- Clean the slab. Dust and debris are cleared so new materials bond properly.
- Open and fill the cracks. Every crack in the slab is opened up, cleaned and filled, with extra care at parapet corners, pipe openings and tank bases.
- Apply the waterproofing system in layers, chosen after seeing the condition of the slab.
- Test before handover. A water test confirms the terrace is holding before the job is closed.
A real job: terrace waterproofing in Turkayamjal
On a recent terrace waterproofing job in Turkayamjal, Hyderabad, the old flooring was not in a condition to coat over, so our team started by chipping it off down to the slab.
With the slab exposed, the cracks underneath could be treated properly. The next day the team moved on to crack filling, so the waterproofing layers would sit on a sound, sealed surface.
Should you remove the flooring on your terrace?
It depends on what is under it, and that is why every job starts with an inspection. Removing good flooring wastes money; keeping bad flooring wastes the waterproofing. We check first and tell you honestly which option your terrace needs. Read more on our terrace waterproofing page, or see why terraces leak after the monsoon.
We work across Hyderabad from our office in Anand Nagar, Ramanthapur, including Dilsukhnagar and Secunderabad.
Frequently asked questions
No. If the existing tiles or screed are firmly bonded and the leak is coming from joints or edges, those can be sealed and waterproofed without removal. Flooring that sounds hollow, is badly cracked, holds water underneath or has lost its slope usually has to come off, otherwise water keeps travelling under it.
Tap the tiles or screed with a coin or the handle of a tool. A dull, hollow sound means it has separated from the slab below. Other signs are tiles that move, cracks that keep reopening and water seeping out of joints long after the rain has stopped.
A coating over an open crack is thin exactly where the slab is weakest. As the slab expands and contracts in the Hyderabad heat, the crack moves and splits the coating. Opening, cleaning and filling the crack first gives the coating a sound, continuous surface.
Removing old flooring is dusty work, so we keep the work area as tidy as possible and protect the rest of the house. The time depends on the terrace size and condition; after the site inspection we give you an itemised quote with the steps and the expected number of days.