February 2025 Leakfix Newsletter: Leakfix News, Updates, Solutions & Innovations
ALL THINGS WATERPROOFING
FEBRUARY 2025
Hi All,
Please find our monthly roundup, based on our activity in February. We will also share a few tips and tricks, and talk about some interesting products.
What’s been happening?
The life of a waterproofing contractor can be tough. I’m a little behind on a few projects, lot’s been happening with the family and also picked up a head cold to top it all up, luckily it was minor and now back to the top shape 🤣... Despite some roadblocks, I still managed to achieve most of my goals and still sticking to my new year resolutions. Speaking of goals, I promised myself that I will have Leakfix Two and Five ready by the end of Feb. Not only Two and Five are ready to be shipped, but also a few other ideas.
Have you seen this youtube video of a person drawing a spiderman with different time constraints?
This is what this edition of the newsletter is all about. We work with many different clients. Not everyone wants the same kind of service.
I have been doing freelance technical work for a while now and for many different people / different companies... It is very easy to say how much something will cost to manufacture in a factory, or even to install it in perfect conditions. It is very hard to put a price tag on a solution to someone's problem.
Despite my best efforts to figure out how long it might take to solve a problem in an uncontrolled environment it seems impossible. Variables coming at you left and right and in remedial waterproofing generally they are;
lack of predictability,
* skilled labour shortages,
* availability of the materials,
* a maze of regulations that are hard to keep up with,
* unreliable people (less and less after reading a book by Tim Ferris - 4 Hour Workweek.)
I honestly think that it is very hard to provide any lump sum proposals / estimates for problem solving.
Typically when One decides to Hire Leakfix to solve their problem, the nature of One’s problems is such that they cannot (or don't want) to solve it by themselves.
I deal with my problems one at a time.
How many hours do you think one should spend on solving a problem?
Well it depends how many hours you want to buy.
With Leakfix Hire you can literally buy 1-10h of my time to work on One Problem at a time. The quality of the solution will vary significantly depending on the package purchased... We will point you in the direction of the package appropriate for your project, but ultimately you are a grown up and need to decide for yourself.
I’m never going to do s%#t work, but I also will not deliver a Mona Lisa, when you are paying for Ultimate Spider-Man Colouring Book.
I rely on chat GPT for advice in some matters, sometimes even technical matters. In many ways I find that often its judgement is better than mine, less subjective and not tainted by emotion (there’s very little of that in my case, but still🤣)
Some practical problems should be solved with AI. More complex problems will still have to be solved by real humans for a long time.
Waterproofing Regulations should be written by AI.
This is just a joke - don’t be offended please.
Idea for Chat GPT prompt by Jakub:
“Create a practical and adaptable set of rules to govern all types of building humans use, consider safety of occupants, local resources, effectiveness and environment, disregard feelings, financial interests and agenda of those involved in creating regulations.
The objective of this regulation is to create as many healthy and efficient homes for people to live in as fast as possible.
In writing the rules do not restrict free markets and favour freedom instead of over-regulation. Make these rules applicable to: [City].
The set of rules MUST be concise and easy to read for general population of the area where it is to be enforced, rules should be so simple that there should be no need for "interpreters of the rules” and no more than 1 page A4 of size 9 Arial font.”
Wait... I just have done it. Here it is, that's all Chat GPT and not me:
Universal Building Rules for [City]
1. Structural Safety
- All buildings must withstand local weather conditions, including wind, rain, and seismic activity.
- Load-bearing elements must support at least twice the expected maximum load.
- Foundations must be suitable for local soil conditions and prevent structural movement.
- Buildings over two stories require basic structural calculations from a qualified person.
2. Fire and Emergency Safety
- All buildings must have at least two unobstructed exits.
- Fire-resistant materials must be used where practical, with fire-rated separation between units.
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are required in all living spaces and must be functional.
- Multi-unit buildings must have clearly marked emergency escape routes and fire extinguishers.
3. Ventilation, Lighting, and Insulation
- Every habitable room must have access to fresh air, either through windows or mechanical ventilation.
- Windows must provide natural light for at least 10% of floor area per room.
- Insulation must prevent extreme indoor temperatures, suitable for local climate.
- No living space should be subject to mold, excessive humidity, or poor air quality.
4. Water and Sanitation
- Potable water supply and functional drainage must be provided.
- Each home must have at least one toilet, sink, and bathing facility.
- Stormwater must be managed to prevent flooding and erosion.
5. Energy and Efficiency
- All homes must be designed to maximize energy efficiency within local resources.
- No restrictions on self-sufficient energy systems (solar, wind, etc.), but they must be safe.
- Passive cooling and heating must be prioritized over mechanical systems where feasible.
6. Land Use and Density
- No minimum lot sizes. If infrastructure can support it, housing can be built.
- Mixed-use buildings are allowed anywhere unless proven to cause harm to safety or health.
- No unnecessary height restrictions—vertical growth is encouraged.
7. Construction Freedom and Innovation
- Any construction method may be used if it meets these basic safety and efficiency rules.
- Prefabrication, alternative materials, and rapid-build techniques are encouraged.
- No arbitrary aesthetic requirements; function matters more than form.
8. Accountability and Enforcement
- Inspections must be minimal and focused solely on compliance with these rules.
- If a building poses an immediate danger, it must be fixed or vacated.
- No unnecessary permits—builders are responsible for safety and integrity.
- Legal disputes over compliance should be resolved within 30 days.
These rules exist to provide safe, efficient, and abundant housing while respecting personal freedom and innovation.
I’m not saying that this would definitely be better than what exists now, I do know that I’d be interested to find out what would happen if we implemented it somewhere for 5 years, it would be a very interesting experiment... If there is a city in the world that can do it for 5 years, I'd definitely move there to participate, I suspect that there would be a lot of bad structures built for a while, but eventually the market would regulate itself with some simple “nudges” and incentives for good players after few years the market would be thriving.
New Leakfix Solutions.
Finding leaks can be tricky. In order to deliver good service to our Clients, leak investigations are necessary and cannot be done for free, different scenarios call for different investigation methods and the cost can vary vastly. We provide leak investigations packages suited for every wallet.
Need a technical task done? For as long as it is related to waterproofing/roofing/solutions, I can try to get it done for you. You need a membrane installed - No problem, Need to brainstorm - We’ve got cha... We sell based on Flat SQM or LNM rates or hourly rates to suit everyone's budget. You can also buy packages if you like discounts.
Package Deal. There are two kinds of leaks: simple ones and complicated ones. Simple ones ought not to be neglected and addressed ASAP to avoid escalation, if our technician can stop the leak during the visit (permanently or temporarily) they will. If this is not possible, we will prepare an action plan for you to follow.
If you're considering Leakfix Five, be prepared—remedial waterproofing is a significant investment and you need to budget for a Waterproofing Design Team.
There’s usually five seats at the table (but this can vary):
- Client (head of the team)
- Leakfix Team
- Remedial Engineers (all required disciplines)
- Products Suppliers and Specialist Contractors.
Small scale one point technical solution. We do it all, we design the solution, document it, deliver it, verify and then maintain it for your preferred period of time, via Leakfix Care Program.
Maintenance programs for every budget. Subscriptions available starting this April.
Leakfix Shop launches in April. If you would like to sell or buy with us, email us at hello@leakfix.com.au
Roof Surface Temperature - Considerations for a small scale experiment.
I have been paying attention to the roof surface temperature lately and how it can vary on different surfaces within the same environment. We all know that the colour makes a lot of difference to the Solar Reclectance Index (SRI) of the membrane, but what else? Genuine question, email me with ideas at hello@leakfix.com.au.
What factors ought to be considered in efficient roofing assembly? Here is what I think:
| Factor | Considerations |
| Colour | + Lighter Coloured membranes, broadly speaking will usually have higher SRI index value and this will result in lower surface temperature. + Selected products should not discolor or be stained too easily, it should be possible to be cleaned easily and should not be considered as a solution without context, painting roof white will not always solve your problems. + Light colours for exposed roof coverings are easy to implement in both new design and remedial scenarios. + It is possible to minimize some environmental harm via implementing more eco-friendly solutions. Water based products are easier to manufacture locally where there are labour shortages. |
| Insulation directly below membrane |
+ In exposed (self-protected) warm roof membrane assembly, insulation will not reduce the surface temperature - it will do quite the opposite as it will limit heat transfer + YOU MUST MANAGE YOUR WATERPROOFING RISK CORRECTLY. |
| Insulation + Greenery |
This is definitely a winner just from an It also helps prevent flash flooding in urbanised areas and it looks As above, |
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Feedback Welcome!
Your feedback is crucial to us! If you have any comments, suggestions, or topics you'd like to see covered in future newsletters, please email me directly at hello@leakfix.com.au. I'm here to address your concerns and provide the information you need to make informed decisions about your waterproofing projects.
Thank you!
Thank you for choosing LEAKFIX as your trusted partner in waterproofing excellence. Together, let's keep your property dry, secure, and protected month after month.
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hello@leakfix.com.au
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