Shelley St | Sydney CBD

A podium-level pool at Shelley Street had been leaking into the carpark below for years. Patch repairs had been tried and had failed — the waterproofing system had reached the end of its life and the concrete shell underneath had its own problems. The Owners Corporation needed a permanent fix, not another patch, and they needed it without locking residents out of their carpark for the duration.

The Challenge

Pools are one of the hardest waterproofing problems in any building. Constant water exposure, hydrostatic pressure, and thermal movement break down membranes and concrete. At Shelley Street the existing waterproofing was beyond its service life, and the structural shell needed repair before any new membrane could go down. The job required full remediation while keeping the building running.

Approach

A complete renewal of the pool's waterproofing system, supported by structural concrete repair and modern finishes — done in stages so the carpark stayed accessible. This is the discipline our waterproofing remediation service brings to every podium and submerged-environment job.

• Detailed substrate inspection to map every crack, spall and weak point in the slab before specification.
• Drainage planning to ensure the new system would perform for decades, not years.
• Staged works program to maintain resident safety and access around the podium throughout.

Execution

1. Demolition & Preparation
   • Tiles, screeds and failed membranes carefully removed from the pool shell.
   • Deteriorated concrete broken out, reinforcement exposed and treated.
   • Surfaces prepared to a profile suitable for waterproofing adhesion.
2. Structural & Waterproofing Renewal
   • Concrete shell patched with high-strength repair mortars.
   • Laticrete multi-layer waterproofing system applied — engineered for permanent water immersion, manufacturer-warranted.
   • Detailing at pool edges, penetrations and movement joints to handle long-term thermal movement.
3. Reinstatement of Finishes
   • New screeds, pool tiling and expansion joint systems installed.
   • Drainage systems integrated to manage surface water around the podium.
   • Surrounding podium areas refinished for consistency.

If your building is showing similar signs — carpark staining, efflorescence below the podium, recurring leaks — our guide to 7 signs of water ingress in strata buildings covers what to investigate before commissioning a builder.

Outcome

• Carpark stays dry. Pool no longer leaks into the levels below.
• Structure strengthened. Concrete repairs protected the reinforcement and extended the life of the pool shell.
• Manufacturer-warranted system. Laticrete multi-layer membrane backed by manufacturer warranty for the OC's records.
• Residents kept access. Staged program meant the carpark stayed open throughout the four-month build.

Project Significance

Shelley Street is the project we point to when an OC has been told their pool needs another "patch." Patches don't work on a pool past its service life. The proper fix — strip back to substrate, repair the structure, install a manufacturer-warranted membrane system, reinstate finishes — is the only thing that lasts. If you're an OC with a podium pool leaking into the carpark or apartments below, this is for you. If your problem is a residential plunge pool with a hairline crack, that's a different scope and our service pages cover smaller waterproofing repairs separately.

‍