Before using the various techniques and methods described later, the following precautions should be taken to prevent moisture in buildings.
The site should be located on high ground and well-drained soil to avoid wetting of foundations. It should be ensured that the water level is at least 3 meters above ground level or at the lowest point even in wet weather. For better drainage, the ground surface around the building should also slope away from the house or structure.
All exposed walls should be of sufficient thickness to prevent ingress of rain. If the walls are made of bricks, they should be at least 30 cm thick.
High quality bricks should be used which are free from defects like cracks, imperfections and lumps of limestone. After soaking in water for 24 hours, they should not absorb more than one-eighth of their weight in water.
Good quality cement mortar (1 cement: 3 sand) should be used during construction to create a precise pattern and perfect bond between the building units. This is necessary to prevent the formation of cavities and the occurrence of differential settlement due to insufficient bonding of the units.
Cornices and string courses should be provided. Window sills, copings and string courses should be sloped at the top and throated at the bottom to direct rainwater away from the walls.
All exposed surfaces such as tops of walls and compound walls should be covered with waterproofing cement plaster.
Hollow walls (i.e. cavity walls) are more reliable than solid walls for preventing damping and therefore cavity wall construction should be adopted wherever possible.
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