Roof waterproofing in Afif: emergency

Prepared by the technical team · editorial review · last updated 13 November 2026 · Sources

Before we start: what we know about Afif

Team note on Afif: Kashf teams serve this city and its nearby districts with the same documented inspection standard: device-based leak detection without demolition, a written report, and a clear scope before any work begins.. The centre of Afif sits about 1040 m above sea level (SRTM open elevation data).

Main roads in or near Afif: King Abdulaziz Road, King Faisal Road, Airport Road.

Roof waterproofing in Afif is checked first at elevation, because the centre of Afif sits about 1040 m above sea level (SRTM open elevation data). At that height the air is cooler than in the coastal cities, but roofs still take strong sun during the day and can cool sharply overnight, and that daily movement is what opens hairline cracks and lifts old membranes at the edges. When an emergency call comes in, the first check is the leak path itself: where water enters, whether it runs along a parapet, around a drain outlet, or through a crack in the topping. The technician then looks at what is already on the roof, since a failed bitumen membrane behaves differently from a worn liquid coating, and the repair method depends on which one is present.

Several things are left to the site visit, because they cannot be judged from a phone call. The technician needs to see the roof slope, whether ponding water is standing anywhere, the condition of the parapet flashing, and whether the leak is coming through the slab or only through a penetration such as a pipe or vent. The size of the damaged area sets the scope, and the rate for liquid roof waterproofing of SAR 8–25 per m² or bitumen membrane of SAR 15–35 per m² is only a starting reference until the roof has been measured on site. If a crack is running along the slab rather than across the surface, crack injection at SAR 40–120 per metre may be considered, and that too depends on what the technician finds when they inspect it.

To help the technician arrive prepared, note when the leak started and whether it appears only after rain or during sunny days, since that timing points to different causes. Say whether the stain is on the ceiling below the roof or on a wall, and whether the room below is a bathroom, which may share drainage with the roof. Photographs of the stain and of the roof surface, taken in daylight, are very useful. Let us know whether the building has a water tank on the roof, because tank internal coating is priced separately at SAR 25–60 per m² and should be inspected at the same visit. Clear access to the roof hatch and a note of any locked areas will save time on arrival.

If water is flowing, close the main valve first, then call or message with photos.

Signs that call for roof waterproofing

If you notice one of these signs in Afif, it is a good moment to talk to the team:

• The old waterproofing is cracking
• Stains on the top-floor ceiling after rain
• Water pooling on the roof

Causes we see in the field

• Cracks in the roof slab.
• Damaged waterproofing around tank and AC bases — we check this before anything else.
• Wrong falls towards the drains.

Tools and methods, and when we use them

How the work is done, step by step

1. Survey: Falls, drains and the condition of the old layer are recorded.
2. Preparation: Cleaning and repairs before any new layer.
3. Primer: The base coat that the system needs.
4. Waterproofing layers and details: Corners, upstands and bases get their own detail.
5. Flood test: The roof is flooded and checked before it is covered.

Afif in facts and sources

Questions from Afif

Mistakes that cost more

• Covering the waterproofing before the flood test
• Ignoring the tank bases

The written outputs

The written output: a quality record with photos and the flood-test result. The report is numbered and can be checked with its verification code.