Introduction:

The 40 days of incessant rain inspired people to take some course of action to prevent water from entering their habitat.The first real need for waterproofing dates back to the days of Noahs Ark. In the early days people relied upon reed,thatch, such as straw, leaves and other dried vegetable matter as a barrier against water entering their home.

Technological touch up and progress are occurring on a daily basis. Over time today's waterproofing membranes such as polyurethanes, acrylics and polyesters will become as antiquated as leaves and animal skins are today.Waterproofing has come a long way since Noah's day. The discovery of oil, coupled with the advances of chemistry saw the arrival of numerous petroleum derived waterproofing products such as bituminous, butyl rubber, neoprene rubber, hypalon etc.

Over time more sophisticated waterproofing materials were adopted. These included: animal skins, timber shingles, and natural stones like slate. The architectural designs of the day such as high pitched roofs helped overcome some of the shortfalls and limitations of the materials that were used. Over the centuries other waterproofing materials were used such as metals eg. copper, lead, zinc, and tin.