FAQs

Membranes are designed to waterproof bathrooms, roofing, foundations, practically anywhere in construction. The choice of membrane is crucial, choosing the wrong membrane can be detrimental to your project. For example, bitumen-based products are suitable for external areas but not for internal areas such as bathrooms. For further information and recommendations, please contact our office.

Liquid membranes are coated over substrate surfaces and cure to form a seamless, durable, watertight finish.

Yes, providing the bitumen membrane is sound. KGM500 is an epoxy primer which can be used to seal off the existing bitumen material, please contact your stockist for further details on this process.

The safest answer would be no. It is not the best scenario to tile directly over polyurethane, as the rubbery membrane finish can reduce adhesion. In some instances, you can sand-seed the wet membrane with clean broadcast sand to produce a rough surface, but our suggestion would be to avoid using polyurethane when direct stick tiling. As an alternative, our KGM200 latex membrane is great for direct stick tiles, and is compatible with flexible powdered glues that conform with Australian Standards.

Although polyurethane can be applied thickly, we recommend implementing minimum of two coats to ensure no areas are missed, no pinholes are formed, and thinner coats will allow the membrane to cure more evenly. Only a skilled applicator should attempt single coat applications.

There is a standard 7 year warranty on all KGM Liquid Membrane products.

The latex and acrylic membranes are environmentally friendly, safe for contact with drinking water, non-flammable and non-hazardous.

Krystol will self-seal hairline cracks up to 0.5mm (0.02 inches) in width. While larger cracks are generally not expected to self-seal, recent testing has indicated that 0.6mm (0.024 inches) is achievable and evaluations of actual projects in service have revealed that much wider cracks have self-sealed in the presence of moisture.

Krystol technology has achieved remarkable results in its ability to self-seal cracks. It has been reported by owners, engineers and contractors that the ability to self-seal cracks has been unparalleled by any other waterproofing system available.

Cracks that are not able to self-seal can be repaired from either the negative (inside) or positive (exterior) side of the concrete with the Krystol Leak Repair System.

The Krystol treatment will last as long as the life of the concrete. Once Krystol penetrates deep into the concrete matrix it stays there – permanently. It will not deteriorate, wear away, tear or separate at seams. In fact, in the presence of moisture, Krystol reactivates and becomes stronger over time, protecting reinforcing steel from corrosion and preventing spalling, cracking and deterioration.

Yes – all Krystol products are approved under NFS/ANSI-61 for contact with potable water. Krystol products also have numerous international certificates from the European Union, Germany, Bermuda, Kuwait and others.

No – Krystol becomes an integral component of the concrete and its effectiveness will not deteriorate due to UV radiation.

There is a standard 10 year warranty on all Krystol admixture and remedial products.

Membranes are designed to waterproof bathrooms, roofing, foundations, practically anywhere in construction. The choice of membrane is crucial, choosing the wrong membrane can be detrimental to your project. For example, bitumen-based products are suitable for external areas but not for internal areas such as bathrooms. For further information and recommendations, please contact our office.

There is a standard 10 year warranty on all Polyglass sheet membrane products.

Depending on the amount of moisture and site conditions, the waterstop should survive 2-7 days, although if completely immersed the product is more likely to swell and become defective sooner. Signs of spoilt product are discolouration, increased size, or cracking along the waterstop. Another important factor is not to have the waterstop product exposed to direct sunlight, as severe dehydration will cause cracking, leaving a defective waterstop.

Yes, providing the bitumen membrane is sound. KGM500 is an epoxy primer which can be used to seal off the existing bitumen material, please contact your stockist for further details on this process.

The safest answer would be no. It is not the best scenario to tile directly over polyurethane, as the rubbery membrane finish can reduce adhesion. In some instances, you can sand-seed the wet membrane with clean broadcast sand to produce a rough surface, but our suggestion would be to avoid using polyurethane when direct stick tiling. As an alternative, our KGM200 latex membrane is great for direct stick tiles, and is compatible with flexible powdered glues that conform with Australian Standards.

Although polyurethane can be applied thickly, we recommend implementing minimum of two coats to ensure no areas are missed, no pinholes are formed, and thinner coats will allow the membrane to cure more evenly. Only a skilled applicator should attempt single coat applications.

Hyperstop DB, Hyperseal BR, Hyperseal DP and Hyperseal D series are non-toxic, have zero Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) and are safe for potable water.

Immediately after the laying the membranes, especially in very hot weather, oily marks can appear on slate surfaces due to the natural bitumen mass migration. Such marks usually disappear after rainfall which effectively washes the surface. If these marks should persist it is possible to wash the surface with a medium pressure hose, taking care to avoid aiming the water at the end laps (to avoid accidental peeling). However it should be remembered these marks do not affect the product’s efficiency in any way.

In the case of an unfinished granule covering it is necessary to periodically check the overlap seal, particularly in the most stressed parts (corners or expansion joints of the building). Over a period of time some overlaps may come unstuck for various reasons; for example a small amount of water may not cause immediate seepage but could, due to overnight frost, cause eventual lap peeling and lead to seepage.

Lap peeling over time is normal as the covering is applied in segments and this is why periodical maintenance is necessary.

It is necessary to check the working order of all ventilation systems. The vents should be dust free and free from obstructions such as wasps nests etc.

Check the cleanliness of the overflow pipes.

If it should be necessary to walk on the waterproofing covering it is advisable to avoid doing so during the hottest hours of the day in summer (and equally during the coldest hours of the day in winter). It is advisable to avoid wearing footwear with big soles (like Vibrams) and choose footwear with smooth soles in order to avoid overstressing the membrane.

If there are mechanical structures such as air conditioning systems present, it is important to check that these machines do not emit oily liquids (such as petrol or solvents) which would damage the bitumen membranes. These structures should not be in direct contact with the membrane but placed on sufficiently large bases made of the correct material.

Do not place any heavy (or sharp) objects on the covering if a uniform distribution of load with a wooden board or other appropriate instruments has not been already organised.

Completely supported non-soldered membranes tend to move in opposing diagonal corners.

Bitumen polymer membranes reinforced with non-woven polyester have a 50% stretching to breaking point. Therefore it is difficult to imagine a membrane breaking but an end lap could come away if it has not been installed properly.

Where new constructions are concerned the settling movement of the buildings can cause abnormal tension to the roofing cover.

Quite often it is not necessarily the waterproof cover which moves, it is the insulating panel under it. Relatively low temperatures (70°C) can create dimensional stability problems for some insulation. Therefore it is necessary to check both the presence and the perfect hold of the mechanical fixings (on average 4 per m²).

Check the working order and presence of air vents as they are always useful with or without an insulating panel.

Any bubbles should have a cross cut into them and then, after having waited for them to evaporate/dry out, a patch of the appropriate material should be applied.

The bubbles may be more obvious when it is hot; this is due to the increase in the amount of water vapour compared to the amount of water.

Check that the inside of the building does not have any damp marks; which might not necessarily be due to a leak but due to dampness present in the foundations. As this humidity cannot be released externally (because the membrane is not very breathable) it may manifest internally.

Condensation normally only happens at certain times of the year, or when there is humidity and particular temperatures. Therefore the problem occurs in cycles throughout the year and often can be caused by thermo-igrometric phenomena and not by seepage.

If the membrane is damaged an intervention with reinforcing pieces should be carried out.

After a hailstorm the state of the roofing should be checked immediately in order to highlight any imperfections in the shortest time possible.