Balcony waterproofing Sunninghill

Sometimes. Clear penetrating sealers and over-tile membranes work when tiles are sound and the leak is through grout. If water is trapped under the tiles, falls are wrong or tiles are drummy, they must come up for a lasting fix. A specialist should test before recommending either.

Usually because there is no membrane under the tiles, or it has failed at the edges, the drain or the door threshold. Water soaks through grout, travels along the slab and appears on the ceiling below. Finding the entry point is the first job.

It is one of the most common leak points. If the balcony is level with the door and the membrane does not turn up under the frame, rain finds its way in. Resealing the threshold usually fixes it.

Often. Posts bolted through the tiles into the slab create holes in the waterproofing, and if they are not sealed properly, water runs straight down. Side-fixed or properly sealed base plates reduce the risk. Check them whenever a balcony leaks.

In Sunninghill, sealing a balcony with a clear or over-tile system costs about R250 to R600 per m². A full overhaul, lifting tiles, fixing falls, laying a membrane and retiling, runs R900 to R1,800 per m². Most specialists inspect before giving a firm price.