In brief
- A supervisor catches the gap by checking the falls and water-testing the slab before the topping, not by counting site visits.
- Keep a dated photo or signature for each stage: setting out, membrane, ponding test and outlet fixing.
Contents
When that work is covered before it is checked, water backs into rooms during heavy rain. Confirm the design rainfall and drainage criteria for the plot with the project engineer or the authority that approves the drawings.
Where does balcony drainage supervision in Qardho go wrong?
A balcony is built in stages that each hide the last one. The structural slab is cast, a screed or mortar bed forms the fall, a membrane or coating goes on, then tiles. If nobody checks the fall and the membrane before the next trade starts, the defect is sealed in. Supervision gaps open when the supervisor is on another plot, when a visit is signed off from the gate, or when the tiler starts because materials arrived early. Ask the site supervisor which stage is open today and who signed it off. Then ask to see the record. The test that counts is a full flood test on a wetted slab, held long enough for water to find any low spot.
How do you check the fall and the outlet before tiling?
Take the required fall to the outlet and the permitted ponding depth from the project specification or the engineer's instruction, and confirm them before the screed is placed. Set a level or straight edge across the balcony and measure the drop to the outlet with a rule. Check that the outlet sits at the low point, not on a high spot or proud of the screed.
- Walk the slab and screed with a level and a rule before the topping.
- Confirm outlet level with a straight edge, not by eye.
- Photograph the membrane laps at the threshold and wall.
- Flood test and record the date, the depth and the time.
Who signs off each stage, and what goes in the record?
The setting out of falls, the membrane, the ponding test and the outlet fixing each deserve a signature, a date and a photo. Ask the relevant authority what records it holds for the plot, and check the approved drawing for the balcony detail and outlet position. If the drawing does not show a fall or an outlet, that is a design question for the engineer, not a decision for the tiler. A supervision gap often shows up later as water backing into rooms, a stain on the ceiling below, or a door that swells at the base. Walk a recent building after rain and look at the balcony edges and the room below it. Ask what was tested and who saw it.
What to do next
Before the next balcony screed goes down in Qardho, stand on the slab with the supervisor and the tiler. Check the fall with a level, confirm the outlet level, then flood test it and record the result with a photo. Confirm the inspection and hold-point clauses with the contract administrator before that stage is covered.
Frequently asked questions
What fall should a balcony have in Qardho?
The fall must match the project specification, so confirm the figure with the engineer before the screed is placed. Measure the drop with a straight edge and a rule rather than judging by eye, then flood test the slab.
How long should a balcony ponding test take?
There is no single figure that fits every job. Agree the duration with the engineer or follow the membrane manufacturer's data sheet, keep the water at a set depth, and record the start and end time and the water level with a photo.
Who signs off the record if the balcony leaks after tiling?
Check the contract's inspection and hold-point clauses and keep dated photos and signatures for the setting out, membrane and ponding test. Ask the contract administrator what the record must show for each stage.
Local reporting: this article is written for building work in Qardho and Puntland. Ground conditions, prices and rules differ between places; confirm the details for your own site.