Waterproofing is not just application of chemicals. From knowing suitable product for different conditions and situations to proper surface preparation to correct mixing of chemicals in appropriate ratio to applying them in correct rate and thickness to protection coating, and in between them the small but important steps to follow, it is a profession which require skill and knowledge to ensure positive results.

Weight Capacity
If you remember only one piece of advice before installing a rooftop garden, remember this: Dirt is heavy and wet dirt is even heavier. So for this, you need to consult a builder or structural engineer to calculate maximum load capacity of your roof and plan your garden type accordingly.

Environmental Factors
Before finalizing the type of plants you want in your garden, you need to understand the sun and wind exposure on your roof. Ample amount of daylight gives you many options otherwise sedums, lettuce will be good options. Also extremely windy areas can dry out the plants or break the stem system before they can mature.

Drainage and Waterproofing
This is the most important step your rooftop garden needs. Cutting cost in it not only will you have a soggy garden with drowned roots, but you could set yourself up for serious structural damage.
First, install a tapered layer of insulation (Screed Concrete) to the rooftop to channel excess water into a storage tank system or drainage on the ground. Over it you need a waterproofing membrane. You can go for polymer coating but going for something sturdier like rubber or synthetic membrane will stop roots to penetrate into the roof. Then you need a drainage surface to drain out all that excess water given to plant. Drainage cells offer a perfect solution for this. Its high load bearing capacity and water retention properties are some of its properties. Over it comes a layer of Geo-textile membrane. Non-woven geo-textile fabrics are excellent in filtration. They allow water to pass through them whilst keeping out fine soil particles. You can now go for growing medium i.e soil and with that you’ll be ready to plant any number of plants, flowers, herbs, and veggies.

So what are you waiting for? Raise your eyes to the heavens, grab a ladder and tape measure and take your gardening to a whole new level with a rooftop or balcony garden. And for more information on waterproofing that works, ask Healthy Homes or visit www.healthyhomes.co.in

The APP membrane, short for Atactic Polypropylene Membrane, is a special waterproofing material that is manufactured from Bitumen. They come in rolls. Each roll measures 10 metres by 1 metre and covers an area of 8.7 m². They comes in different thickness from 1.5mm to 5mm. APP membranes are two major types polyester and fibre. With proper workmanship, the APP membrane is a very efficient and durable waterproofing material used in most constructions.

Some advantages of using the APP membrane are that it has enhanced bitumen performance which helps in UV resistance. It is not affected by rapid changes in temperature and is still efficient during extreme hot and cold temperatures. APP waterproofing membranes also provide superior tensile strength while maintaining critical flexibility.

Healthy Homes excels in installing APP membranes with its highly skilled and years of experienced team which is backed by warranty. Trust us in giving your home a complete waterproofing solution.

It is a common waterproofing material used on concrete flat roofs (which are still roofs) or roofs with low pitch. Apart from concrete roofs and low pitched roofs, other areas of application are concrete gutters, basements and retaining walls, underground waterproofing, multi-storey car parks, pond lining, irrigation canals lining, swimming pools or any structure that requires high performance waterproofing.

The primary criteria for deciding the type of roof flooring depends on:

• Weather resistance
• Drainage
• Slip resistance
• Durability
• Costing and style

There are a wide variety of roof floor finishes from plain cement concrete to wooden deck, to porcelain, ceramic tiles; rubber flooring, to natural stones like marbles and granites; mosaic and Kota floorings are also some of common floor finishes we use.

It all boils down to the budget one affords. If you are too tight on your budget, then simply you can do the water proofing of the terrace after which can you do a plain cement concrete in a harder format. For a little more budget, you can go for 14mm textured terrace tile and this heavy duty tile can be used on the terrace as well as parking. If your budget is good then you can also go for natural materials like blazed granite leather finish for non-slip surface. You can also go for wpc (wood plastic composite) flooring which you can combine it with grass matte (artificial) and pebbles or chips with plantations in the corner or some shaped format. But make sure while going for any of these options the water proofing should be properly done.