Water tank waterproofing in Al Shafa, Riyadh: without breaking

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

Why water tank waterproofing differs in Al Shafa

The centre of Al Shafa is at 24.7969, 46.6401, about 9.9 km from the centre of Riyadh, with an approximate radius of 3 km. The service-area circle on the map below is drawn from this point. The nearest wadi channel is about 1.1 km from the centre of Al Shafa (OpenStreetMap).

Main roads in or near Al Shafa: King Fahd Road, Thumamah Road, King Abdulaziz Road. The centre of Al Shafa sits about 656 m above sea level (SRTM open elevation data).

Al Shafa is largely commercial, with shops and offices.

Picture a shop owner in Al Shafa who has a rooftop water tank serving a small commercial building. One morning the staff notice a damp patch spreading across the storeroom ceiling below, and the tank has begun to show staining on its outer walls. The owner wants the leak stopped without emptying the building, closing the shop for days, or tearing out the tank. The question is how to waterproof the tank while keeping the business running.

Al Shafa is largely commercial, with shops and offices, so most buildings here depend on a tank that must keep working through the working day. The area sits at about 656 m above sea level, and its centre lies at 24.7969, 46.6401, roughly 9.9 km from the centre of Riyadh. The nearest wadi channel is about 1.1 km away, which is a useful reminder that rain can arrive in short, heavy bursts, so the roof and tank surfaces need to shed water and resist it. For an owner, this means the work should be planned around trading hours, and the choice of coating should reflect how the tank is used and how often it is refilled.

Start by inspecting the tank and the roof slab beneath it, marking every crack and staining line before any materials are chosen. Where cracks run through the structure, crack injection is usually priced per metre, typically SAR 40–125 per m, so measuring the total length early gives a realistic budget. Next, clean and dry the internal surfaces, then apply a tank internal coating, which typically runs SAR 25–65 per m², so the owner can estimate the cost from the measured area. For the roof above, liquid roof waterproofing at SAR 10–25 per m² or a bitumen membrane at SAR 15–35 per m² can be compared against the building's needs. Finally, test the tank by refilling it slowly and checking the marked points over the following days before returning to normal use.

The aim is to locate the cause with instruments first, so any opening is limited to one point.

Signs that call for water tank waterproofing

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

• Unusual colour or taste in the water
• Deposits and flaking inside the tank
• A tank that leaks after testing

The most common causes

• Construction joints.
• Cracks in the walls or floor.
• Damaged old coating — we check this before anything else.

How we choose the tool in Al Shafa

The steps in order

1. Emptying and ventilation: The tank is emptied and ventilated before entry.
2. Cleaning and preparation: Loose material is removed down to a sound surface.
3. Crack treatment: Active cracks are treated first.
4. Coating layers: A material intended for drinking-water tanks is applied.
5. Disinfection and fill test: The tank is disinfected and the level is monitored after filling.

Al Shafa in facts and sources

Common questions about water tank waterproofing in Al Shafa

Mistakes that cost more

• Using a material that is not intended for drinking water

What you get after the work

The written output: the material name, its batch number and the fill-test result. The report is numbered and can be checked with its verification code.