Substrate evaluation
Assessing concrete condition, moisture, contamination, cracking and joints before specifying a system.
Concrete Waterproofing
Concrete Waterproofing Sydney
Membrane and sealing solutions for concrete slabs, walls, podiums and structural elements.
Concrete looks impermeable but is not. It contains a capillary pore structure, it cracks as it shrinks and moves, and it has construction joints and penetrations through it. Water travels through all of those paths, carrying salts with it, and over time that moisture movement can affect finishes, reinforcement and the structure itself.
Diamond Seal Waterproofing waterproofs concrete across Sydney — suspended slabs, podium decks, retaining and basement walls, plant rooms, planters and tanks. Concrete waterproofing is generally the most technical part of a project, because the system has to suit the exposure, the direction of water pressure, the substrate condition and whatever finish is going on top.
Concrete water ingress and structural exposure
Water moving through concrete does more than create damp patches. Persistent moisture leaches minerals to the surface as efflorescence, keeps reinforcement in a corrosive environment, damages adjacent finishes and can lead to spalling as corroding steel expands.
On podium decks, suspended slabs and planters, the concrete is also protecting occupied space directly below it. Waterproofing these elements correctly — including joints, upstands and penetrations — is what keeps water out of the areas beneath.
What concrete waterproofing involves
Surface preparation
Mechanical preparation to remove laitance, coatings and contamination and to achieve a suitable profile for adhesion.
Crack and joint treatment
Treating static and moving cracks, construction joints and cold joints so they do not become the first failure point.
Membrane or coating application
Applying the specified liquid membrane, sheet system or cementitious coating to the required build.
Penetration detailing
Sealing services, drainage outlets, columns and upstands into the waterproofing system.
Protection layers
Installing protection where trades, screeds, pavers or backfill will follow, so the membrane survives to do its job.
Concrete elements we waterproof
- Suspended concrete slabs
- Podium decks and car park roofs
- Retaining and basement walls
- Planter boxes and landscaped areas over structure
- Plant rooms and wet plant areas
- Concrete tanks, pits and sumps
- External concrete terraces and walkways
- Structural joints and penetrations
Benefits
Protects structure and reinforcement
Limiting water and salt movement through concrete helps protect the elements the building depends on.
Technical, project-specific specification
The system is matched to exposure, pressure direction, substrate and the finish above it.
Suited to commercial scope
Applicable to podiums, car parks, plant areas and larger concrete structures.
Joint and crack focus
Concrete leaks at cracks, joints and penetrations, so those receive dedicated treatment.
Concrete water ingress problems
If any of these sound familiar, it is worth having the area assessed before the damage spreads further.
- Water seeping through slabs into the level below
- Leaking construction and cold joints
- Efflorescence and staining on concrete surfaces
- Cracking that provides a direct water path
- Damp podium decks over occupied space
- Water tracking through service penetrations
- Spalling concrete and exposed reinforcement
- Failed or worn out existing coatings
Why choose Diamond Seal Waterproofing
- Technical approach to concrete substrates
- Preparation carried out to suit the specified system
- Cracks, joints and penetrations treated specifically
- Experience across residential and commercial structures
- Repair and remedial concrete waterproofing available
- Coordination with builders and other trades on site
Frequently asked questions
Have a question that isn't covered here? Call 0452 528 532 and we'll talk it through.
Related waterproofing services
Need Waterproofing in Sydney?
Talk to Diamond Seal Waterproofing about your residential, commercial or construction waterproofing requirements.