Conventional Methods of Water

Proofing
Water Proofing is a process that is designed to prevent ingress of
water into a structure. Water proofing, typically is executed in stages
creating multiple barriers in the water path. Many a times,
combination of different systems is adopted to suit the site condition
for evolving an effective water proofing methodology.
In this section we describe conventional methods some of which are
still in practice and some are completely outdated. Though methods
like Mud Phuska, Brick Bat Coba, Lime surki, are completely
outdated due to their limitations, they are still adopted in rural
areas and by some consultants. It is also true that some of these
methods are dealt at length in Indian Standard Codes as standard
practices even today. Some of these systems have also improved in
terms of application methodology, purification technique and have
adopted modern tools for better workmanship.

Conventional Systems

Mud Phuska ( Outdated)

Brick Bat Coba Method (Outdated but still being recommended by

some)

Lime Surki Method ( Outdated)

Bituminous Method
o Hot Bitumen Paint system ( Outdated)
o Tar Felt or Bitumen Felt system ( Outdated)
o Built up Bitumen Membrane system ( In use)

Box Type Water Proofing ((Outdated but still being recommended by

some)

Lime Surki Method ( Outdated)

Mud Phuska System for Roof Slabs

This method of water proofing is most suitable for hot climates
where annual rain fall is not high. This system also acts as a good
thermal insulation layer for maintaining comfortable temperature
inside the dwelling. The durability of this system depends on the
maintenance of brick layer and slope for draining water from the
surface.

Mud Phuska Terracing with Tile Brick Paving

Application Areas: Flat Roofs, Roofs with moderate slope
Mud Phuska - For Mud Phuska, selected soil which should be good
quality brick earth not containing excessive clay or sand, free from
stones, kankar, grass roots and such foreign matter, shall be
collected and stacked at site. The soil shall not be collected from a
locality infested with white ants. Before laying on the roof, the soil
shall be made damp by adding water about 12 hours earlier.
It shall be turned over with shovels so as to break clods and to
pulverize the same. Quantity of water to be added to the soil shall
be carefully regulated so that the soil shall have optimum moisture
content at the time of laying and compaction on the roof. The soil
shall be laid on the roof to requisite thickness and slope, well
compacted with wooden rammers, to obtain an even surface to
correct slope. Average thickness of soil after compaction shall be as
specified for the item.
A practical way of determining the moisture content of soil suitable
for giving good compaction is that the soil should contain that much
quantity of moisture, which, when a handful of soil is moulded with
hand to the shape of a ball, it shall just retain its form. If the soil on
moulding cannot retain its shape of a ball, moisture content is
inadequate. On the other hand, if the ball can be plastically
deformed on pressing with hand, the moisture content is on the high
side.
Mud Plaster- After laying the Mud Phuska, the surface shall be given
a coat of mud plaster 25mm thick and the plaster shall be allowed to
dry and crack. The mud plaster shall be prepared from the same soil

as for mud Phuska. The dry soil shall be reduced fine powder and
mixed with water in a pit, adding fibrous reinforcing materials such
as chopped straw in proportion of 35 kg per m 3of soil. The choppings
used shall not be longer than 2 cm.
The mixture shall be allowed to mature for a period of not less than
7 days. During this period, it shall be worked over at intervals
spades and shovels so as to get a homogeneous mass free from
lumps and clods. The mud mortar shall be puddled again very
thoroughly just before use.
After the mud plaster has dried, the surface should be given a coat
of gobri leaping so as to completely fill any cracks that may have
formed in the mud plaster. Mortar for gobri leaping shall be prepared
by mixing equal quantities of fresh gobar and finely sieved clay and
adding sufficient water to form a thin paste. The quantity of gobar
used in gobri leaping shall not be less than 0.03 cum per 100 sqm of
plaster area.
Laying of Tile Bricks- After the gobri leaping has dried, flat tile bricks
shall be laid using the minimum amount of plain mud mortar as
bedding so as to obtain correct slope and even surface of tile floor.
Care shall be exercised to see that mud mortar does not rise into the
vertical joints of the tiles more than 12mm. The tiles shall be laid
close to each other; the thickness of joints shall not be less than
6mm and more than 12mm in width.
After the tiles are well set and bedding mortar has dried, joints of
the tiles shall be grouted with cement mortar mix of 1: 3 such that
all the joints of the tiles are completely filled with mortar. Cement
shall be mixed with 5% of crude oil by weight of cement and the
surface of the finished roof shall be kept wet for a period of at least
7 days.
Curing - As soon as cement pointing obtains initial set, the surface of
the tile brick floor shall be covered with wet gunny bags, hessian
cloth or wet sand to prevent quick drying. After 8 - 12 hours, the tile
brick floor shall be cured by frequent sprinkling of water on the
surface for a period of 7 days. After curing has been done the
surface shall be swept clean.

Slopes- The tile surface as completed shall be even and true to

slopes of 1 in 48 or as specified and should be leak proof.

Brick Bat Coba Method (BBC)

Application Areas: Flat Roofs, Roofs with moderate slope, Balconies

Roof slabs need insulation for thermal comfort and waterproofing

treatment to prevent leakage of water. Both these requirements are
effectively full filled by BBC treatment.

Brick Bat Coba Method

Surface Preparation
All existing treatment, coatings on roof slab top is to be removed
and surface cleaned by hard wire brush and washed with water. The
surface should be free from any oil, grease, dust etc. Remedial
measured by provided to all structural cracks. Expansions joints
should be treated as per standard practice.
All non-structural cracks more than 0.5 mm wide and construction
joints if any, should be cut in "V" shape, cleaned with wire brush and
washed and filled with suitable crack filler. Cement slurry mixed with
recommended water proofing compound is spread uniformly.

Application
Over this 15 mm thick cement, sand mortar, 1:4 admixed, with
water proofer is laid. On the above green mortar, a layer of brick
bats, soaked overnight in water, is laid, having an average thickness
of about 110 mm, about 70 mm near rain water pipe and 150 mm at
ridge and slopes as required are provided.

The gaps between the brick bats are generally kept between 15 and
20 mm. These gaps are filled with cement sand mortar, 1:4,
admixed with water proofing compound either in liquid or powder
form. It is preferable to mix the water proofing compound with the
water prior to mixing it with mortar mix. In hot and dry weather, the
surface should be covered with wet gunny bags immediately after
finishing. Curing should start next day and continued for 7 days. The
top surface is then finished smooth with 20 mm thick cement sand
mortar, 1:4, admixed with water proofer. The surface when green is
marked with 300 mm false squares. Curing is to be done by ponding.
The system provides an excellent slope for the water to drain away
and since water does not accumulate there is no leakage. Also it has
a certain water retaining capacity and water is absorbed by the
brick when it rains and released when it stops. Of course
overloading results in leakages.
This system has some inherent disadvantages as below;

Cracks Due To Temperature Variations - The BBC treatment

through successful in the damp heat of coastal regions cracks up
completely on contact with the variations of temperature faced in
North India between day and night temperature.

Imposes Unnecessary Load - This system has the disadvantage of

imposing an unnecessary load on the system. Once cracks appear they
are almost impossible to repair and water as in the case of the tar
felting travels below the coba and exits wherever it finds a path. It is
impossible to trace the inlet point let alone repair it.

Almost Impossible To Dismantle For Repairs - Some parts of the

coba stick so well to the concrete that even if an attempt is made to
dismantle the system the slab gets damaged.

Lime Surki or Lime Concrete Method ( IS 3036-1992)

Application Areas: Flat Roofs, Roofs with moderate slope
This method of water proofing is more suitable for hot and humid regions of
India. This system requires high quality workmanship. The procedure for

surface preparation is same as mentioned in earlier methods. During

British rule this system became more popular not because of its

waterproofing efficiency but because of its efficiency in keeping the

interiors cool.
Some applicators developed better skills in laying these systems,
with neatly finished top with lines engraved on top of plastic mortar
now known as IPS. Some practiced embedding broken tile or
ceramic pieces in the plastic mortar and called it china mosaic. This
type of system remained most popular with multi-storeyed
construction in all major cities.
The system lasts up to 15 years if done by skilful applicators. This
system may be considered more from its weather proofing abilities
rather than its waterproofing qualities. Once water starts entering
into the brickbat coba the brick pieces absorb too much of water
and the roof becomes an invisible pond of water continuously
causing leakage and increasing burden on the roof slab.
It will be highly beneficial if brick-bat coba is laid on a flexible
waterproofing membrane as water proofing as well as economical
weather proofing can be achieved with this system.

Materials
Lime- As far as possible class C lime (fat lime) in the form of hydrated lime
conforming to IS 712: 1984 shall be used. Quick lime shall be slaked in
accordance with IS 1635: 1975.
Coarse Aggregate-Coarse aggregate for use in lime concrete having
maximum size of 25 mm shall be broken brick (burnt clay) aggregates
conforming to IS 3068: 1986 or natural stone aggregates conforming to IS
383: 1970 depending upon the situation of use.

Water
Water used for both mixing and curing concrete shall be clean and
free from injurious amounts of deleterious materials. Sea water shall
not be used. Potable water is generally considered satisfactory for
mix.

Preparation
Mortar for Concrete

One part of slaked lime and two parts of burnt brick pozzolana (or
lime pozzolana mixture) by volume shall be mixed on a water tight
platform. This shall then be sprinkled with the required quantity of
water and shall be well ground in a mill or using mechanical grinder.
Hand pounding may be done for small quantity. If hydrated lime is
used adjustments shall be made in the proportion in accordance
with IS 2250: 1981.
Coarse Aggregate

If coarse aggregate contains excessive dirt it shall be washed and

well drained before use. Burnt clay or other porous coarse aggregate
shall be thoroughly soaked in water for a period not less than six
hours before use in concrete mix.
Mixing

Lime concrete may be hand mixed or small hand operated mixer

may be used. For Iarge quantities the use of mechanical mixer
would be desirable. Two and a half parts by volume of clean
saturated surface dry coarse aggregate shall first be fed into the
mixer and then one part by volume of lime. Pozzolana mortar as per
6.1 shall then be added to the mixer and the content mixed well.
Mixing shall be continued until there is a uniform distribution of the
material. Final adjustment of water, to obtain concrete of required
consistency may be made by adding clean water, if necessary, and
turning the ingredients in the mixer.
Laying

Laying of lime concrete shall be started from a corner of the roof and
proceed diagonally towards centre and other sides considering the
slopes required for draining the rain-water smoothly. The average
thickness of lime concrete shall not be less than 100 mm. In case
the thickness is more than 100 mm each layer shall not be more
than 100 to 125 mm.
If the roof is fat, slope not less than 1 in 60 shall be given. However,
in case of heavy rainfall area slope of 1 in 40 is recommended. The
minimum compacted thickness of the concrete layer shah, however,
be nowhere less than 50 mm.

After the lime concrete is laid, it shall be initially rammed with a

rammer weighing not more than 2 kg and the finish brought to the
required evenness and slope. Alternately bamboo strips may be
used for the initial ramming. Further consolidation shall be done
using wooden THAPIES with rounded edges. The workmen will sit
close together, and beat the surface lightly and in rhythm and move
forward gradually. The beating will normally have to be carried on
for at least seven days until the THAPI makes no impression on the
surface and rebounds readily from it when struck.
If the surface during the process of compaction becomes too uneven
that water lodges in pools, the surface shall be pricked and fresh
lime concrete spread and consolidated as is necessary so as to
ensure proper slopes and levels are being maintained with adequate
bonding between old and new concrete by sprinkling requisite
quantity of lime water. Special care shall be taken to properly
consolidate the concrete at its junction with the parapet wall.
During compaction by hand-beating the surface shall be sprinkled
liberally with lime water ( 1 Part of putty and 3 to 4 parts of water )
and small proportion of sugar solution or a solution prepared by
soaking in water the dry nuts of Terminalia chebula for obtaining
improved waterproofing of the concrete. On completion of beating,
the mortar that comes on the top shall be smoothened with a trowel
or float, if necessary, with the addition of sugar solution and lime
putty.
Curing

The lime concrete after compaction shall be cured for a minimum of

10 days or until it hardens by covering with a thin layer of grass or
straw which shall be kept wet continuously.
Finish

In case of accessible roof finish one layer of burnt clay flat terracing
tiles may be laid over a thin layer of lime mortar. However, in the
extreme condition where there is considerable expansion and
contraction, two layers of tiles may be put on the top of lime
pozzolana concrete. The tiles should be joined with non-shrinking
impervious mortar by adding suitable integral waterproofing

admixtures or 5 percent used engine oil by weight of cement and

finished neat.
The protection against water penetration for the roof finish is
enhanced by efficient drainage of surface water.
For this purpose, the slope of the terrace with lime concrete and tile
finish shall not be less than 1 in 60 and the slope in the case of plain
lime concrete finish shall not be less than 1 in 50. For every 40 m2
of roof area, one 100 mm diameter rain water pipe shall be
provided.

Bituminous Methods (IS-1346-1991)

Introduction
Discovery of petroleum and its products and by-products has given
the construction industry an indispensable product in the form of
bitumen. Bitumen is more commonly used in the form of felt or
flexible membrane formed by sandwiching jute fabric or
fibreglass/polypropylene mats with chemically modified bitumen.
These membranes are laid on the roofing over a bitumen primer.
There are two types of membranes one is cold applied and the other
hot applied which means one needs to heat the edges of the felt
with a torch so that they melt and stick to the second layer in the
overlap area. On the RCC flat roofs the bitumen felts have not been
successful because of the unacceptable black appearance and
inaccessibility of the terrace for other social uses.
Technically it is not preferred because bitumen layer or felt on the
terrace not only makes it watertight but also airtight. Concrete has
the breathing property. It takes water/moisture and breathes out
water vapour. Hindrance of this breathing property of concrete
develops pore pressure, which causes blisters in the felt. After a few
seasons the blisters multiply and eventually de-laminate the felt
from the concrete surface. Hindrance of breathing property of
concrete makes the concrete weak. But on the asbestos cement
sheets and zinc sheets in factory roofs this bitumen felt is the only
dependable waterproofing system. Hence all factory roofs in India
adopt this water proofing system.

Bitumen is very effective in waterproofing of basements from

outside. Bitumen primers have very successfully been used as
damp-proof course in earlier days. This practice is slowly
discontinued for whatever reasons now very few engineers now
believe that this was in practice once. As consequence of this absent
DPC we have a lot of cases of rising dampness, which we tend to
attribute to wrong reasons such as the quality or salinity of sand etc.
Bitumen still is the product of first choice where it is commonly
recommended, in areas such as industrial roof waterproofing,
basement waterproofing, and damp-proof course. More over
bitumen is the most economical product available for
waterproofing.
Following methods are discussed here.

Painting with Hot Bitumen

Bitumen felt or Tar Felt

Built up Bitumen Membrane

Painting with Hot Bitumen

The surface shall be painted when it is thoroughly dry. The surface
to be painted shall be cleaned with wire brushes and cotton or
gunny cloth. All loose materials and scales shall be removed and the
surface shall be further cleaned with a piece of cloth lightly soaked
in kerosene oil or bitumen primers.
Painting with Bitumen- The bitumen brought to site shall be in its

original packing and shall be opened and used in the presence of

the Engineer-in-Charge or his authorised representative. The
containers shall not be removed from the site until the painting job
is completed and the Engineer-in-Charge has a time to satisfy
himself regarding the quantity of bitumen actually used and given
his permission to remove the same.
The surface prepared and treated shall be painted uniformly with
bitumen of approved quality such as residual type petroleum
bitumen penetration 80/100, hot cut back bitumen or equivalent,
after healing it to the required temperature as per specifications of

the manufacturers. The coat of bitumen shall be continued at least

15 cm along the vertical surfaces joining the roof. In case of parapet
walls, it shall be continued upto the Drip courses. Residual type
petroleum bitumen of penetration 80/100 shall be heated to a
temperature of not less than 180 C and not more than 190C and
shall be applied on the roof surface at not less than I80"C.
Similarly, hot cut back bitumen shall be heated to a temperature of
not less than 165C and not more than 170C and shall be applied
on the surface at not less than 165C. Care shall be taken to see
that no blank patches are left. The quantity of bitumen to be spread
per 10 square metres of roof surface shall be 17 kg, unless
otherwise stipulated in the description of the item and shall be
carefully regulated so that the application is uniform at the
stipulated rate of kg.
Spreading Sand- Immediately after painting, dry, clean sharp and

coarse sand at the rate of dm3 per 10 sqm shall be evenly spread
and levelled over the surface when the bitumen is still hot.

Tar Felt or Bitumen Felt Method (IS 1346- 1991)

Tar felt water proofing Very old system and not a permanent
solution. The system is probably the oldest in practice and uses
layers of tar interspersed with various forms of reinforcements to
hold the layer together and prevent cracking to provide
impermeable layer between the water and the surface to be
protected. Depending on the number of layers used it is variously
categorized as three later, five layer or seven layer tar felting
treatment. Actually in a new job seven-coat system is always
recommended but seldom executed since in terms of cost it turns
out to be as costly as the other treatments which are technically
more advanced. Most applicators use three-layer system for terrace
waterproofing though ideally it is only a repair system.
Traditionally hessian based roofing felts impregnated with low grade
bitumen are used as Bitumen Felts. These hessian fibers act as
restraints in the flow of bitumen in hot weather, resist contraction
during cold weather and essentially reinforce the membrane. During
the manufacturing process, hessian fibers get saturated in the
bitumen and subsequently as the matrices age, degradation sets in

due to oxidation making the felts brittle. This characteristic of

brittleness leads to ingress of water and the system fails.
Service life of Bitumen felts is about 5 years and effective water proofing not
guaranteed. Due to this reason though Tar felting once universally used is
found to be inadequate even for the primary function for which it is
designed.

Disadvantage

The tar oil that is the binder in the system disintegrates on contact
with both 'UV' radiation and aggressive chemicals in subsoil water and
then this leads to biodegradation of hessian reinforcement leading to
collapse of the system.

The specification clearly states that a light roller should be used on top
of the tar felt so that air pockets are eliminated. This is never done and
so the air pockets remain in the system and the air expands and
contracts with every heating cooling cycle leading to stress on the
reinforcement and ultimately they burst leading to water ingress.

A typical problem is that since the adherence to the surface is never

complete channels get formed below the tar felting and water which
enters from one place travels though these and exits wherever it finds
a weak point in the concrete. Repairs if any in tar felt have to be
carried out at points sometimes far away from the point that leaks and
this is hard to identify.

Built up Bitumen Membranes

Application Areas: Flat Roofs, Roofs with moderate slope, Balconies,
Open Terraces, Vertical Surfaces, Retaining walls, Basement water
proofing

Built up Bitumen membranes are manufactured by immersing a roll

of core material in bitumen and then coating it with oxidized or
modified bitumen. In most cases the top side is also given a surface
covering such as sand or slate granules and sometimes the
underside is treated with an adhesive. The most traditional and
lowest quality of the core materials to which bituminous coatings are
applied is an absorbent fiber sheet.
Although this is cheap to produce, it is prone to tearing when being
applied to roofs, and rots over time. Its poor quality makes it
suitable only for low-level applications such as garden sheds, or as
the bottom layer in a built-up roofing system where the other layers
contain higher-quality materials. But, because it is so cheap, it
continues to be used as the sole covering on the roofs of some
garages and domestic extensions.
The first higher-quality core material to appear was glass fiber
sheeting, which was introduced in the 1950s. This is more resistant

to tearing during application, and does not rot. It is suitable for a

wider range of applications and, unlike rag-based felts, is used on
commercial and industrial as well as domestic buildings.
The highest-quality core material is polyester which first began to
appear in the 1970s. This is very resistant to tearing, does not rot
and can be used for all types of flat roofs. The bitumen coatings for
these materials are divided into three broad groups. The traditional
one is oxidized bitumen which is the cheapest to produce, but lacks
flexibility particularly at lower temperatures, has little capacity to
cope with any movement in a roof and can become brittle and crack
after exposure to sunlight. The other two coatings are achieved by
mixing bitumen with a modifier which leads to felts which can be
easier to apply, are harder wearing, and have a longer life and
improved performance. Bitumen mixed with atactic polypropylene
(APP) or the rubber-like styrenebutadiene-styrene (SBS) is
particularly suitable for torch on applications (see below) and is
more flexible in low temperatures. Felts coated in SBS bitumen are
more expensive than those which use APP, but are better able to
accommodate movement in a roof without cracking.
There are two methods of providing and laying the bitumen
membranes.

Pour and Roll Method

Laying of Bitumen Felt using hot Bitumen

This is the most traditional method and involves heating bitumen to

a high temperature and pouring it on to the surface of a flat roof at
the rate of 0.24 liters per square meter of surface area. The felts are
then rolled on to the hot bitumen, forming a bond with the roof as
the bitumen cools and solidifies. General application procedure is as
under.

Clean the surface fully as briefed in the earlier sections.

Clean the Bitumen rolls, remove the curls and cut to size taking into
account the corners, up-folds, down-folds, openings.

Heat the bitumen to approximately 180 degrees and apply at the rate
of 1.5 kg per Sq.mtr.

Roll the bitumen membrane and press using appropriate tools.

Repeat the process with proper over lapping as per manufacturers

recommendation.

Ensure edges are anchored properly to the substrata to avoid lifts due
to wind pressure.

Bitumen Felt Laying completed, ready for paint

Torch on Membrane Method

Torching of Membrane

In this method, the initial bitumen primer is avoided. The membrane

before laying is heated using an LPG torch. As soon as the underside
bitumen coat starts bleeding, the membrane is rolled and pressed
flat. Rest of the procedure of overlap and precautions are same as in
Pour and Roll Method. Minimum overlap recommended is 100 mm.
The membrane can either be partially or fully bonded to the
substrate. The pour and roll and torch on technique will provide a
full bond, this has the advantage of providing a high level of
resistance to wind uplift and ensuring no flow path for water is
provided under the membrane which could cause moisture to
become trapped and blister the membrane.
However, a full bond will not accommodate thermal movement
between the membrane and the substrate which could possibly
cause the membrane to split or crack. Therefore, the first
waterproofing layer is usually kept partially bonded and subsequent
layers shall be fully bonded. Partial bonding will allow the
waterproofing layer to be isolated from the substrate so that it
accommodates differential movement that might otherwise cause it
to split.

Box Type Waterproofing

This type of water proofing system is used only for basement
waterproofing or waterproofing structures below the ground level
from outside to prevent leakages of subsoil water into the
basement. This method is quite popular with some designers and
effective even now.

In this method stone slabs (Kota or Shahabad Stones) are first laid in
the excavated pit over blinding concrete in a staggered joint fashion
to avoid the continuity of the mortar joints. The joints are effectively
filled with rich mortar admixed with integral waterproofing
compound and cured. Over this the raft is laid and shear/brick walls
constructed. The slabs are erected around the walls in a similar
fashion leaving a gap of one to two inches between the external
surface of the wall and the inner face of the stone surface. The joints
again effectively sealed with rich admixed mortar and the same
mortar is filled in the gap between the wall and the stones. This
stonework is continued up to ground level. In this system the raft
and the sidewalls are protected from direct exposure to sub soil
water.

This system works on two principles of common sense. First the area
exposed to subsoil water is only the area of the joint where as the
whole stone is impervious to water, hence only a fraction of area,
that is, that of the joint is exposed to subsoil water, when the joint
itself is filled with rich and quality mortar. Secondly, the path of
water to reach the raft or the sidewall is elongated. This elongated
path is through quality mortar. This system seeks to delay the
occurrence of leakages in the basements. A lot of building structures
are waterproofed by this system.
Floor Installation

Preparation of surface by cleaning, leveling etc.

20 mm thick cement-sand-mortar mixed with water proofing powder,

4% by weight of cement shall be laid on PCC and 20 mm graded
aggregate free from impurities shall be spread on the floor. It shall be
cured for 3 days.

Provide insert sockets and pipes to release the sub soil water pressure.

Then 18-20 mm thick stones ( Kota or Shahbad) of approximate 600 x

600 mm in size shall be laid flat and joined with cement-sand-mortar.
This shall project 300 mm all around RCC raft. The stones shall be hard
tough and free from cracks.

Then the surface shall be screeded with cement-sand mortar and

finished smooth.

RCC raft, walls or masonry shall be constructed as designed.

The sockets / pipes are grouted with pressure.

Columns or any support etc. coming out of raft shall be sealed with
poly-sulphide sealant at PCC level and at top of raft.

Wall Installation

About 20 mm thick stone slabs shall be fixed with cement sand grout
1:4 (1cement: 4 sand). Grout mixed with water proofing compound 4%
by weight of cement and joint well grouted and cured.

External surface shall be plastered 20mm thick with cement sand

mortar 1:4 (1 cement : 4 sand) mixed with 4% by weight of water proof
compound and in ratio roughened.

Vertical joints shall be well cleaned and grouted to make sure it forms a
continuous treatment. If required joint may be treated with sealant.

Treatment shall be taken about 300 mm above finished level.

All pipes etc. coming out of walls shall be sealed by grouting with
sealant.