Water tank sealing in Al Khansa Makkah
Al Khansa is a dense mixed quarter between Al Hajj Street and Al Abtah, containing old and new apartment blocks side by side. Tanks here vary widely in size, from ancient ceramic tanks in popular houses to modern units in new blocks. The ongoing Al Hajj Street expansion has demolished some properties and exposed old tanks directly to weather, salt and UV damage.
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Potable-rated materials
Linings and disinfectants cleared for drinking water tanks, not general-purpose products.
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You get the downtime first
How many hours the tank is out of service, told before we start rather than after we finish.
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A first-draw flush
We run the first draw off after refilling, and the tank is not handed back until the water runs clear.
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Ground and roof tanks
Villas, apartment blocks and premises that need a written record of each visit.
Why the job is different in Al Khansa
Tanks in the quarter vary widely in age and size, from historic ceramic tanks in popular houses to modern units, and ongoing street widening exposes old tanks to additional mechanical stress and weathering. The method is set out in full on how we approach Water tank sealing.
Ancient ceramic tanks in popular houses
Popular houses in Al Khansa hold very old clay and concrete tanks on roofs or in courtyards. These tanks were never sealed, walls are weak and joints have failed.
Demolition and widening expose old tanks
Al Hajj Street widening has stripped some buildings of their side walls. Tanks that were sheltered between other buildings are now exposed directly to sun, salt wind and thermal cycling.
New tanks amid the old stock
New residential blocks rise next to old houses, and their modern tanks may be weak if not sealed properly. Pressure from shared piping strains the neighboring old tanks.
The character of Al Khansa
Mixed district: shops at street level with homes above them
A mixed quarter means a blend of old houses and new blocks, with tanks highly varied in type, size and age. Old ceramic tanks need stronger and deeper sealing than modern units, and ongoing street expansion exposes aging tanks to added mechanical and thermal stress.
What we read before any material is opened
A crowded mixed quarter between Al Hajj Street and Al Maabdah Street linking the area to the Grand Mosque. Old popular houses stand among new residential blocks, the Al Adl cemetery lies on the district edge, and properties along the main street have been expropriated for road widening.
Cracking in the wall
Cracks in ancient ceramic tanks start at the joint between floor and walls, where clay loses cohesion over time.
The floor to wall joint
Pipe joints in old tanks are very weak, and old iron pipes rust and create holes.
The condition of the old lining
Tanks exposed after demolition face direct sun and salt-laden wind, causing rapid crack growth.
Sediment and scale
Water seeps from ceramic tank bases into foundations below, weakening the building structure.
The pipe entries
Tanks sit on roofs of old houses and new blocks, some hidden in courtyards.
The hatch and the vent
Water leakage from an old tank may go unnoticed for long periods, causing slow subsurface erosion of the base and adjacent walls.
How we work
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1
Inspect with the tank empty
We drain it and read the surface dry: whether the water leaves through a crack, a joint or a pipe collar, and what the outer face of the wall and the ceiling below are telling us. A level test with the valves closed separates a leaking tank from leaking pipework.
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2
Clean and prepare the substrate
Sediment out, a high pressure wash, the loose old lining and the weak surface layer of the concrete taken back, then dried. The material grips sound substrate and nothing else.
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3
Make the cracks and joints good
Cracks are chased out and filled with a repair mortar, a cove is formed where the floor meets the wall, and every pipe collar is treated on its own.
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4
Lining, fill test, sterilisation
Successive coats, each run across the one beneath it, on the face the water touches. Then a full cure, a fill with the level watched, and sterilisation with the first fill run to waste before the tank returns to use.
What water tank sealing includes
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Finding where the water leaves
Carried out drained and dry: cracks, joints, pipe collars and the outer face of the wall.
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Draining and sediment removal
The last of the water and the settled layer on the floor come out, because a lining does not stick over sediment.
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Cracks and joints made good
The crack opened and filled, a cove formed at the floor to wall junction, and each pipe entry worked separately.
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Lining coats on the water face
More than one coat, each crossing the one below, in material made for drinking water tanks rather than roof waterproofing.
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Curing, fill test and sterilisation
The material is left to cure, the tank is filled and the level watched, then sterilised and the first fill run to waste. How long the cure takes follows the material and the weather, and we tell you before the date so you can plan around the supply.
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A follow-up level check
We come back once it is in service to read the level and check the outer face, because any remaining loss shows up then rather than on the day of the work.
What is different about Al Maabdah Sub-Municipality
Al Maabdah sub municipality climbs from Al Abtah and Al Jumayzah beside the Al Mualla cemetery up through Al Khansa and Rai Adhakhir to Al Adl, Jabal Al Nour, Wadi Jaleel and Qurtubah on the outer ring roads. It mixes hotels and pilgrim housing near the Grand Mosque with old popular houses on hillside passes, new housing schemes on valley floors that carry flash floods after rain, and industrial plots, workshops and warehouses along Al Hajj Street in Qurtubah. Street widening and expropriation leave partly demolished frontages in Al Khansa.
Questions about this district
Can old ceramic tanks be repaired?
They can if the base walls are sound. We clean and seal them with a modern concrete layer, but advanced age may require replacement.
How do we handle tanks exposed to open air after demolition?
We seal them more intensively than usual because direct sun and salt wind cause rapid failure.
Do new apartment tanks affect neighboring old tanks?
They may. If pipes are shared or close together, pressure from new blocks can trigger leaks in old adjacent tanks.
What is the difference between sealing a ceramic tank and a concrete tank?
Ceramic tanks need stronger and thicker sealing. Clay is porous and absorbs water, so the seal must be a strong moisture barrier.
Does ongoing street widening cause tank cracking?
Yes. Excavation and demolition vibrations worsen existing cracks or create new ones.
Are old tanks cheaper to maintain than new ones?
No, the opposite. Old tanks require stronger sealing and deeper cleaning, raising the cost.
How much does water tank sealing in Al Khansa cost?
It is set after the inspection, because the price follows the type of infestation, the size of the space, how far it has spread and the number of visits it needs. Send a photo and a description on WhatsApp and we will give you an estimate before we reach Al Khansa.
Nearby districts we cover
Other services in Al Khansa
Other services we provide to residents of Al Khansa.
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Water tanks
Water tank cleaning
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Water tanks
Water tank sterilization
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Water tanks
Tank leak repair
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Residential
Cockroach control
Need water tank sealing in Al Khansa? Tell us what you saw and we will tell you what it needs
We reach Al Khansa at a time we agree, and you get the full cost before we start.