ALL THINGS WATERPROOFING - MARCH 2025

Hi All,

Please find our monthly roundup, based on our activity in March. We will also share a few tips and tricks, and talk about some interesting products.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?

While I know everyone’s been talking about it—and it’s almost boring by now—we can’t ignore the impact that ex-Cyclone Alfred, downgraded to a tropical storm or whatever that wind and rain event was a few weeks ago, had on weatherproofing and waterproofing.

I don’t know about you, but I expect we’ll see more and more extreme weather coming our way, and we’ll need to adapt.

DO NOT ASK WHY... Now, we need to figure out how to repair some of the leaking buildings we’ve built over the past 20 years. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: our external waterproofing standard is not great. I’ve always wondered why—because there’s plenty of science out there showing us there’s a better way. That cyclone broke me. I don’t want to know why anymore...

I don’t want to know why things just aren’t being built the way they’re shown in the diagrams. I don’t want to know why our waterproofing standard is only 60 pages long. And I’ve stopped wondering why it doesn’t even require membranes to be watertight. I’ll also say this—though some might find it a bit controversial... we all should accept the industry failure and move on.

Many problems, so we need solutions. Check this video to see some of the solutions we provide.

LONG TERM SOLUTIONS

Now look at this beautiful RCABC Roofing Practices Manual (RPM). This was like the Bible to me when working through my 3 year apprenticeship in Vancouver, BC. You will immediately notice that this is available on their website for free. Crazy right? This incredible technical document filled with detailed information for just about any scenario is completely free. Suddenly Paying $200 for standard feels like extortion 🤣

Now I hear you say, “they must be communists - we are not in Canada,eh!” 😂

Yes, Australia’s weather is different from Canada’s — no argument there. Still, the core principles of building science apply across all climates. On a lighter note, enjoy this beautiful photo of some surprised marsupials experiencing an unexpected turn in the weather.

HOW CAN THEY AFFORD TO DO THIS IN CANADA?

If you want solid DTS provisions for external waterproofing, you need a strong industry association first—and that takes years to build.

EXPRESS SOLUTION.

I think insurers should look into this. It could make a real difference, fast. The market can adapt quickly—you just need reliable partners.

Soprema also now holds a Codemark Certificate, which makes compliance much easier. Problem solved in some cases, but it’s still not ideal. While markets typically like to regulate themselves, some “nudges” are necessary. Perhaps standardised requirements for guaranteeing the effectiveness of a solution are needed.

WATERTIGHT VS WATERPROOF.

Recently, I saw multiple waterproofing and weatherproofing systems fail during an extreme weather event, which challenged my assumptions about how much wind-driven rain can actually compromise masonry and block wall facades. It really got me thinking about the difference between “waterproof” and “watertight.” Since I can’t afford to license the official definitions, I’m using ChatGPT to break it down instead:

With these definitions in mind, I can confidently design a watertight system from point A to point B. This is especially easy with reinforced concrete construction but it is applicable to other types of constructions also. I am frankly sick of the lack of confidence people have in “watertight” waterproofing membranes ability to do exactly what it is designed to do. If we test something for watertightness and define pressure limits, we should be able to apply watertight material to most surfaces and expect it not to leak. It drives me insane when people argue that it is not possible.

SEAL UNDER PRESSURE.

Figure 1 - A seal under pressure by Chat GPT

I’ve changed my mind about the “pressure seal” termination — it's widely used in Australia, endorsed by most membrane manufacturers, and even described in our external waterproofing standard as a typical membrane termination method.

Figure 2 - typical “pressure seal” termination.

I have seen this type of termination fail with my own eyes during tropical storms. Mind you the facade was compromised and not the membrane, however still this is good enough for me to implement company wide policy to abandon this type of membrane termination.

Figure 3 - Mode of failure.

When it comes to vertical membrane termination we will be moving in direction of METAL PROFILE NO 1, nice and easy.

CREAM - Cash Does Rule Everything around us.

Sometimes it is appropriate to spend a lot of money on a repair. But what if you don’t have a lot of money? Is it appropriate to do nothing because you cannot afford the best thing?

We at Leakfix don't think so.

In Australia, there’s a shockingly high number of ongoing building leaks (it is not uncommon for me to look at something that has been leaking for 20 years). There are plenty of sensible reasons to say that water should not leak into a building; I’m not going to state any because it’s so obvious, and I feel like it’s a waste of everyone’s time to discuss it any further.

My friend asked me for advice regarding his above ground double brick wall leaking. It has been a problem for them during periods of heavy wind driven rain they would get water literally leaking out of the brick wall... He asked me if there is a waterproofing product he can use to treat it from the outside and while I know my waterproofing well, I did explain to him that this is not exactly a “waterproofing” problem and that he is best off rebuilding the wall to include appropriate weatherproofing system

The problem was that my friend just spent a lot of money on a cool Toyota bus to travel around Australia, and did not have the budget for a big reno. He said that he would rather just spray something over the outside of the brick, to which i said, this canbe a problem especially if you use something that is not water vapour permeable. I am not an expert on condensation but generally speaking in his case water vapor pressure would be from the inside to the outside, and potentially interstitial condensation could be created if air barrier is introduced into assembly .

Facts about Silane/Siloxane Cream Emulsion

Silane and siloxane-based emulsions have been used for decades as water-repellent treatments for porous materials like concrete and masonry. Their ability to reduce moisture ingress and slow reinforcement corrosion is well supported by research and field data.

They form breathable barriers—repelling surface water while allowing vapour to escape from within the substrate. However, they don’t work on salt-contaminated surfaces and won’t seal cracks.

While some repellency may last 5–10 years, performance often drops noticeably within the first 6–12 months.

Ultimately to get a measurable result, we can do a RILEM Tube Test before and after application of cream to confirm we actually made things better.

Below see the list of similar products currently available in Australia:

1. PLANISEAL WR 85 GEL.

2. WESTOX WATER REPELLENT.

3. Fosroc® Nitocote® SN508 Creme

Thank you for reading this.

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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.

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