Efflorescence only occurs when mortar or concrete remain saturated for long periods of time. This allows lime or other salts within the masonry to be dissolved and migrate to the surface where the water evaporates leaving the white salts deposited on the surface as ‘efflorescence’.

It has been found that due to their composition, balcony screed beds are a breeding ground for efflorescence. Fortunately, there are a number of processes that can be put into place to minimise the occurrence of efflorescence:

1. Provide positive fall in the substrate to eliminate the pooling of water.
2. Add a penetrate to the screed that will prevent water from entering the screed.
3. Apply a secondary layer of waterproofing membrane to the cured screed, which also prevents water from entering the screed.

If you can’t manage to do all of the above, you will achieve the best results by adopting option number 3 above. The added bonus is that on top of eliminating efflorescence, this option will also increase the integrity and longevity of the balcony waterproofing system.

Multiskill Pty Ltd exclusively offer a unique ‘double layer balcony protection’ system which helps prevent the appearance of efflorescence by adding a second layer of waterproofing membrane on top of the screed bed. For a limited time, you can get double layer protection for your balconies for the special introductory price of only $24 sq/m. Call 1300 MSKILL or email info@multiskill.com.au to take advantage of this offer.

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.

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.