Skylight flashing and installation to prevent leaks
Most skylight leaks are installation faults rather than product faults, and they show up at the kerb, the flashing or the ceiling reveal. The fix lies in the order each layer goes down, so that water is always shed over the layer beneath it.
11 min read
Topic
Waterproofing
Articles and news about Waterproofing for Australian builders.
Skylight flashing and installation to prevent leaks
Most skylight leaks are installation faults rather than product faults, and they show up at the kerb, the flashing or the ceiling reveal. The fix lies in the order each layer goes down, so that water is always shed over the layer beneath it.
11 min read
Balcony waterproofing: falls, outlets and membrane detail
Most balcony leaks start at the falls, the outlet or a junction rather than in the membrane itself. This article sets out the sequence a licensed builder should follow, from the first fall check to the flood test before tiling.
12 min read
The most common building defects in NSW, and how builders stop them happening
Building Commission NSW’s research and audits point to the same culprits year after year: waterproofing first, fire safety second, then structure, the building enclosure and services. Here is where defects come from, and the site controls that stop them.
7 min read
Window and door flashing: getting the sequence right at the opening
Glazing performance gets the attention, but the opening is where most water gets in. The order you flash a window or door — sill first, then jambs, then head — is what decides whether the detail drains or traps.
11 min read
Wet area waterproofing membranes: liquid, sheet and where each one fails
Leaking showers are one of the most common and expensive defects in Australian homes. Most failures are not the membrane’s fault but the junctions, penetrations, curing and compatibility around it.
7 min read
Windows and glazing: U-value, SHGC, frames and the installation details that stop leaks
Windows are the biggest lever in a home’s energy rating and one of the most common sources of leaks. What the performance numbers mean, how frames and glass compare, and how to install windows so they stay dry.
8 min read
Shower and bath setdowns: getting substrate geometry and waste layout right
A setdown is a substrate decision that locks in the fall, the finished floor level and the waste position long before anyone rolls out membrane. Get the geometry wrong and the waterproofing cannot rescue it.
10 min read
NCC 2025 for builders: what has changed, and when it applies in your state
The National Construction Code 2025 was released on 1 May 2026. Most of the big changes are commercial, but condensation, water management and governing requirements affect residential builders too. Here is the plain-English version.
9 min read
Masonry flashing and weep holes: where water is meant to leave the wall
Water will get into a cavity wall. The detail that decides whether the building performs is where that water leaves. This article covers the drainage path from the outer leaf to the outside face.
12 min read
Wall cladding fixings, clearances and ground levels
Cladding rarely fails because the sheet was the wrong product. It fails because the fixing, the clearance or the ground level under it was set by habit rather than by the manufacturer’s instructions and the NCC.
12 min read
Metal roof flashing details that cause leaks
Most metal roof leaks are not product failures. They are sequencing and lap-direction failures that are sealed over before anyone can see them.
13 min read
Roof sarking and underlay: getting laps, drapes and penetrations right
Sarking is the layer that catches what the roof covering lets through, and it only works if it is lapped, draped and sealed in the right direction. Most failures are not product failures — they are installation failures at laps, valleys and penetrations.
11 min read