Know the number, and the Standard, before you waterproof.
Waterproofing jobs get quoted hundreds apart for the same wet area, because the cheap quote uses one coat instead of two, skips the bond breakers, and never flood-tests the work. The differences only show up later, when the ceiling below starts to stain. These guides put them back in the conversation: what it costs per m², which Standard your job has to meet, whether a leaking balcony needs the tiles up, how long a membrane lasts, and who can certify it. No sign-up, no sales pitch, just what to ask.
Choosing a waterproofer
What to check before you let anyone quote, so you hire on the licence and the Standard, not the lowest number.
Can you fix a leaking balcony without removing the tiles?
Sometimes, and we will tell you honestly which it is. Where the leak is through grout and joints on a sound deck, a liquid membrane over the tiles can be a genuine fix. Where the falls are wrong or the membrane has failed, the honest answer is a strip-out. How to tell the difference.
Read the guide →Who certifies waterproofing, and do I need a certificate?
In Queensland a licensed waterproofer issues the compliance certificate for the work they install, once it is built to AS 3740 or AS 4654 and flood-tested. Who can certify, when you need one, and the flood test behind it.
Read the guide →Pricing and quotes
What the work is worth by the square metre, how to read a quote, and how to compare like for like.
How the work is done
What good looks like, the membrane systems that matter, and the Australian Standards behind them.
Does waterproofing have to meet an Australian Standard?
Yes. Internal wet areas are waterproofed to AS 3740 and external above-ground areas to AS 4654, and in Queensland it is a licensed trade. What each Standard requires, why a quote that names it is one you can check, and who can issue the compliance certificate.
Read the guide →Why do showers and balconies leak, and how is a leak found?
A leak is never random. Showers fail at the junctions and the waste, balconies at the fall to drain. Why the common failure modes happen, and why the source has to be found before a fix, because the stain is rarely under the leak.
Read the guide →Warranty and aftercare
What the guarantee covers, and how long a membrane should last when it is done to the Standard and tested.
The Honest Waterproofing Cost Guide
What is inside
- Real by-the-m² bands for wet areas, balconies, roofs, basements and leak repairs
- The lines a cheap waterproofing quote quietly leaves out
- How AS 3740 and AS 4654 decide the coats, the falls and the detailing
- A one-page checklist to take to every waterproofing quote
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