DIY Projects  ·  Waterproofing

Waterproof-It-Yourself

15th Jul 2020

How to waterproof your roof with peel and stick membrane

It is strongly recommended that when you need to do waterproofing and you want to ensure quicker turnaround time, choose a peel-and-stick membrane.  abe® peel and stick membrane is a self-adhesive waterproofing membrane comprising of bitumen incorporated in a polypropylene fabric that is easy to apply – no special equipment required, just measure, cut, peel and stick.  Furthermore easily coat it with a cementitious or acrylic paint to match the surrounding structure. Ideal for low thresholds that will not accommodate multi-layer built up systems to receive tiles and waterproofing floor areas of patio’s, balconies, wet areas in kitchens, bathroom and showers to receive tile adhesive and tiling

What you'll need

1 x paint brush

1 x utility knife

1 x rubber roller

abe ®Product

abe® peel and stick membrane 
(supplied in 10 m x 150 mm, 10 m  x 300 mm and 10 m x 600 mm rolls)

Note:  Rather use super laykold tape (if you don’t need to cover it with paint or tile adhesive – UV resistant).

Primer: 
bitu.®prime – 1 L, 5L, 25 L and 200 L containers

Cleaner: 
a.b.e.® super brush cleaner – 1 L, 5 L and 25 L containers

Top coat: 
a.b.e.® super laycryl or dura.®flex or abe.®proof PU eco – 5 L containers

HERE'S HOW (3 STEPS)

STEP 1
Preparation
  • The surface needs to be clean, sound, dust free and dry.
  • All surfaces must be smooth without sharp protrusions that may puncture the membrane.

STEP 2

Priming
  • Prime all prepared surfaces using bitu.®prime and allow it to dry.
STEP 3
Application
  • Ensure all inside and outside detailing are completed first.
  • Measure, cut and peel.
  • Remove release paper.
  • Carefully apply the membrane whilst you remove the release paper and by hand firmly press the abe® peel and stick membrane onto the prepared primed surface.
  • Using the rubber roller ensure that there are no creases or air bubbles present and fully bonded to the substrate.
  • Heat weld overlaps
GOOD TO KNOW:
  • Side and end laps are to be a minimum of 50 mm for 150 mm and 300 mm wide rolls.
  • For 600 mm wide rolls, side laps are to be a minimum of 50 mm and end laps 100 mm.

USES:
  • Low thresholds that will not accommodate multi-layer built up systems to receive tiles.
  • Waterproofing floor areas of patio’s, balconies, wet areas in kitchens, bathroom and showers to receive tile adhesive and tiling.

Click here to find out more about this product: abe® Peel & Stick Membrane

How to waterproof a fish or koi pond

A concrete fish/koi pond adds interest to the landscape by providing habitat for these colourful fish. However, concrete is a porous surface and can eventually leach lime and other chemicals into your pond or loose water through cracks.  Therefore, you need to seal the pond with a waterproofing compound like super laykold, a rubberised bitumen emulsion that can be reinforced with abe® membrane to provide a seamless professional waterproofing system. It is also non-toxic and koi/fish friendly.

What you'll need

Equipment to prepare the surface

Container to mix prime coat

Paint brushes to apply the product

Roller to embed the membrane

Scissors to cut the membrane

Gloves and old clothes

abe ®Product

super laykold – 1 L, 5 L and 20 L containers

abe membrane – 200 or 250 mm wide

abe super brush cleaner – 1 L, 5 L and 25 L containers

HERE'S HOW (4 STEPS)

STEP 1
Preparation
  • All surfaces to be clean, dry, sound, free from all laitance, fungal growth, grease, oil or loose and flaking particles.

STEP 2
Mixing
ALL SURFACES (EXCEPT METAL)
  • Mix 1 part super laykold with 1 part clean water and prime the total area to be covered. As a guide 0.25 L of diluted primer will cover 1 m².
  • Allow to dry.
  • Stir well before use

STEP 3
Application
First coat
  • Brush or roll on a fairly thick coat (0.75L/m²) and embed abe® membrane well into the wet coating.
  • On flat surfaces, it is recommended to use a fluted aluminium roller for this purpose.
  • Membrane overlaps should be a minimum of 100 mm on end laps and 75 mm on side laps.
  • Not required to apply membrane everywhere, but essential over cracks, gaps and right angles.
Second coat
  • When the first coat has dried sufficiently (2 – 3 hours), apply a second coat of super laykold (0.75 L/m²) to ensure the membrane is completely saturated and allow to dry. To ensure saturation, apply the second coat in the other direction to the first coat.
Third coat
  • Apply a final coat of super laykold (0.6 L/m²) to give a smooth finish.
Coverage
  • 2.1 L/m² full system

STEP 4
Cleaning
  • Tools, brushes and mixing equipment should be cleaned immediately after use and before material has set with abe® super brush cleaner.
  • Wash with soap and water.
GOOD TO KNOW:
  • Super laykold is water based, so dries fairly quick. The wet material looks dark brown but dries black.
  • When used for a pond, allow to dry for minimum 14 days. Flush with clean water before filling completely. Let the water and product stand for a day or two before adding fish.

Click here to find out more about this product: abe® DIY – Super Laykold

How to waterproof a shower with dura.®flex

Before embarking on tiling your shower ensure that the shower is waterproof. To ensure a waterproof installation it is necessary to waterproof the shower enclosure prior to tiling. If you’re renovating the shower it is recommended to remove the existing tiles and start the waterproofing and tiling process from scratch.

What you'll need

2 x dura.®flex15kg (covers 8m2/ requires 2 coats)

1 x mechanical mixer (electrical drill with suitable paddle)

1 x bucket

1 x short bristled brush

1 x rubber squeegee

1 x trowel or spray

Ecofelt membrane

 

HERE'S HOW (4 STEPS)

STEP 1
Surface preparation

Surfaces must be free from oil, grease, wax, dirt or any other form of foreign matter. Spalled surfaces or those containing large blowholes and other defects i.e. cracks should be repaired using dura.®flex or an a.b.e.® approved repair system.

STEP 2
Mixing

Use a suitable paddle to stir with. (recommend a paddle mixer or other approved spiral paddle attachment on a variable speed drill.  The preferred drill speed is between 280 and 640 rpm). Fill ¾ of the milky liquid into the bucket and with continuous stirring, slowly add grey powder. Mixing is continued, constantly moving the paddle around the drum, until a lump-free slurry is obtained. Then add the remaining milky liquid whilst continue stirring. This should take a maximum of 5 minutes.

STEP 3
Application

Use a soft block brush and spread the material to the required thickness. Do not add water to the material but dampen the surface.  Finish in one direction for a neat appearance

STEP 4
More coats

Apply a second coat and third coat of dura.®flex to the whole area to be waterproofed. Apply coats at right angles to each other, allowing 16 hours between coats.

Apply 1kg per coat per m2, 3 coats required.

5kg covers approx.1.5m2 and

15kg covers approx. 4.5m2

How to find a roof leak and repair it yourself

You need to inspect your roof – fixing a leaking roof is relatively easy once you have found the leak. Finding the leak is the hard part as evidence of the leak may not be where the actual leak is occurring due to the water flowing downhill before soaking into a wall or ceiling. bitu.®seal plastic may be used to seal most roofing defects: sheeting overlaps, valleys, gutters, downpipes and enlarged screw holes and to repair roof cracks, flashings, cracked roof tiles and patch repair to roofs.

What you'll need

1 x trowel or putty knife or extrusion gun or gloved hand

1 x cloth

abe ®Product:

bitu.®seal plastic – 1 L, 5 L, 25 L containers.

abe® 4-metal primer – to prime steel surfaces.

abe® super brush cleaner – to clean tools.

abe® silvakote – if surface is exposed to the effects of sunlight and ultra-violet radiation.

HERE'S HOW (4 STEPS)

STEP 1
How to find a roof leak
  • If you have water stains on your ceiling or running down interior walls, inspect your roof upwards from the stains, paying special attention to areas where flashings are used, such as around chimneys or satellite dishes. These may be directly above the leak or to the left or right of it.
  • Also look out for cracked or missing tiles, which you should replace immediately.
  • Go into your roof space with a torch and try and look for water stains, black marks or mould on the ceiling.
  • If you still can’t find where the leak is, go onto the roof with a garden hose and run water onto the area just above where the leak appears in the house, starting low down. Ask someone to go inside the house and wait for a drip to appear. Let the hose run for quite a while in one area and then move it up a little further.
  • If you have a galvanised iron roof, you need to check the roofing screws and make sure that the rubber or plastic washers are still intact. Ensure that roofing screws are secure. If loose, the roof sheets will lift when the wind is blowing and the rain will be driven by the wind under the sheets. Areas that have rusted through will contribute to the scenario mentioned above.
  • If any of your roof tiles have been knocked or blown out of place, you may just need to straighten them out. If a tile is cracked, you can just repair it.

STEP 2
Mixing
  • Stir well before use.

STEP 3
Priming
  • All surfaces to be clean and dry.
  • Prime with a coat of bitu.®seal plastic, which should be allowed to dry prior to another application of bitu.®seal plastic, except for steel which must be coated with a suitable anti-corrosion primer like abe® 4-metal primer.

STEP 4
Application
  • Coverage application thickness: As needed up to 30 mm.
  • bitu.®seal plastic may be applied by trowel, putty knife, extrusion gun or gloved hand. bitu.®seal plastic can be used in conjunction with super laykold tape or super laykold paintable tape.
  • If there are areas on the roof that are allowing ingress of water, such as valleys or damaged flashings, a temporary solution is super laykold tape or super laykold paintable tape.
  • Tools, brushes and mixing equipment should be cleaned immediately after use and before material has set with abe® super brush cleaner followed by washing with soap and water.
  • Where the bitu.®seal plastic is to be exposed to the effects of sunlight and ultra-violet radiation, it is recommended that 3 – 4 weeks after being applied, it may be coated with abe® silvakote.
 
GOOD TO KNOW:
  • Economical waterproofing compound.
  • Easy-to-apply.
  • May be overcoated with bitumen / aluminium paint.

Click here to find out more about this product: abe® DIY – bitu.®seal plastic




Loading...