Difference Between Damp Proofing and Water Proofing

Damp Proofing vs Water Proofing

When controlling the moisture within your home, it is wise to understand the differences between damp proofing and water proofing, in order to decide which is more cost effective and appropriate for your home.

Damp proofing is done with a tar based mixture, designed to help discourage water from adhering to, or penetrating, the material’s surface. Water proofing is done with a concoction that includes rubber, preventing moisture and water from penetrating any material.

Damp proofing is good for slowing down the rate at which moisture is absorbed. Since the rubber blended in with the material for waterproofing stretches as the home settles and shifts, it continues to prevent the penetration of water into the surfaces.

For those who are concerned with building, in a green and environmentally friendly nature, water proofing is the better option. The ingredients used are much kinder to the planet, and are a natural preventative when it comes to runoff from the building materials used when crafting the home.

Water proofing is a more expensive method at the time, although it offers long term solutions to what can become very expensive problems over time. Damp proofing is cheap, and should be considered temporary.

Homes and buildings begin to show stress in their foundation as early as two years after the construction has been completed. Once this happens, the cracks and crevices that tend to appear, will be covered by the rubber used in the water proofing process. If the surface has only been damp proofed, the cracks and crevices are also present in the coating of the damp proofing material.

Waterproofing prevents ground water from rain, and even constant humidity, from entering the foundation of any home. Damp proofing does not resist water well enough to prevent oversaturation from ground water, or excessive and constant humidity. The end result is that damp proofing allows for hydroelectric pressure, while water proofing prevents this pressure.

Summary:

1. Damp proofing is tar based, while water proofing is rubber based.

2. Damp proofing slows the process of water absorption.

3. Water proofing prevents the process of water absorption.

4. Water proofing is friendlier when it comes to environmental concerns.

5. Water proofing is initially more expensive.

6. Damp proofing is cheaper in the beginning, but leads to more expensive problems later on.

7. Damp proofing cracks along with the foundation, while water proofing stretches to cover those cracks.

8. Water proofing prevents hydroelectric pressure from ruining a foundation.

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