Waterproofing by Semco Canada

SWIMMING POOLS

Liquid Membrane is applied in pools to firstly waterproof a leaking pool but also to keep water from negative pressure out. For example concrete pools that are in the ground get negative water pressure when the ground is wet after rain and the water is soaked up by the concrete. So the Liquid Membrane does not only prevent the water inside the pool from leaking but also water from the ground to come in. Negative pressure can cause whatever current material is in the pool to delaminate. We have clients that have done small private whirlpools to olympic sized swimming pools with our Liquid Membrane system.

WET ROOMS/SHOWERS

Most of customers waterproof their wet rooms or the entire bathroom with the Liquid Membrane. Depending on how the shower surface is built, whether it is old tiles, cement board or just normal wood, The Liquid Membrane creates a more flexible and stable surface for the X-Bond or other finishes to be applied to.

WOODEN SURFACES

When you have wooden substrates like MDF, Liquid Membrane can be applied over the wood before applying X-Bond. The Liquid Membrane can be applied straight on the wooden substrate. The Liquid Membrane prevents the wood from bending, and on joints it is recommended to apply the Reinforcement Fabric to further stabilise the surface against movement. Our customers have used this method on custom furniture like basins or also some floors/walls have MDF as a substrate.

UNSTABLE SUBSTRATES

Whether you have fairly new concrete as screed that can still get settlement cracks, crumbling old concrete to old tiles that can get loose over time or crack, you can apply Liquid Membrane to stabilise the substrate before applying X-Bond or other finishes for added security.

FLAT ROOFS

Liquid Membrane can be used as a primary waterproofing membrane to waterproof the entire flat roof. It isn’t used as finished product but often either tiles or X-Bond is put on top of the Liquid Membrane.

ANHYDRITE OR CONCRETE SCREEDS

In Europe Anhydrite is used widely on construction sites for subfloor as it is lighter than concrete screed. It is a mix between water and a gypsum based material that is getting pumped into the building and is self levelling. It is much faster to install and has a lower overall weight to the building. The only problem with anhydrite is it takes very long to dry since there is a high volume of water. And depending on weather conditions such as humidity and temperature, it takes up to 12 weeks to reach a relative humidity of 1-1.5% before any substrate such as wooden floors or tiles can be applied to. Liquid Membrane can be applied on the anhydrite already 7-14 days after it has been poured and a week after people can already apply X-Bond or whatever substrate they want to install afterwards. This would save a construction company 4-8 weeks of waiting time. Since the Liquid Membrane is also breathable, the anhydrite can still cure underneath and it becomes even harder when it cures slowly. This has already been tested on a couple of hundred units and more are to come this year.