Certified bathroom waterproofing across Sydney, to AS 3740, with the certificate issued on completion.
A bathroom is the most common place a building leaks, and the most expensive place to get it wrong. Once tiles are down, fixing a failed membrane means taking them up again.
What drives the cost
There’s no standard price for a bathroom, and anyone quoting you one over the phone is guessing. Five things move the number:
- Size and layout. Not just floor area – the number of junctions. A bathroom with a hob, a niche, a bath and a separate shower has far more detailing than an open wet room of the same size.
- New build or remedial. A fresh substrate is straightforward. Stripping out failed work, removing tiles and dealing with what’s underneath is a different job.
- Substrate condition. Sound, level and dry costs less than a floor needing screeding, patching or drying out first. This is the one that most often surprises people.
- How much has to come out. On remedial work, whether tiles, the screen or fixtures need removing changes the scope significantly.
- Access. Ground floor with a driveway is not the same as a fourth-floor apartment with a booked lift and a loading dock window.
We quote after an inspection, not over the phone. It takes us twenty minutes on site to give you a number we’ll stand behind, rather than a range you can’t plan around.
Why bathrooms fail
- Junctions, not the middle. Membranes rarely fail across a flat floor. They fail at the floor-to-wall corners, the hob, and around the waste – anywhere two planes meet or something penetrates.
- Substrate not ready. Membrane laid over a surface that is dusty, damp or poorly prepared won’t bond properly, no matter how good the product is.
- Tiled too early. A membrane that hasn’t fully cured before tiling is compromised from day one.
- Movement. Buildings move. Junctions and corners take that movement, and a membrane that was not detailed to allow for it will eventually split at those points.
Signs yours has failed
- Damp patch or staining on the wall of the adjoining room
- Swelling or discolouration at the base of a skirting or door frame
- Loose, drummy or cracked tiles
- Musty smell that doesn’t clear with ventilation
- Water staining on a ceiling below an upstairs bathroom
If it’s showing on the other side of the wall, water has been moving for a while.
How we do it
- Inspect. On a leak, we find the source before quoting a fix. It isn’t always the membrane – waste connections and badly sealed hobs cause plenty of “waterproofing” problems.
- Prepare. Surface cleaned, primed and made ready. This is the part that decides whether the job lasts.
- Detail the junctions. Bond breakers and reinforcing at corners, hobs and penetrations.
- Apply and cure. Correct number of coats, correct thickness, and we don’t let anyone tile over it early.
- Certify. Compliance certificate issued on completion, plus a 7 year warranty on workmanship.
For builders
We work to programme on new residential builds across Sydney and the South West corridor. Certificates issued, AS 3740 and NCC compliant, and we tell you early if the substrate isn’t ready rather than laying over it and having it come back on both of us.
Frequently asked
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Every wet area we waterproof gets a compliance certificate on completion. You’ll need it for your certifier, and for any future sale.
How long before I can tile?
It depends on the system, the temperature and the humidity on the day, so there is no single answer. We give you the cure window before we start and confirm it on completion. Touch-dry is not cured, and tiling early is one of the most common causes of failure.
Do you have to remove the tiles?
For a failed membrane under a tiled floor, usually yes. But we investigate first – if the water is coming from a waste connection or a shower screen seal, you may not need the bathroom pulled apart at all.
How long does it take?
Most residential bathrooms are a day on site, plus curing time before tiling. Remedial work takes longer depending on what has to come out first.
Get a quote
Call 0450 679 512 or email sam@sydneychoicewaterproofing.com.au.
NSW Contractor Licence 299661C · ABN 62 623 342 898 · Fully insured · 7 year warranty
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