Bathroom waterproofing,Ardex WPM 155, Producer statements and Warranties

We've just added a superb new product to our bathroom waterproofing range, Ardex WPM 155Rapid.

WPM155 Rapid, is a class III undertile PU Acrylic hybrid membrane that allows tiling to commence within 4 hours of the final coat. 

Because of its fast curing rate we are able to complete a bathroom in one day - with only a 1 hour waiting time between coats.

Not only is 155 fast to cure - it's tough and durable, all junctions and wastes are coved with Ardex STB tape, which provides both strength and guarantees a watertight seal.

Auckland Waterproofing Applicators

Waterproofing Auckland, and the Coromandel - we provide our clients with premium Ardex waterproofing membrane solutions for all areas of building:


External - Roofs, Decks, Gutters etc:

• Ardex Butynol  
• Ardex Eco-Butynol  
• Green/Living Roofs 
• Ardex Butylseal (membrane roof repair system)
• Ardex Shelterbit Duo APP+SBS Dual layer Torch on
• Ardex TPO Thermoplastic, hot air welded membrane
• Ardex DS60 decoupling mat (laid over membrane prior to tiling)

Basement / Below Ground Tanking:

• Ardex WPM3000X (peel and stick)
• Ardex HD5000 (peel and stick heavy duty)
• Ardex Shelterbit Torch Applied membranes
• Ardex Hydrepoxy (for negative or internal sealing of existing concrete basements with dampness issues)

Internal - Bathrooms, wet rooms, etc:

• Ardex Superflex WPM001, and WPM002
• Ardex Undertile Butynol WPM750
• Ardex 155 Rapid polyurethane 

For more information about these or any Ardex systems please view;

http://www.ardex.co.nz/products/waterproofing

Or call Masterseal NZ on 021 712 017

ARDEX Butyseal, Butynol roof repair membrane

We've recently been working with a very clever new product from Ardex called 'Butyseal'.

Ardex Butyseal is genuine Ardex Butynol (available in Black and Dove Grey) with a polyester fleece backing. This 'fleece' acts as an isolation layer and allows Butyseal to be laid directly over existing roof membranes, such as Butynol, Torch on membranes, Paint on (fibreglass) membranes.

This means huge cost savings for the client - no tearing off old membrane, no replacing ply, and best of all - no opening the building up to weather - or council interference!

Below are some 'before and after' images of a recent job - the original Ardex 1.0mm  Butynol roof was 40 years old - and had done very well, but was reaching its expiry date.
The owner (An Architect) didn't want to face ongoing repairs - he also wanted to reduce heat absorption, we opted for 'Dove Grey' Butyseal.
The result? The peace of mind of a leak- free 'brand new' warranted roof for a fraction of the cost of a traditional replacement.

 40 year old Butynol, Prior to Butyseal

Dove Grey Butyseal - Butynol Repaired! 

Minimum Falls to new membrane decks and gutters in the Auckland Council region,

There have been a few changes lately with regards to the minimum fall requirements for gutters, decks and flat roofs in the Auckland region. We now have clarification and approval from both ARDEX and Auckland city council for the following minimum falls;

For ARDEX Butynol,  ARDEX Shelterbit (Torch-on) and ARDEX TPO

Roofs:  - 1:30 (2 Degrees)
Decks - 1:40 (1.5 Degrees)
Gutters - 1:100 (.6 Degrees)

NB: Although 1:100 is the MINIMUM requirement for gutters, we always advise as much fall as is possible under the circumstances!

If you would like some further information follow the link below to the Auckland council website:
http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/SiteCollectionDocuments/buildingpropertyconsents/forms/ac1136externalmembranesregister.pdf

Green Roofs, Living Roofs - Beautiful and Environmentally sound

I was asked last week if we install membranes for green roofs - the answer? An emphatic 'yes!'

Green roofs, (or living roofs as they are sometimes known), are both beautiful and environmentally sound.

Green roofs reduce storm water runoff, reduce heat reflection, and, provide insulation. Additionally, plantings  absorb Co2 and the flora creates habitat for fauna which further benefits the eco-system of the roof and its surrounds.

Although popular in Europe, green roofs are less common in NZ - which really is a shame. As our cities become more intensely populated it's become more important than ever to consider the overall affect that structures have on both the occupants and the surrounding environments. Why have a flat grey roof when you could have a flowering meadow - or a deck with lush grass instead of tiles?

From a technical perspective there are several membrane options available. Personally we prefer to use sheet membranes, butynol, eco-butynol, or TPO.

There are also bitumen based torch on membranes, however we refuse to use them for green roofs as the capping layer usually has herbicide impregnated into it, to prevent roots causing damage - it's a purely personal belief, but I think herbicides are a bit contradictory to the concept of green roofs - the chemicals will ultimately end up in the environment - not good!

With Butynol or TPO water runoff is 100% potable - it just makes more sense!

If you're considering a green roof or want to know more, please give us a call - we'd love to be involved 

Torch on/ Nuraply Vs. Butynol - which is the best?

I get asked a lot about which type of roof membrane is the best - Bitumen based torch on systems or a rubber system like Butynol?

The honest answer is  - neither. Both are great products when installed properly, and both suit different applications.

Torch on products are widespread, there are at least half a dozen companies importing these types of systems (all of which are not created equally!) into NZ currently, from a variety of places (USA, Italy, Holland, Belgium  Middle east). This naturally means that there are many more sales reps promoting these products to Architects and builders than Butynol, which is made in NZ by one manufacturer (Ardex, in Christchurch).
Although other suppliers buy Butynol off Ardex and re-brand it as their own, commercially speaking it is more in their interests to promote products they import and can make better margins on.

We've been running for over 10 years now and have laid pretty equal quantities of both products. Our experience tells us that the answer to the debate really lies in asking the correct questions. Eg, what is the substrate? Is the job a roof, gutter, or, deck,?  Is water being collected for drinking? Will it be walked on / tiled/ covered? What aesthetics are required? How much detailing?

At Masterseal our policy is to consider each job on its merits and provide recommendations based on experience - we always ask ourselves; 'If this was my house, what would I use?'  Because when it's all said and done we're about watertight, robust solutions that last. No cutting corners, no commercially driven 'axes to grind', just the best product for the job, and the best workmanship EVERY TIME.

Undertile Butynol

We've just added a fantastic new product to our range - Ardex WPM750 aka Undertile Butynol.

This innovative product is for use in bathrooms prior to tiling.
Undertile butynol is strong - much stronger that traditional liquid applied or 'paint on' systems, has heat welded seams and is fully compatible with most tile adhesives.
Among its many excellent attributes is its fast turnaround time - it can be tiled on only 1 hour after installation and is installed in one visit - no waiting for a second coat!

If you'd like to know more about this or any of our bathroom waterproofing systems, including Newline shower bases, please give us a call!

Bevan @ Masterseal NZ ltd

Nuraply and other single layer bitumen membranes.

We've been receiving more and more 'SOS' emails from people with leaking Nuraply and other Single layer bitumen (torch on)  roofs lately, so I thought I'd take a moment to post about them.

For a few years now it's been required by councils that all 'torch on' or bitumen based membranes be double layer systems. This was to bring NZ into line with overseas practice, and also due to a high number of failures of single layer systems.

Unfortunately for many home owners this change came too late, and they are now stuck with an ailing single ply bitumen based roof.

There are a few common issues:

- Break down of membrane due to UV (often seen as crazing, and cracking)
- Loose membrane due to adhesive failure
- Raised or wrinkled sections (often in conjunction with the above symptoms)
- Failing seams
- Failing Gel coats (eg on NURAPLY systems)

NB: If you collect rainwater for drinking off of your roof it is crucial that your gel coat is intact or that the surface is painted - Un-coated bitumen contains carcinogens and is not suitable for potable water!

Very often these issues are present together and exacerbate over time.

The good news is that these issues can be remedied - there are a number of different solutions depending on the nature and severity of any problems. If in doubt, please get in touch - we're always happy to answer your questions and suggest a solution.

Bevan@ Masterseal NZ ltd

Just like new!

We recently finished this job for one of NZ's top science research facilities.
The old butynol was in bad shape, with many failed repairs by other parties.
Rather than waste money trying to fix the un-fixable we offered this solution.

By using a 2 layer torch on with some clever base sheet technology we were able to lay with minimal preparation works - this meant minimal disruption to the staff below and no need for expensive shrink wrapping to weather-proof the job while in progress.
The client now has a trouble free, long term solution - success!

Past Project

Check out this stunning project we worked on for http://www.omahabuilders.net.nz/
We Installed Butynol to gutters and roof/deck sections and also waterproofed the bathrooms with Ardex WPM 001! Design was by Martin Harnish.
http://trendsideas.com/Article12286/NewZealand/OutdoorLiving

TPO Membrane

We've been getting some inquiries lately about TPO or TPE membranes, so I thought I'd take a moment to provide a bit of info!

What's TPO you ask?

TPO is Thermo-plastic-polyefin. It's a type of plastic with fibre glass reinforcing. 

It's mechanically fastened and glued and the seam joins are joined using a hot air welder.

TPO is currently a bit of a trend for flat roofs -in the right situations  it's a useful product and we are able to to lay it (we use ARDEX TPO, which is made by Firestone). It does have some downsides though - mostly its lack of adaptability.

If you have large areas of flat roof it can be a good choice, as it is wider than Butynol and Torch on membranes and weighs less. It has great reflective properties and can be use dfor potable water.

The detailing and outlets are quite different on TPO than that are for other membranes. There are a lot more factory formed pieces (its quite a rigid material).

Because of its rigidity TPO is not suited to box gutters or complex detailing.

In the USA where it is most common TPO roofs are always formed to outlets without gutters - which obviously adds difficulty and cost to the ply laying process.

For more info:

http://www.tporoofing.org/

http://www.ardex.co.nz/products/waterproofing/tpo_

Masterseal (NZ) specializes in providing engineered waterproofing solutions

Masterseal (NZ) specializes in providing engineered waterproofing solutions for both commercial and residential applications, throughout the greater Auckland region.

It is our belief that every waterproofing situation is unique, and requires careful attention to material specification and installation. There is no single 'wonder product' for all applications.
To reflect this, we select from a wide range of high quality materials.

Roof Membrane History

Traditionally flat roofs would use a tar and gravel based surface which, as long as there was no pooling of water, was sufficient to prevent penetration. However, these surfaces would tend to fail in colder climates, where ice dams and the like could block the flow of water. Similarly, they tend to be sensitive to sagging of the roof reversing the subtle grading of the surface.

Modern flat roofs tend to use a continuous membrane covering which can better resist pools of standing water. These membranes are applied as a continuous sheet where possible, though sealants and adhesives are available to allow for bonding multiple sheets and dealing with structures penetrating the roof surface. Far more expensive flat roof options include sealed metal roofs using copper or tin. These are soldered interlocking systems of metal panels.