Choosing the Right Waterproofer
Did you know that water damage due to inadequate or defective waterproofing is consistently one of the top three most common and costly building complaints?
Out of sight, out of mind
Waterproofing (unlike carpentry, plumbing or tiling) is one of those unseen construction trades, whose importance can often be underestimated and overlooked in an ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind’ kind of way. Unfortunately incorrect, inadequate or faulty waterproofing of wet areas (bathrooms, toilets, laundries, etc) can cause more damage than a failure in any other construction area.
If water is not properly contained in a wet area it will seep through adjoining walls and substrates causing mould, rotting and weakening of the structure. Just imagine how much damage this could cause in an upstairs bathroom…
Choose your waterproofer carefully
Another common misconception is that all waterproofers and waterproofing materials are the same – they are all equally effective. This is certainly not the case.
The Australian standard for residential waterproofing, the AS3740, classifies each of the different wet areas and identifies a specific class of waterproof membrane that must be used in order to allow for things like structural movement and long-term usage. You should insist on using only CSIRO tested and approved waterproof membranes to ensure the products used in your home(s) meet the requirements of the AS3740.
Training matters
Another thing to consider when choosing your waterproofer is the quality of their applicators. High quality products and materials are only effective when installed by a trained, qualified waterproofing applicator. Correct installation of waterproofing systems is a specialised skill, especially when it comes to dealing with challenging situations such as a unique balcony construction. If your waterproofer does not have the correct training or expertise you can easily end up with thousands of dollars of water damage.
Choosing the right waterproofer
When selecting a waterproofer that’s right for your home(s), here are a few things you should be looking for:
- TRAINING & QUALITY ASSURANCE: A decent waterproofer will have a specialised training program for their team to ensure they fully understand their products, systems and installation techniques prior to servicing their clients. They will also have Quality Assurance procedures in place to ensure a consistently high quality output from their team.
- WARRANTY & CERTIFICATES: Upon completion of a job, the waterproofer should issue you with a waterproofing certificate and a warranty to cover the work completed. A 10 year warranty is common in the industry and decent waterproofing should easily last much longer than that.
- CONSULTATION: Each unique wet area design will require specialist advice and consultation to ensure the waterproofing system and construction methods are working hand-in-hand to ensure life-long waterproof wet areas. What works for one design may not work for another, so you should look for a waterproofer that wants to work with you to develop waterproofing-friendly construction practices.
- REPUTATION & HISTORY: As is the story with any industry, be wary of new or inexperienced companies. Waterproofing is the type of trade that can only be mastered with years of research, development and practice. Also, why not get a few trade references from them and see what their existing (or past) customers think of their work… beware, you may uncover a few skeletons.
Follow these tips when choosing your waterproofer, and you can rest assured that you will save yourself plenty of time and money in the long run not dealing with disgruntled home owners, warranty claims and leaking houses. Getting yourself a decent waterproofer is certainly something that should be “out-of-sight” but “in the front of your mind”.
Multiskill Pty Ltd are Australia’s largest non-franchised residential waterproofing specialists, and have been providing the highest quality waterproofing services to the residential builders of Australia for almost 20 years. As a national company we offer competitive pricing, highly trained professional applicators and the best in waterproofing solutions, all of which are CSIRO approved and AS3740 compliant.
As industry leaders Multiskill is currently the preferred supplier to some of Australia’s largest builders including Clarendon, Cosmopolitan, Eden Brae, Henley, JG King, Metricon, Mirvac and Simonds Homes. For more information about Multiskill, or to request a quote please visit www.multiskill.com.au or call 1300 MSKILL.