Building Materials

This range covers the materials that go in before anything visible does: waterproofing membranes, substrates, sealants and the consumables that go with them. These are the same products our own installers use on site, which is the only reason we stock them.

Waterproofing is the part of a bathroom that nobody sees and everybody pays for when it fails. New Zealand requirements for wet area waterproofing are specific about coverage, junctions and the treatment of penetrations, and the failures we get called to fix are almost always at a junction rather than in the middle of a wall. Corners, floor to wall transitions and anywhere a pipe passes through are where water finds its way out.

The substrate matters as much as the membrane. Standard plasterboard is not suitable behind a shower. Wet area board, tile backer or a suitable sheet product is what should be there, and getting this wrong means the waterproofing is applied to something that will degrade behind it regardless of how well the membrane went on.

If you are taking on your own bathroom, be realistic about which parts to do yourself. Tiling, cabinetry and fit-out are all reasonable DIY projects. Waterproofing is the one where a mistake is invisible for two years and then costs more than the entire renovation to remedy. In many cases it also needs to be done by a suitably qualified person for the work to be signed off.

Trade customers, get in touch about account pricing on volume. If you are unsure what is required for your specific build, talk to us before ordering, because the correct specification depends on the substrate and the shower type.