# Forum Home Renovation Waterproofing  NSW- waterproofing DIY of exisiting

## OneZero

Have paid for a pro to do the waterproofing on our new en suite because it is certified by council. Will now do the main bathroom which is just a rip out and retiled and will of course redo the non-exisitent 1970's project home waterproofing. 
Question is. Does this need to be done via a licensed waterproofer or can I DIY it? It wont be certified by council.

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## JB1

I'd just do it myself.  
Council won't be an issue, it will be your insurer knocking back future claims due to damage caused uncertified waterproofing. If you can live with it, then go ahead.

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## OneZero

I don't know of an insurance company that covers leaking showers anyway. 
I have to redo this bathroom because when I took the skirting boards off down the hallway I discovered that pretty much all walls surrounding the shower have rotten bottom plates due to a shower leak. I am guessing it's been like that a long time as the shower appears to have been repaired before we moved in 11 years ago.

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## phild01

It would be for warranty insurance.

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## OneZero

> It would be for warranty insurance.

  I don't get it. Are you meaning if it leaks it's my fault rather than company X who did the waterproofing?

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## phild01

Builder's warranty insurance.

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## OneZero

> Builder's warranty insurance.

  We're owner builders...

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## phild01

> We're owner builders...

  Then as I understand it, your responsibility.  I did my own as well.

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## Oldsaltoz

Profesional Water Proofers will provide you with a warranty for 7 years as part of the work done. They will also provide the form 16 required by the local council. 
Good luck and fair winds.  :Smilie:

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## phild01

> They will also provide the form 16 required by the local council. 
> Good luck and fair winds.

  I think that depends on certification and if an OB.  My PC only wanted to inspect it, did not need a certificate.

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## cyclic

Lots of talk about water proofing, warranties, insurance, so lets set the record straight.
Some insurers will pay a reasonable amount for a tradesman to investigate and find the cause of the leak, but they usually do not pay for the repairs.
Water proofing warranties are something I take with a grain of salt simply because to prove a water proofing problem, all tiles have to be removed.
Have you ever tried remove all tiles without damaging the membrane ?
In the 70's there was no water proofing as we know it today, professional shower installs were done using a copper tray, non professional installs were done using a galvanised tray, r a g installs used no tray. 
To the op, if you are competent then do it yourself, however, most shower leaks I have investigated have been caused by the lack of care/knowledge on the part of the tiler and shower screen installer, not to mention the non replacement of in wall plumbing and tapware..
Building movement can also be a problem especially with water proof membranes.

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## Oldsaltoz

There are some pretty simple tests that can be carried out on showers that will determine if a leaking shower has a leak in the plumbing behind the walls and another test to check if the base of the shower is leaking. Neither involves the removal of any tiles. 
A few months back I was requested to check a shower by the company that was renting the home for the owner. On inspection, I found the tiler had installed the tiles within a few mm of the top of the shower angle. Also when flood testing I noticed a leak about halfway up the screen to wall joint. 
I submitted my report and advised that the screen should be removed and an additional angle be installed to prevent the leaking over the top of the area the tiles were too high and reseal the leak in the shower screen. 
A couple of weeks later I was asked to attend a meeting at the house with the local building inspector and a representative from the renters' office.  
The outcome according to the inspector was, "the shower had failed due to a lack of maintenance on the part of the renter"?  Primarily because the sealant had not been maintained. 
I returned a few days later, removed the screen and spent 45 minutes removing all the silicone sealant, added the small 25mm angle, then reinstalled the screen and sealed the screen to tile to wall interface.

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