Bathrooms That Don't Leak Balconies That Last

Three reasons I see week-in, week-out. First, the original membrane is older than AS 3740 actually requires, or it was rolled on too thin. Second, movement at the floor-to-wall junction has cracked the corner detail and water tracks behind the tile. Third, someone retiled over a screed that was already wet — the membrane below was compromised but nobody pulled it up to check.

Modern AS 3740 retrofits go to higher coverage rates, get proper bond breaker on movement joints, and use sheet or liquid systems that handle slight substrate flex. If your bathroom is from before the early 2000s and has never been redone, it's almost certainly out of compliance.

Most modern membranes are designed for AU humidity, but Sydney's coastal air does add cure time on the wettest weeks. Plan on 24–48 hours before tiling or pressure on a fresh wet-area membrane in summer humidity, and up to 72 hours on enclosed bathrooms with poor airflow. We'll always tell you on handover when it's safe to push the next trade through.

Sometimes — a liquid membrane can go directly over sound, well-bonded existing tiles if the bond is intact and the substrate is structurally OK. We always test first; if there's any drumming, hairline cracking or movement, the tiles come up. Going over failing tiles just buries the leak. Honest answer: we'll tell you which it is on the site visit.

Often, yes. Most repeat leaks are misdiagnosed rather than "unfixable". We start with proper leak detection — visual inspection, moisture testing and water testing — before quoting a remedy. If we can't help, we'll tell you straight.

Yes — strata and apartment work is a big part of what we do. We can supply the warranty certificate strata committees usually ask for, work to AS 3740, and coordinate access with building managers. Bathrooms in older apartments often need leak detection first; we'll quote both in the same visit if there's water tracking through.

Yes. Most strata committees ask for the same package: scope of work, product data sheets, proof of $10M public liability, NSW trade licence, AS 4654 compliance statement, and a finished-job warranty certificate. I've put that pack together for enough buildings now that it's templated — I send it through with the quote so the committee can sign off without back-and-forth. After completion, the warranty PDF goes to you and the building manager same day.

Yes — most of the apartment work I do is occupied. The reality is the bathroom is unusable for 2–4 days depending on the scope (longer if it's a full strip-out and re-tile). I dust-control with negative-pressure extraction so the rest of the home stays liveable, mask doorways, protect adjacent floors, and stage the work so plumbing comes back online as fast as possible. If you've only got one bathroom, I'll usually recommend a serviced apartment for the cure period — pushing it costs you more later.

Depends on the job. The factors are wet-area size, whether tiles are coming up, whether there's any leak detection involved, the membrane system you spec, and whether walls go full-height or just splash zone. New-build bathrooms (clean substrate, no demo) are the cheapest. Remedial jobs where we're stripping a failing wet area down to slab cost more because the labour is in the demo and the make-good. AS 3740 compliance is the floor on quality, not a premium tier.

Every job hands over with a written manufacturer-backed product warranty (premium Australian system, spec'd to the substrate) plus our workmanship guarantee. That's the certificate strata managers, councils and insurers usually ask for. We email a PDF same-day on completion so it's on file before you need it.