We work with strata managers and councils of owners to diagnose defects on common property, from balconies and podium decks to rooftops and shared wet areas, and deliver scopes that stand up at AGMs and special resolutions.
Balcony and podium deck membrane failure, concrete cancer and spalling on shared structural elements, planter box and internal wet area waterproofing, and crack injection to stop active water ingress into common property.
Strata works need to be scoped for approval, budgeted accurately and delivered with as little disruption to residents as possible. That shapes how we investigate, document and deliver every project.
View our servicesMost failures we investigate on strata buildings weren't caused by age alone. They trace back to how the waterproofing was installed, or to cracks that were never properly dealt with during the build.
Membranes applied too thin, over a damp or dusty surface, or tiled over before they've cured. They can look fine at handover and fail a few years later.
Slabs shrink and move. If cracks aren't treated and bridged before the membrane goes down, the movement tears through it and water follows the crack.
Where the floor meets a wall, hob or door sill is where most leaks start. These junctions need a bond breaker and proper upturns so the membrane can flex rather than split.
If the floor doesn't fall to the drain, or the membrane isn't sealed into it with a puddle flange, water sits on the balcony and finds the weakest point.
Steel reinforcement is protected by the high alkalinity of the concrete around it. Over time two things break that protection down: carbon dioxide from the air, which slowly lowers the alkalinity (carbonation), and salt, which breaks down the steel's protective layer even while the concrete is still alkaline.
Perth is especially exposed. Sea breezes carry salt well inland, and most of the metro area sits within 50 km of the coast, which the Australian concrete standard treats as a near-coastal environment. Within about a kilometre of the ocean, conditions are harsher again, and on exposed coastline facing the surf that zone can reach further inland. Structures in the spray or tidal zone, such as seawalls and jetties, face the most severe exposure of all.
Once the steel starts to rust, the rust takes up several times the space of the original steel. That pressure cracks the concrete and pushes it off, which is the spalling you see on balcony edges and soffits. A lasting repair treats the steel and the cause, not just the surface.
High alkalinity keeps a protective layer on the steel.
Sea air and carbon dioxide work through the concrete cover.
Rust takes up several times the space of the steel and cracks the concrete.
The cover breaks away, letting in more water and speeding up the damage.
A spalled slab edge with the rusted steel exposed.
Caught early, most of these are a smaller and cheaper scope. Send us photos and we'll tell you what we think is going on.
Galvanic anodes, inside basement waterproofing and the right membrane for each area are explained on our services page.
A single page checklist to take on your walk around for balconies, concrete, roofs, car parks and common areas. Tick what you see, note where, and send us the photos.
Download the checklist (PDF)Practical documentation covering method, sequencing and compliance, written to be understood by owners, not just contractors.
Works on occupied buildings are planned around safety and access, so residents can keep using their homes and common areas.
Site inspection and defect assessment find the primary cause of failure, so repairs aren't cosmetic and defects are less likely to return.
Repairs designed to extend the life of the building and protect the scheme's maintenance budget for years to come.
Send us the defect details or a work order and we'll come back to you with next steps.
