Waterproofing, Repairs & Heritage

Fix the cause, then paint

Water finds a path. If you seal the surface without stopping the water, it comes back — usually somewhere slightly to the side, and usually a little later.

So the rule is straightforward: identify the water, stop it, let the substrate dry, then coat. That is often more expensive than just painting. It is also the only way the paint lasts.

What we repair

• Failed membrane and flashing around windows, doors, parapets and roof edges
• Deteriorated panel joint sealant on tilt-up and panel construction
• Cracked render — properly opened and repaired, not filled over
• Water ingress around openings — doors, windows, vents, penetrations
• Failed coatings over wet substrates — stripped, the cause fixed, recoated
• Concrete defects — spalling, delamination, exposed corroded reinforcement
• Failed caulking and joint movement in painted surfaces

Heritage-appropriate work

On heritage and heritage-sensitive commercial buildings, the wrong coating does real damage. Hard, impermeable modern coatings can trap moisture in the original wall and accelerate its decay.

Our approach is to:

• Match the existing colour rather than impose a new one
• Respect the original surface — what was a lime or masonry finish stays compatible
• Use breathable systems where the substrate requires them
• Work to the permit where the building is heritage-listed, in collaboration with the conservation architect or heritage consultant

Concrete repair

Where reinforcement has corroded and concrete has spalled, the repair sequence is always the same:

1. Remove the loose and delaminated concrete
2. Assess the reinforcing steel — clean it, or replace it
3. Reinstate with an appropriate repair mortar
4. Allow to cure
5. Coat, if a coating is required

Coating over unrepaired concrete cancer guarantees you are back within a few years, at greater cost.