Waterproofing. In Brisbane.
Professional waterproofing services designed to prevent leaks, moisture damage, and structural issues before they begin. Our Story Quality Craftsmanship and Design Founded by Omar Colantuono, Innovatile brings European craftsmanship and over 15 years of tiling and waterproofing experience to Australian homes and businesses. Originally from near Naples, Italy, Omar combines traditional techniques
Waterproofing is the unsexy part of the trade that decides whether everything else lasts. Most tile failures in bathrooms, balconies and alfresco areas trace back to detail at junctions — not the open field of membrane.
Innovatile Tiling Experts does waterproofing in-house as part of every tile job and as a standalone service for builders who want a specialist installer ahead of someone else laying tile. Internal wet areas are detailed and certified to AS 3740; external wet areas (balconies, planters, pool surrounds) to AS 4654. Compliance certificate is issued at completion, identifying the membrane product, the standard worked to, and the installer.
The pre-tile checklist on every wet area covers substrate prep, primer application, reinforcing tape at every internal corner, the right number of coats at horizontal-to-vertical junctions, and a continuous membrane onto the floor-waste. We inspect each layer before the next goes on — not because it's required, but because that's where the failures start.
- Service area
- Brisbane, residential & commercial
- Pricing
- Per project, fixed-price written quote
- Call-out fee
- None on residential
- Warranty
- Written workmanship guarantee
Questions on waterproofing, answered.
The things prospective clients ask before they book.
What does waterproofing actually cover — what's in scope?
Waterproofing covers any wet area where water could damage the building behind the tile or surface — bathrooms, ensuites, laundries, kitchen splashbacks, balconies, planter boxes, retaining walls and pool surrounds. The membrane goes down before tile, and gets detailed at every junction (floor-to-wall, around penetrations, at thresholds) to AS 3740 (internal wet areas) or AS 4654 (external). It's the unsexy part of the job that decides whether the tile work survives the next decade.
Can you waterproof if you're not also doing the tiling?
Yes — standalone waterproofing is available for builders and other trades who want a specialist membrane installer ahead of someone else laying tile. The certificate of compliance is issued at completion. Most clients prefer to bundle it with the tile work so there's one accountable trade for the wet area, but standalone jobs are taken on regularly.
How long does waterproofing take to dry before tiling?
Most modern liquid membranes are tile-ready within 24–48 hours of the final coat, depending on the product and the conditions on the day. Heat and humidity affect cure time, so on a hot dry day it'll be quicker, and on a humid wet day it's longer. The job schedule allows for this so nothing gets rushed.
What goes wrong with waterproofing and how do you prevent it?
Failures almost always trace to detail — not the open field of membrane. Junctions at the floor-waste, the shower hob, the wall-floor angle and around pipe penetrations are where leaks start. The fix is the right reinforcing tape at every internal corner, the right number of coats at horizontal-to-vertical junctions, and a continuous membrane onto the floor-waste. We work to a fixed checklist on every wet area and inspect each layer before the next goes on.
Do you issue a compliance certificate?
Yes — a waterproofing certificate is issued at completion confirming the membrane has been installed to AS 3740 (for internal) or AS 4654 (for external) and identifying the product used. Builders and certifiers will ask for this; keep it with the property file.
What's the warranty on waterproofing?
Workmanship is backed by a written guarantee on every wet area we waterproof. If membrane fails inside the warranty term we come back and remediate — including any tile work that needs to come up to access the failure. The membrane manufacturer's product warranty applies in addition.
How is waterproofing priced?
It's quoted per wet area, not per square metre, because the labour is dominated by detail at junctions rather than open field. A typical residential bathroom is a fixed line on the quote; balconies and external wet areas vary more depending on edge detailing and the number of penetrations. There is no call-out fee for the quote visit.