East Tamaki Residence
Below-Ground Waterproofing

East Tamaki Residence

LOCATION

East Tamaki, Auckland

SERVICE

Exterior Below-Ground Waterproofing

The Challenge

Water was tracking through the foundation walls of the East Tamaki rental property, creating tenancy, maintenance and durability issues for the owner. As a property-management matter, the moisture needed to be addressed at its source on the outside of the foundation rather than through internal patching, since surface repairs inside the home would not have stopped water reaching the walls from the surrounding ground.

Our Approach

BlastOff hand excavated down to the foundation to expose the affected walls, then applied primer to prepare the surface for the membrane. A torch-applied membrane tanking system was installed over the primed walls, with a protective layer placed over the membrane to guard it during backfilling. NOVAFLO drainage coil was connected to the stormwater system to carry groundwater away from the foundation, and the excavation was backfilled with clean scoria to keep the area free-draining around the new system.

The Outcome

Water is now intercepted, drained and blocked before it can reach the foundation walls of the East Tamaki property. Barfoot & Thompson and the property owner received an exterior waterproofing solution addressing the source of the tenancy and maintenance issues, rather than a repeat of the internal patching that had not resolved the problem previously.

Chasing Water Back to the Foundation at an East Tamaki Rental Property

When water starts tracking through a foundation wall, it rarely stays a small problem for long, and for the owner of a Barfoot & Thompson managed rental in East Tamaki, ongoing moisture had become a genuine tenancy and maintenance headache. Internal fixes were never going to solve it, because the water was entering from outside the foundation, not from within the home.

BlastOff hand excavated down to the foundation to expose the affected walls, working carefully given the residential setting, then applied primer to prepare the surface before torch-applying a membrane tanking system over it. A protective layer was installed over the membrane to stop it being damaged during backfilling, NOVAFLO drainage coil was connected into the stormwater system to carry groundwater away from the foundation, and the excavation was backfilled with clean scoria to keep the area free-draining around the new system. Each stage builds on the last: excavation exposes the problem, priming and membrane application seal it, and drainage stops water pressure building against the wall again.

For property managers and owners dealing with recurring damp patches, musty smells or damaged skirting near ground level, the cause is often exactly this, water finding its way in from outside rather than from a plumbing fault inside. A proper scoping visit should establish where the water is entering, whether drainage is needed alongside the membrane, and whether excavation is practical given the site’s access. For rental properties specifically, sorting the underlying cause matters for the ongoing relationship with tenants, since damp complaints tend to keep coming back until the actual entry point is addressed.

Addressing the issue with exterior below-ground waterproofing, as was done at this property, deals with the source rather than repeating the internal patching that had already failed to keep the East Tamaki home dry.