How to Waterproof Container Houses

Waterproofing container houses requires a comprehensive approach covering design, external waterproofing, construction, selection of sealing materials, and maintenance and emergency measures.

Design Phase

• Site Selection and Environmental Assessment: Understand climatic factors such as surface runoff, rainfall intensity, and groundwater levels. Combine these with the drainage conditions at the construction site to determine the roof slope, ground drain positions, and the direction of the external moisture barrier, reducing the risk of water accumulation from the source.
• Structural and Material Combination: Choose roofing materials with good anti-permeability, use waterproof coatings or membranes for walls, seal gaps, and retain ventilation and moisture removal channels to prevent moisture accumulation.
• Steam and Moisture Control: Set up a combination of mechanical or natural ventilation reasonably. In humid areas, install dehumidification and moisture removal solutions indoors to prevent wall dampness.

External Waterproofing

• Roof Waterproofing: Adopt three lines of defense: base waterproofing, reinforcement layer, and surface protective coating. Treat seams with flexible waterproof materials (such as polyurethane waterproof coatings, modified asphalt waterproof membranes). Set a reasonable roof slope to ensure rapid drainage of rainwater.
• Exterior Walls and Around Windows and Doors: Use waterproof coatings or membranes for exterior walls, with reinforced treatment at corners, internal and external corners, and around window openings. Choose high-quality sealing strips for windows and doors, adopting a three-layer or more sealing structure.

Construction Methods

• Waterproof Membrane Construction: After cleaning the base layer, apply bonding glue to the back of the membrane and the base layer. Paste and roll press from far to near according to the reference line. After checking and treating the seam ends, conduct a water storage test.
• Coating Waterproofing: Taking 'one fabric, two coats' as an example, after cleaning the base layer, apply a full coat of coating. After drying and forming a film, lay fiberglass fabric as a reinforcing material, then apply another full coat of coating to fix it. After drying, proceed to the next construction step.
• Laying Rigid Waterproof Layers: Construct about two days after the flexible waterproof layer is completed. Use advanced fatty acid-based mortar waterproofing agent, cement, sand, fine aggregate, and fibers as basic materials. The waterproof layer thickness is 20-30 millimeters.
• Top Covering: Cover the top with glass, aluminum panels, color steel plates, etc., for waterproofing while providing ventilation and heat insulation. Install steel structure purlins on the top, cover with a waterproof layer, and apply glue treatment.

Selection of Sealing Materials

• Butyl Sealant: Adheres firmly to metals, glass, and concrete, with a wide temperature resistance range (-40°C to 120°C). It does not crack after 20 years of exposure to wind and sun, suitable for outdoor containers.
• Neoprene Sealant: Cures quickly and can be used for leak repair immediately after extrusion. It is the first choice for urgent use. Some can be painted over for aesthetic repair occasions.
• MS Sealant: Has good elasticity and can be stretched up to four times its original length. It is not afraid of cracking even with container movement, suitable for dynamic seams.

Maintenance and Emergency Measures

• Regular Inspection and Maintenance: Regularly inspect the waterproof layer and drainage system to ensure normal operation.
• Increase Waterproof Measures: During the design and construction process, additional waterproof membranes or coatings can be added to improve rain resistance.
• Equip with Emergency Measures: For container houses that may leak, equip with waterproof cloth, buckets, etc., to cope with sudden water leakage situations.