2 Profile

“Some apartments have become uninhabitable through This course is based upon a practical common-sense THE AIW CHARTER OF ACTIVITIES
The Australian Institute of Waterproofing water damage caused by poor construction methods,
with water seeping through multiple levels where proper
approach to utilise the Australian Standards at hand
and apply the everyday practicable mentality to
• To always represent the best interests of our
members.
waterproof membranes have not been installed.” waterproofing. • To promote relevant Australian Standards and

COMMITTED TO RAISING WATERPROOFING

inform members of significant changes.
The key points raised are: The MBAV course is intended to educate personnel • To provide up-to-date ‘best practice’
• Residential multi-story, multi-dwelling, apartment involved in the planning or design stage of a project, waterproofing application assistance to members

STANDARDS AND TRAINING IN AUSTRALIA

The Australian Institute of Waterproofing (AIW) represents the interests of the
whole building industry in raising the standard of waterproofing in Australia by
becoming the ‘central source’ of knowledge, augmented by members’ experience
to mentor continuous change.
THE IMPORTANCE OF WATERPROOFING
Waterproofing may seem to represent only a small
part of an overall project and any later water damage
may be considered merely an aesthetically issue, but
nothing could be further from the truth.
It is for good reason that AIW stresses the
importance of employing qualified waterproofing
contractors who use the correct products for
every project. If waterproofing is not completed
properly it can become a major problem for
construction companies, developers, owners
and property managers.
Water leaks cause structural damage which be
a serious risk to human life, as evidence by such
tragedies as balcony collapse in California in 2015
that killed six people and injured seven others.
This devastating case highlighted the importance of
waterproofing when the California State Licensing
Board subsequently ruled that the collapse had
been caused by shoddy material selection and poor
waterproofing workmanship, which had enabled dry
rot and decay to set in the timber joists.1
THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF BUILDING
DEFECTS IN AUSTRALIA
An often-quoted statistic in the waterproofing and
insurance industry is: “Waterproofing is 1.8 per cent
of construction cost but accounts for 83 per cent of
building defect complaints.”
Waterproofing defects and failures, including
internal water damage and water entering from the
outside of a building, are the number one cause
of building defects facing Australia’s construction
landscape today.
Defects from ineffective waterproofing represent a
huge cost to business.
Construction businesses not only have to deal
with the frustration of managing water leak issues
BUILD IT 2018
Building damage caused by water leaks also impacts
many property owners who are required to endure
lengthy legal battles for rectification costs or outlay
the expense themselves.
COMMON CAUSES OF
WATERPROOFING DEFECTS
The causes of waterproofing damage and defects
across building and construction sites are many
and varied. Some of the more common causes are
the following.
Lack of contractor expertise
When waterproofing services are overlooked in the
planning phase of construction it is frequently due to
a lack of contractor expertise.
An inadequate knowledge of waterproofing issues
can lead to inappropriate waterproofing membrane
product selection, and/or incorrect installations that
result in failure.
A contractor without the right level of expertise
can incorrectly diagnose the root cause of a
waterproofing problem, which then results in the
failure of expensive repairs to fix it.
Cost cutting
Cost cutting on waterproofing in the building process
is, at best, very short sighted. Water leaks and the
consequences of extensive damage may lead not
only to extensive remediation works but also lengthy
legal battles.
Waterproofing contractors may attempt to cut costs
by omitting recommended primers, or by selecting
inferior, incorrect and inadequate waterproofing
membrane products. Cost cutting can lead to
contractors omitting application and preparation
techniques that are critical to the long-term
performance of a waterproofing system.
The reality is that skimping on appropriate and
correct waterproofing in the build phase will
buildings are experiencing an alarming frequency assist in the selection of material and methods, and the via electronic media.
of building defects, most commonly caused various types of waterproofing used in construction. • To provide members with ‘continuous learning’ of
through waterproofing failure. construction and waterproofing via Stakeholder
• Developers were identified as partly responsible The MBA in other Australian states are in the process formal training, member sponsored short courses
for the condition of the building, with a call to be of looking at offering this course to their members. and downloadable modules.
financially responsible. • Lobby governments and authorities to promote
• Balconies were identified as a major cause of If you are in Victoria and wish to attend the waterproofing industry changes, plus lift AIW
waterproofing problems, with the assumption “Waterproofing in Construction” short course, call industry profile awareness.
Building movement
Building settlement, building movement or
that “proper waterproofing membranes have not the MBAV Training Department on: (03) 9411 4555 • Hold activities and participate in stakeholder
been installed,” combined with poor ceramic functions to promote membership.
an inadequate amount of expansion joints, or
tiling installation. Certificate III in Construction Waterproofing • Support the education of the construction
indeed the complete lack of them, can cause the
• Faulty windows and installation process cause AIW has collaborative relationships with Registered industry with the goal of obtaining defect free
waterproofing membrane to fail.
considerable water leaks into walls and ceilings. Training Organisations (RTOs) in different States waterproofing.
Pressure issues identified as causes were of Australia.
This may be exacerbated by the selection of an
nominated as a failure to pick up defects through AIW MEMBER BENEFITS
inappropriate membrane, such as a system with
the building surveyors inspection process, plus Industry Seminars The AIW welcomes all construction industry
inadequate elongation properties to cope with
the cost pressures to use cheap (inferior) materials Members of the AIW Committee are regular speakers professionals: architects, builders, developers,
normal movement of a building envelope.
to save money. at industry functions and associations covering building designers, surveyors, manufacturers,
• The market has inconsistencies in insurance cover, waterproofing topics and answering questions, affiliated trades etc. Belonging to the AIW helps raise
Waterproofing membrane at the end of its
both from building trade cover and the residential focusing on BCA and Australian Standards compliance. the standard of waterproofing in the industry and
effective service life
owners’ cover, resulting in the building owner provides members with significant direct benefits:
Though product marketing may say otherwise, a
having to self-fund the corrections to the building. AIW has presented at numerous seminars on behalf • Access to the latest technical information,
waterproofing membrane unfortunately does not
of the Architects Designers Engineers Builders including technical drawings.
offer a permanent lifelong solution against water
AIW supports registering waterproofing trades (ADEB) throughout Australian capital cities. • Access to ‘formal course’ and ‘outline’ training via
damage. Over time a membrane’s effectiveness will
The AIW supports registration of waterproofing our network association with AMA and our own
decrease, especially membranes exposed to the
trades to improve the standard of work. AIW Committee members also present in-house course material.
harsh rigours of the Australian climate.
waterproofing standards and information sessions • The rights to use the AIW logo in members’
Currently in Victoria the full responsibility of for architects, builders, building surveyors, designers communication to build brand credibility.
Knowing when to re-apply or install a completely
waterproofing works is under the control of and developers on request. • ‘Forum’ web connectivity with others in the
new membrane is crucial to maintaining the long-
the Registered Builder, sub-contract trades industry to update information or find solutions.
term structural integrity of a building.
like waterproofers are not independently liable. If your company is interested in booking an in-house • Contractors ‘lead’ generation in the local area or
Waterproofers are not a category of tradesperson training session on waterproofing, call AIW for further field of expertise.
ARE YOU SURE IT WON’T LEAK?
registered by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA). information on: 1300 249 466. • Greater connectivity to members’ websites
A growing problem in Australia is that waterproofing
As such waterproofers in Victoria do not necessarily • The opportunity to get a discounted business
standards and quality are falling as waterproofing
carry correct insurance policies. website designed.
shortcuts increase.
• Economical annual membership fees in
In New South Wales and Queensland, the State every category.
Many decisions made on waterproofing are based
building authorities have registered waterproofers
purely on price, and this leads to using cheap labour
as a trade, and as such, they are subject to building
and unlicensed trades using inferior products.
liability with a requirement to meet Standards, on-
going training and compliance checks.
As waterproofing is unlicensed and unregistered in
some Australian states, many builders/developers
THE AIW COMMITMENT
make the fatal mistake of not hiring professional
AIW President, Paul Evans, firmly believes
certified waterproofers and instead offering the task
the construction industry deserves to have access to
to a contractor, who claims to be a waterproofer,
trained waterproofing experts with extensive knowledge.
and the result is the project is not waterproofed to
Australian standards.
As the national waterproofing industry association,
AIW is committed to supporting of all forms of Further information:
As far back as 2016, in Victoria’s daily newspaper
training to all sectors of the building industry. Contact the Australian Institute of Waterproofing
The Age addressed this problem in, “Melbourne's
high-rise nightmares taking a tall toll on residents Address: 155 Barkly Ave Burnley Victoria 3121
Short Course Training Phone: 1300 249 466
and investors.”2
Aside from formal qualifications, it is important Email: info@waterproof.org.au
to educate other stakeholders on regulatory President: Paul Evans, Manager/Director
The article claims “Waterproofing (or the lack of it)
requirements. AIW has currently developed Findlay-Evans Waterproofing
is considered a leading and systemic problem for
several courses, focusing on Australian Standards Mob: 0418 312 646
apartment buildings in Melbourne today, with many
Compliance, Inspections, Material Compatibility and Web: www.waterproofingfew.com.au 
who manage the city's apartment towers saying, ‘if it
Membrane Selection, and Best Practice Applications.
has a balcony, it will leak’.”

Over the last year AIW, collaborated with the

long after construction is complete, but also losing
significant percentage of their profit margins due to
waterproofing rectification and remedial services.
inevitably end up costing the builder more. Quick
fixes add up over time and are more likely to be
more expensive and create more stress than high
quality waterproofing properly installed the first time.
The issues described in this article are still happening
Master Builders Victoria (MBAV), to design
today throughout Australia and New Zealand.
and now have a scheduled short course:
"Waterproofing in Construction."
1. Wells, M (2017, June 5) “New documents reveal poor construction caused balcony collapse” The Daily Californian, Retrieved from:
www.dailycal.org/2017/06/05/new-documents-reveal-poor-construction-caused-balcony-collapse
2. Dow, A. (2016 Sept 25) “Melbourne’s high-rise nightmares taking a tall toll on residents and investors” The Age, Retrieved from:
www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbournes-highrise-nightmares-taking-a-tall-toll-on-residents-and-investors-20160916-gri6l4.html