Guide — Home construction

7 treatments your home needs while it’s being built

Not after. Every one of these is cheap to do now and expensive or impossible to fix later. Here’s what to use, which brands to ask for in India, and the stage each one belongs to.

Prices are indicative for 2026 and vary by city, brand and contractor. Take three written quotes.

Foundation · wet areas · terrace

Waterproofing

The one treatment nobody should negotiate on. It goes under the tiles — anything applied after is a repair.

Four separate jobs: foundation, wet areas, terrace, water tanks — each needs its own product.
In bathrooms: fillets at corners, coving at drains, two coats on the floor and 1–1.5 m up the walls.
Insist on a 48-hour ponding test before tiling. No test, no sign-off.
Cementitious for bathrooms and tanks, PU or liquid membrane for terraces, bituminous for foundations.
Get the 5–10 year warranty in writing, from the applicator and the brand.

Coated and coved, before any tiling

Where to source it

DFDr. FixitPidiproof LW+, Roofseal, Newcoat APAsian Paints SmartCareDamp Proof, Hydroloc, Vitalia FOFosrocBrushbond RFX / Ultraflex SKSikaSikalastic, Raintite, SikaCem

STSTP · CICO · ZydexShalimar, Zycosil, Berger HomeShield

₹40–150per sq ft of treated area12–20 yrslife of a PU terrace membrane

Foundation & plinth

Anti-termite treatment

Termites come up through the soil. Once the flooring is down you can only drill and inject — costlier and weaker.

Five stages, not one visit — foundation pits, backfill, plinth filling, wall-floor junction, and the external perimeter after completion.
Follow IS 6313, Parts 1 and 2. Ask for dated photographs of every stage.
Chemicals: chlorpyriphos 20% EC is cheapest; imidacloprid 30.5% SC or fipronil 2.92% SC last longer and are safer around children and pets. CIB&RC approved only.
Consider ATPS piping cast into the plinth, so chemical can be refilled later without drilling the floors.
Collect the treatment certificate — banks and approvals ask for it.

Plinth filling, before the floor slab

Where to source it

RPRentokil PCIPan-India, IS 6313 protocol HCHiCarePre-construction packages

PRPremise (Bayer)Imidacloprid 30.5% SC

TDTermidorFipronil 2.92% SC

TNTruly Nolen · PCILicensed applicators

₹8–25per sq ft of built-up area5–10 yearsbefore it needs topping upIS 6313

Terrace & sun-facing walls

Heat insulation

An uninsulated terrace slab hits 60–70°C in May and radiates it downward all night. This is why the top floor won’t cool at 2 a.m.

Over-deck is better: waterproofing first, then insulation boards laid staggered, then geotextile, then screed or terrace tile.
Under-deck — boards fixed below the slab and finished with mortar or hidden above a false ceiling — is the option when the terrace is already done.
Insulation goes above the waterproofing, never below it.
Start at 25 mm board thickness; 40–50 mm makes a real difference on a terrace.
Pair it with AAC blocks, cavity walls on the west face, and DGU glass.

Boards fixed before the finish layer

Where to source it

SUSupreme INSUboardXPS boards, over and under deck

BSBeardsellXPS / EPS boards

RWRockwool IndiaMineral wool — heat and sound

UTUP Twiga · LloydGlasswool insulation

ALAerolamReflective foil / XLPE

₹40–90per sq ft, system dependentAlso works: china mosaic and cool roof paint

Window order · before false ceiling

Soundproofing

Most noise enters through windows, not walls — so this gets decided months before handover, at the window order stage.

DGU (double glazed) cuts roughly 30–40 dB and insulates heat too. Best value for most homes.
Laminated or acoustic glass (40–45 dB) for homes facing a highway, railway line or market.
Sound leaks through gaps before glass — a bad fabricator ruins expensive glazing. Check packing, sealant, beading.
Rockwool in stud partitions and above bedroom ceilings; solid-core doors with a bottom seal.
Wrap the drainage stack in the bathroom shaft before boxing it in. That’s the neighbour’s flush you keep hearing.

A DGU section — two panes, sealed cavity

Where to source it

FNFenestauPVC and aluminium, DGU options

AEAparna · EncraftuPVC acoustic glazing

WSWeathersealBy Asian Paints

GYSaint-Gobain GyprocAcoustic partitions, Isover wool

RWRockwool · UP TwigaPartition and ceiling infill

₹900–2,250per sq ft of window30–45 dBcut, DGU through laminated

Before steel is fixed or plastered over

Anti-rust treatment

Rust expands, and expanding rust cracks whatever surrounds it. Every hidden steel member needs priming before it disappears behind plaster or wood.

Preparation is 70% of the job: wire brush or sandblast off all mill scale, oil and existing rust first.
Two coats of primer, fully dry between, then enamel or PU topcoat.
Red oxide zinc chromate to IS 2074 for general structural steel; zinc phosphate for humid and coastal sites.
Steel going underground or into concrete: hot-dip galvanise, then a bituminous coat. Paint alone won’t hold.
Welded joints rust first — never let them be painted unprepared.

Primed before it goes into the ground

Where to source it

APAsian PaintsHigh Performance Metal Primer

BGBergerEpilux 610 epoxy, IS 2074 primer

NRNerolacRed oxide metal primer

SHShalimarZinc chromate primers

₹150–400per litre of primerIS 2074

Immediately after tiling

Grouting & sealing of tile joints

Cement grout is porous. It stains, grows fungus and powders out — and in a bathroom, the leak below starts at a grout line, not a crack.

Epoxy grout in every wet area and the kitchen. Non-porous, stain-proof, colour-stable, 10–15 years. Cement grout is fine in dry rooms.
Silicone, not grout, at internal corners and wall-floor junctions — those joints move, and grout cracks there.
Seal around the WC base, basin, counter, shower tray and behind the hob.
Natural stone needs a penetrating sealer before use. Unsealed marble holds every oil stain permanently.
Joints must be raked clean and dry; grout only after the adhesive has cured 24 hours.

Worked in diagonally, wiped immediately

Where to source it

MLMYK LaticreteSP-100 Spectralock, 500 series RFRoffBy Pidilite — widely stocked

WBWeberJoint Poxy, by Saint-Gobain

ARArdex Endura · Bal EnduraGrouts and adhesives

KKKerakoll · RedwopPremium epoxy grout

₹500–3,000per kg of epoxy groutYou need far less than you think

Interiors · kitchen · electricals

Fireproofing

The one most homeowners skip. It isn’t a single product — it’s a set of choices across your woodwork and your wiring.

Fire retardant plywood to IS 5509 in the kitchen, nearby wardrobes and wooden ceilings. Look for the stamp with licence and batch number — not an “FR” sticker.
FRLS wiring (flame retardant, low smoke) throughout. The price difference across a whole house is negligible.
Correctly rated MCBs plus an RCCB; separate heavy-duty circuits for kitchen, geyser and AC.
Smoke detectors near the kitchen and the bedroom passage, plus a 2–4 kg ABC extinguisher and a fire blanket.
Keep the LPG cylinder ventilated and reachable — never sealed inside a cabinet.

IS 5509 board under flame test

Where to source it

GPGreenplyIS 5509 fire retardant ply

CPCentury · DuroplyFR plywood ranges

MRMerino · ArchidplyFR boards and laminates

PCPolycab · Havells · FinolexFRLS wiring

PMPromat · NullifireIntumescent fire coatings

FR ply carries a premium over regular gradesIS 5509 · NBC 2016

When each one happens

Print this and put it on your site wall.

Stage of build	What must be done
Excavation & foundation	Anti-termite stages 1–2, foundation waterproofing, primer on embedded steel
Plinth filling	Anti-termite stage 3, ATPS piping if you’re using it
Structure & slab	Integral waterproofing admixture in the concrete mix
Before plastering	Anti-rust primer on all MS work; window and glazing decision locked
Sunken slab & toilets	Bathroom waterproofing, then the 48-hour ponding test
Terrace	Waterproofing, then insulation, then the finish — in that order
Before false ceiling	Rockwool infill, drainage stack wrapping, FRLS wiring
Tiling	Epoxy grout in wet areas, silicone at corners, stone sealer
Interiors	IS 5509 ply in the kitchen and risk zones, FR coatings
Handover	External perimeter termite treatment, smoke detectors, extinguisher, all warranty papers

Five questions for your contractor

Most site disputes come from the last one never being asked.

Which brand and exact product, and can I see the packaging on site?
What’s the warranty, in writing — and who honours it, you or the manufacturer?
Which stage will this be done at, and will you send me dated photos?
Is this quoted per sq ft of treated area, or of built-up area?
Who is the brand’s authorised applicator in this city, and can I call them?

Building or renovating?

Save this page and take it to your next site meeting.

Explore the courses

Brand names are listed because they’re commonly available and specified in India. Product suitability depends on your site — confirm with the manufacturer’s technical team or an authorised applicator before you buy.