Leaking balcony repairs Caulfield

• 1960s–70s brick walk-ups Concrete balcony slabs, original membrane, tiles bedded over the top. These are at the end of their service life. The honest answer on many of them is that a full re-waterproof is due, not another patch.
• Newer townhouses and infill apartments Balconies built in the last two decades that already leak are usually a detailing problem, not an age problem: membrane not turned up high enough behind the door frame, drainage outlets sitting above the membrane, or falls that run the wrong way.
• Balconies over garages and carports Common through Caulfield South. The upside is that the damage is visible early — efflorescence and rust stains on the garage ceiling. The downside is that people live with it for years because it is ‘only the garage’, while the slab reinforcement corrodes.
• Owners corporation disputes Where a balcony is common property and the damage is inside a lot, the argument about who pays can run longer than the repair takes. A written report with photographs identifying the entry point usually ends it.

A stain on a ceiling is rarely directly under the hole. Water that gets through a balcony membrane runs along the slab until it finds a way down, so the damage can appear metres from the entry point, or in the next apartment along.

Look for: a stain or blistering paint on the ceiling below, efflorescence (white chalky salts) on a soffit or garage ceiling, rust staining or flaking concrete underneath, damp skirting boards in the room below, tiles that sound hollow when tapped, cracked or missing grout along the wall junction, water pooling on the balcony after rain, or a musty smell in the room under the balcony.

Almost every balcony we are called to has already had someone silicone something. The reason those repairs do not last is that nobody established where the water was getting in before they started.

1. 01On-site inspection. We look at the balcony, the room below, the junctions, the drainage and the soffit, and we ask when the staining appears — after rain, after a certain wind direction, or all the time.
2. 02Water testing where it is needed. We isolate and flood-test sections in sequence so the entry point proves itself rather than being guessed at. See balcony water testing.
3. 03A written report with photos. What we found, where the water is entering, and what the repair involves. This is what owners corporations and insurers need.
4. 04A quote for the actual repair. Priced on what the balcony needs, not on a guess.

Not always, and this is worth asking before you accept a quote that assumes they do. Where the failure is confined to a junction, a threshold, a drainage outlet or a section of the balcony, we can often repair that area and re-waterproof it without stripping the whole floor.

Where the membrane itself has reached the end of its life across the whole balcony, a full strip and re-waterproof is the honest answer, and we will say so. What we will not do is quote a full rebuild on a balcony that does not need one, or patch a balcony that does.

We install Kerakoll waterproofing systems, and our director is a certified Kerakoll waterproofing specialist. Where a full system is installed to specification, the manufacturer warranty applies on top of our own workmanship warranty. Where balcony movement cracking is involved we are also a licensed HeliFix installer — see HeliFix crack stitching.

We provide written inspection and defect reports for owners corporations and property managers across Caulfield, with photographs and a clear statement of where water is entering and what the repair involves.

We provide written inspection and defect reports with photographs, suitable for owners corporation meetings, insurers and building managers, and we are fully insured.

Balcony leaks rarely travel alone. We also handle concrete crack and spalling repairs, render crack repairs, cladding repairs and HeliFix crack stitching where structural movement is part of the picture.