Basement & Subfloor

Yes — basement and below-ground waterproofing (tanking) is carried out using system-appropriate membrane products suited to the hydrostatic pressure and construction type of each project.

Below-ground waterproofing — commonly called tanking — involves protecting habitable or storage spaces below ground level from groundwater and soil moisture. Approach depends on whether the structure is to be waterproofed from the positive side (the wet, outside face of the wall), which is most effective but requires excavation, or the negative side (the internal face), which is more practical in existing buildings. We carry out cementitious tanking systems for negative-side applications in existing basements, and sheet membrane or cavity drain systems where appropriate. Melbourne's reactive clay soils create significant hydrostatic pressure against below-ground structures — product selection must account for this.

Yes — retaining walls, planter boxes, and below-ground structures are waterproofed using appropriate membrane and drainage systems to manage soil moisture and hydrostatic pressure.

Retaining walls, basement walls, planter boxes, and similar below-ground or soil-contact structures require waterproofing systems that manage both hydrostatic water pressure and the physical stress of backfill and root penetration. For planter boxes, we install root-barrier membranes as well as waterproofing to prevent root damage to the structural element below. For retaining walls, the waterproofing system must include appropriate drainage to relieve hydrostatic pressure rather than allowing it to build. These are common requirements in Melbourne townhouse and apartment developments with basement car parks, rooftop terraces, and garden-over-structure designs.

Rising damp is the upward movement of groundwater through masonry via capillary action — common in pre-1970s Melbourne homes — and is treated with chemical damp-proof course injection, physical DPC installation, or managed with drainage systems.

Rising damp occurs when groundwater moves upward through the pores of solid masonry walls and floors via capillary action. It typically appears as a tidemark of salt deposits and deteriorating paint or plaster at low level on walls — usually below 1 metre. It is common in Melbourne homes built before approximately 1970 that lack a physical damp-proof course (DPC). Treatment options depend on the construction type: chemical DPC injection involves drilling into the mortar course at low level and injecting a moisture-repellent fluid; physical DPC installation involves a saw-cut method to insert a membrane into the wall; and in some cases a drainage and render management system is more appropriate. Correct diagnosis is critical — many properties diagnosed with rising damp have a different moisture source.

Waterproofing resists hydrostatic water pressure and is required in wet areas and below-ground construction; damp proofing is a lighter-duty moisture barrier for walls and floors not subject to direct water pressure.

Waterproofing is a fully sealed membrane system designed to resist water pressure — it is required in shower and bathroom wet areas, balconies, flat roofs, basements, and any area subject to direct water contact or hydrostatic pressure. It must comply with AS 3740-2021 or AS 4654, and is applied as a continuous, detailed system. Damp proofing is a lighter treatment — typically a bituminous or polymer paint-on product — applied to walls and sub-floor areas where the risk is vapour transmission and minor moisture rather than direct water contact. Using damp proofing in an application that requires waterproofing (such as a shower) will fail and does not constitute compliance with Australian Standards.