The Shower Leak Shop — Bathroom Waterproofing
Bathroom Waterproofing in South Coast NSW
Every wet area needs a sound waterproof membrane underneath the tiles, and once it fails water goes wherever it likes. We handle bathroom waterproofing for showers, laundries and balconies to the Australian Standard.
The Layer That Does the Real Work
Tiles and grout shed most of the water in a wet area, but they were never meant to be the last line of defence. That job belongs to the membrane underneath, and when it's missing or has broken down, everything above it is decoration. At The Shower Leak Shop, we handle bathroom waterproofing across South Coast NSW for new work, renovations and repairs to failed wet areas. Membranes are applied to the Australian Standard, with the falls, junctions and penetrations all treated before a single tile goes down. If a shower is already leaking, that starts with a leak inspection rather than a new membrane. Call 0400 133 028 to talk it through.
Wet Areas We Waterproof
Any surface that regularly gets wet and sits above a room, a wall cavity or a timber floor needs a membrane beneath it.
- Bathrooms and shower recesses. The shower floor, the hob and the wall junctions all get full membrane coverage, with the height carried up the walls as the standard requires.
- Laundries. Tubs, washing machine outlets and floor wastes make a laundry a wet area in its own right, and it's one that's often overlooked in older homes.
- Balconies and external landings. Exposed decks take weather as well as foot traffic, so the membrane has to handle movement, sunlight and drainage at once.
- Repairs to failed waterproofing. Where an existing membrane has broken down, the tiled surface comes up so the substrate can be prepared and the wet area rebuilt properly.
Compliance and Australian Standards
Waterproofing in New South Wales is regulated work, and wet areas in domestic buildings are covered by AS 3740. The standard sets out where the membrane has to reach, how junctions and penetrations are treated and what falls the floor needs so water actually finds the waste. Getting it wrong isn't obvious at handover, because the tiles look the same either way. It shows up years later as a stain on a ceiling or a rotten wall frame. We work to the standard on every wet area, prepare substrates before the membrane goes on, and allow the required cure time before tiling starts.
Waterproofing Questions Answered
Yes, wet areas in Australian homes have to be waterproofed to AS 3740, and that applies to renovations as well as new builds. How far the coverage extends varies with the room's layout and what sits beneath it.
The membrane sits under the tiles, so it can't be inspected directly without lifting the surface. The signs turn up around the wet area instead, as damp walls, lifting tiles, swollen skirting or staining in the room below.
If the tiles are coming up, the membrane underneath needs to be assessed and in most cases renewed. Laying new tiles over an old or unknown membrane risks repeating the failure the renovation was meant to fix.