Residential & commercial · Roofs & podiums

Roof & Podium Waterproofing

Roofs, podium decks and trafficable terraces are where waterproofing meets the building, and where a buried membrane is the one you never want to redo. We membrane roofs, podiums, planters and terraces to AS 4654, in the system that suits the exposure and the traffic, with the penetrations and the upturns detailed to suit. This is our commercial and strata path too, coordinated with the builder or body corporate.

Photo: roof & podium waterproofing job
Scope

What this job includes.

  • Exposed and buried membranes on roofs, podiums and terraces to AS 4654
  • Trafficable deck systems and planter box tanking
  • Penetrations, drains, upturns and falls detailed to suit the build
  • Coordinated with the builder or body corporate on access and staging
  • Leak diagnosis on a failing podium before a staged repair
Our system: A membrane specified for the exposure and the traffic, exposed or buried, to AS 4654, with the penetrations and upturns detailed, named on the quote, and warranted for 10 years.
How we quote it

Priced by the m², itemised line by line.

The area by the m², the Standard it meets, AS 3740 inside or AS 4654 outside, the membrane system and the product, the number of coats, the prep and any strip-out, the flood test and the certificate. Not one round number for the waterproofing.

The 7-line quote
  1. 1 The area, by the square metre. The price broken down by the m² and the area, not one round number for "the waterproofing". A shower recess, a bathroom and a balcony are different jobs, and the quote should show it.
  2. 2 The Standard it has to meet. AS 3740 inside a wet area, or AS 4654 outside on a balcony, deck or roof, named on the page. The Standard is what sets the coats and the detailing, so naming it is the honest part of the quote.
  3. 3 The membrane system and product. Cementitious, liquid-applied or sheet, and the actual product named, not "we will seal it". The system is chosen for the exposure and the substrate, and you should see which one you are paying for.
  4. 4 The number of coats. How many coats, because the most common cheap shortcut is one coat where the Standard needs two. It is invisible the moment the tiles go down, so it belongs on the quote.
  5. 5 Prep and any strip-out. The substrate prep, and the strip-out of failed tiles or membrane where it is needed, as their own line. Prep is a real cost before any membrane goes down, never folded into a round number.
  6. 6 The flood test and certificate. The flood test that proves the membrane holds water, and the compliance certificate a licensed waterproofer issues. The test is the difference between it looks done and it is proven.
  7. 7 The membrane warranty. The 10-year membrane workmanship warranty in writing, alongside the manufacturer system warranty. The cover a cheap operator will not put on paper, because they cannot stand behind a rushed job.
If a quote doesn’t show these lines, you can’t compare it, and you don’t know what’s been cut.
How it runs

What happens, step by step.

1

Inspect and diagnose

We look at the job and, for a leak, trace where the water is actually getting in, because the stain is rarely under the source. We check the falls, the substrate and the detailing before we quote anything.

2

Strip out and prepare

Where the old membrane or tiles have failed, we strip them back. Then we grind, repair cracks, and prime the substrate, because a membrane is only as good as what it is stuck to.

3

Detail the junctions

Bond breakers at the wall-to-floor corners, the upturns to height, the penetrations and wastes sealed in, and the fall to the drain set right. The junctions are where a wet area moves and where it leaks.

4

Apply the coats

The membrane system to AS 3740 or AS 4654, the number of coats the Standard needs, each cured before the next. We name the system and the coats on the quote, and apply exactly that.

5

Flood test

We plug the wastes, flood the area, and leave it to confirm the membrane holds water before anything goes on top. The test is the proof, and it is a real step, not an optional extra.

6

Certify and hand over

We issue the compliance certificate for the work and hand over the membrane warranty in writing, so your builder, certifier and insurer have the paperwork the job needs.

Insured, covered, guaranteed

The paperwork behind the price.

Public liability to $20M, and a 10-year membrane workmanship, all in writing, all on request.

We hold a QBCC licence for waterproofing in Queensland, the licence that lets us flood-test and issue the compliance certificate, and we carry public liability insurance, so you are covered on site. The guarantee is a 10-year written warranty on the membrane workmanship, the part that fails first when a job is rushed, alongside the manufacturer system warranty on the accredited membrane we install to AS 3740 or AS 4654. All in writing, with exclusions named.

The cover, the guarantee, and how to check each one.
Proof · recent work

Roof & Podium Waterproofing jobs we’ve done.

The same Hamilton Queenslander roof before, with a cracked galvanised flashing, lifted seal and rust-streaked staining down the parapet Before
A finished AS 4654 parapet flashing detail on an older Hamilton Queenslander, the upstand reworked and capped After
Hamilton Queenslander, roof flashings and parapet to AS 4654, Hamilton. An older Hamilton Queenslander with a leaking flat-roof addition and weeping parapet, the flashings reworked and the parapet capped with a liquid membrane to AS 4654, the staining inside dry through a full wet season.
Questions, answered

Roof & Podium Waterproofing: common questions.

Do you waterproof flat roofs and podium decks for buildings?
Yes, this is our commercial and strata path. We membrane exposed roofs, podium decks, trafficable terraces and planters to AS 4654, in the system that suits the traffic and the exposure, and we coordinate with the builder or body corporate on access and staging. Tell us the building and the problem and we will scope it.
What is the difference between an exposed and a buried membrane?
An exposed membrane is the finished, trafficable surface and has to be UV-stable and tough underfoot. A buried membrane sits under tiles, pavers or a planter and has to be detailed perfectly, because you cannot get back to it without lifting everything above. We spec each for where it sits and detail the penetrations and upturns to suit, because a buried membrane is the one you never want to redo.
Can you fix a leaking podium or planter without demolishing the deck above?
Sometimes the leak is at a penetration, a drain or a junction we can isolate and repair, and sometimes the buried membrane has failed across the deck and the honest answer is a staged strip and re-membrane. We diagnose where the water is tracking first, often with the falls and the drains, then quote the least-destructive fix that will actually hold. We will not promise a patch on a deck that needs the membrane redone.
Get started

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Tell us what you need. We’ll book a walkthrough and send a quote with the work itemised, not just a number.

✓ QBCC Licensed Waterproofing✓ Accredited membrane applicator✓ Licensed & insured✓ 160 five-star reviews✓ 10-year membrane workmanship
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