Your Ultimate Guide To Liquid-Based Waterproofing Membrane
Liquid waterproofing membranes are coatings that are applied directly to a surface or structure to protect against water damage and leakage. These membranes form a continuous, seamless barrier which keeps both underlying and overlay materials dry. They can also be used to repair your surfaces and prevent cracks or breaks in the future.
The SEMCO Liquid Membrane is one of the most advanced waterproofing and anti-fracture products on the market. It’s helped customers restore damaged floors, walls, and fix leaks in bathrooms, garages, wooden decks… The list goes on.
This comprehensive guide aims to address common questions surrounding waterproof membranes. We’ll cover the application process, the costs, durability, maintenance, and more.
Whether you're a home owner wanting to fix a leaky roof or a professional seeking a new waterproofing membrane on your job sites, this guide contains everything you need to know about our Liquid Membrane.
General Questions About Liquid Waterproof Membrane
What Is Liquid Membrane?
SEMCO Liquid Membrane stands as a cutting-edge solution for waterproofing and anti-fracture needs in construction. This ready-to-use, water-based membrane is a single-component formula that incorporates a self-contained elastomeric fluid within a copolymer adhesive.
What Are The Common Applications Of Liquid Membrane?
Our Liquid Membrane has a wide variety of applications. This includes primary waterproofing on wooden substrates, concrete, showers and outdoor areas. You can also use it to seal your leaking roof, pond, or swimming pool. As a water-based formula, it can withstand exposure to UV, rain, and other weather conditions.
As well as its waterproofing capabilities, SEMCO Liquid Membrane is one of the most advanced anti-fracture membranes for floors, walls, roofs and more. If you need to bridge cracks, restore a damaged surface, or remodel without demolition — this is the product for you.
Liquid Membrane can be applied over a wide range of different substrates:
Concrete
Wood
Fiberglass Pools & Concrete Pools
Stone
Tiles
Interior & Exterior Cladding
Metal & Aluminum
Plaster
Villaboard
Fiber Cement Sheeting
MDF
Bricks
Asphalt
Plywood
Natural Stone
Render
What Is The Installation Process Of Liquid Membrane?
Liquid Membrane is a professional-grade waterproofing membrane that you can install yourself with an easy 2-coat system using a roller, sprayer or brush. The process will vary slightly based on the substrate and scale of your project — but you can install Liquid Membrane as the final finish in multiple different colours, paint over it, or overlay another surface like tiles and microcement on top.
What Is The Lifespan Of Liquid Membrane?
With correct workmanship and a quality product like Liquid Membrane, liquid-based waterproofing systems should last for at least 10 years. This does depend on a few factors such as traffic, substrate, and maintenance of the area. Our Liquid Membrane also comes with 5-year standard limited warranty, and 10 years for non-traffic surfaces.
Comparisons And Advantages
What Is The Difference Between Liquid Membrane And Other Waterproofing Membranes?
Compared to sheet-based waterproofing, liquid-based membranes are far better at covering joints, protrusions, and irregularly-shaped spaces.
What makes our product different to other liquid waterproofing membranes on the market is its exceptional adhesion. It has an elongation rate of up to 1300% before break — while other waterproof membranes only have around 800%.
What Are The Advantages Of Liquid Membrane?
There are many benefits of our Liquid Membrane waterproofing product, including the ease of application, versatility for a range of substrates, and advanced formula.
→ Easy to Apply
The water-based, single-component formula is ready to apply with no mixing required. It’s applied quickly with a 2-coat system using a roller, sprayer or brush.
→ Versatile
It’s suitable for a wide range of substrates (over 20) including concrete, wood, stone, tiles, interior & exterior cladding, plaster, MDF, bricks & more. Customers have used Liquid Membrane for both interior and exterior applications, including fully submerged in water and on cars, boats, and trucks. It’s safe for fish, plant produce, and saltwater use.
→ Advanced Formula
It’s a low VOC, breathable waterproofing membrane so will not trap any moisture where it is applied to. As mentioned above, Liquid Membrane also features exceptional adhesion of up to 1300% elongation, offering long-lasting crack suppression and stabilising substrates for surface finish. It’s also aeavy duty and rated for load-bearing.
Read more about how liquid waterproofing is revolutionising construction.
Cost And Affordability
Is Liquid Membrane Cost-Effective?
Because of its versatility, especially when compared to sheet-based systems, liquid waterproofing is very cost-effective. It allows for rapid protection of structures without the application of heat, it’s easy to apply yourself (within reason), and there’s a huge time-saving factor — especially for large areas like a roof. Its ability to stabilise cracked substrates could also save you the costs and time associated with replacing a damaged roof, floor, or wall.
How much is Liquid Membrane?
An 18.9L bucket of SEMCO Liquid Membrane™️ is priced at $601 and provides coverage for 50-60 square meters when applied with 2 coats. If we focus on the lower end of the coverage range, the cost per square meter would be just $12.
How can I purchase Liquid Membrane?
One of the best things about waterproof membranes is that you can buy them online. We ship buckets of Liquid Membrane all around Australia, available to purchase from the SEMCO online shop. It’s also available for pick-up from our Melbourne warehouse.
Specific Applications
Can Liquid Membrane Be Used In Pools?
Liquid Membrane is perfect for waterproofing concrete and fibreglass pools, from small plunge pools to olympic-sized swimming pools.
For concrete in-ground pools, the entry of water under negative pressure is a concern. This occurs when the surrounding area becomes wet due to rain, and the concrete absorbs water — potentially causing delamination. Our waterproof membrane prevents ground water from penetrating the concrete under negative pressure.
Can Liquid Membrane be installed in bathrooms?
Most of our customers use Liquid Membrane to waterproof their wet rooms, showers, or the entire bathroom itself. Depending on how the shower surface is built (whether it’s old tiles, cement board or just normal wood) the Liquid Membrane creates a more flexible and stable surface for other finishes like X-Bond Microcement to be applied to.
Can Liquid Membrane Be Installed On Wood?
Liquid Membrane can be applied straight onto wooden substrates like MDF. It can be used as a finishing coat, or as preparation to resurface wood with another product like microcement. It prevents the wood from bending or leaking, however on joints it’s recommended to also apply the Reinforcement Fabric to further stabilise the surface against movement. Our customers have used this method on custom furniture like basins as well as on floors, balconies, and walls that have MDF as a substrate.
Is Liquid Membrane Suitable For Concrete Resurfacing?
You can use Liquid Membrane as a way to stabilise, bridge cracks, and seal leaks in old concrete before resurfacing with new materials — eliminating the need for demolition.