Waterproofing for Stellenbosch’s historic core, campuses and estates

Stellenbosch packs a lot of building types into one town. Along Dorp Street and the oak-lined historic centre, Cape Dutch and Victorian houses stand next to student residences, shops and restaurants. Techno Park adds modern offices, and the surrounding wine estates have cellars, tasting rooms and function venues. Each of these has its own way of letting water in, so waterproofing in Stellenbosch is never one-size-fits-all.

NPC works across the town and its estates. Our client list already includes Spier, Lanzerac and MolenVliet, and we take on everything from damp in a single heritage room to flat roofs on commercial buildings.

Winter in the Eerste River valley is cold and wet, and the mountains around the town hold rain clouds for days at a time, while summers are hot and dry. That swing works on both old and new buildings: lime plaster stays damp for weeks, and flat-roof membranes on newer offices expand and contract through the long summer. Our recommendations take both seasons into account.

Waterproofing Stellenbosch’s heritage homes

Older buildings in central Stellenbosch were built with soft brick, lime mortar and lime plaster, materials that need to breathe. Many of the damp problems we see began when later owners added cement plaster, impermeable paint or raised paving, trapping moisture in the walls. Treating these buildings well means removing the cause and using compatible materials rather than sealing everything in.

Much of the centre falls within heritage overlay zones, so any change to the visible fabric may need approval. We keep visible changes to a minimum and can work alongside the owner’s heritage practitioner or architect. Gutters and downpipes on these older houses also deserve attention, because overflowing water soaking the base of a wall is often the hidden cause of what looks like rising damp.

Waterproofing contractors in Stellenbosch for residences, offices and estates

Student accommodation and offices bring flat roofs, balconies and rooftop plant, and work often has to fit around term times or business hours. On wine estates, cellars below ground level, large barn roofs with box gutters and courtyard water features are the main concerns. Work we regularly carry out in and around the town includes:

• Rising damp treatment in older buildings
• Flat roofs on residences, offices and shops
• Cellar and retaining wall waterproofing
• Box gutters and flashings on estate buildings
• Water features, ponds and planters