What is a ponding test?
A ponding (flood) test seals the floor openings in a wet area of the unit above, floods the floor with water and leaves it for a set period while the ceiling below is watched. BCA's Quality Mark scheme ponds bathrooms for at least 24 hours with at least 25 mm of water measured from the highest point, with the joints around the floor trap left exposed. A dry ceiling after the test points away from that floor; a wet one points towards it.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in Water Seeping From the Unit Above: Inter-Floor Leaks in Singapore Condos, the Law, Testing and Who Pays. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
In a Singapore strata development, dampness on your ceiling is presumed, unless proven otherwise, to come from a defect in the unit or common property directly above (s 101(8) of the Building (Strata Management) Act). Both owners should investigate jointly, usually with a ponding test, and agree repairs and costs. If they cannot, either can apply to the Strata Titles Boards.
More questions on this topic
- Is the owner above automatically liable for a leak into my ceiling?
- Does the MCST have to fix a leak between two units?
- How much does it cost to apply to the Strata Titles Boards?
- Can I claim loss of rental income caused by the leak?
- My neighbour above refuses to let anyone in. What can I do?
- How is it handled in HDB flats?
- Will thermal imaging prove where the leak comes from?