Colin's Elastik Solution: 20 Years of Proven Commercial Waterproofing Success

“One of the biggest downfalls of having commercial properties is dealing with leaks” says Colin, owner and manager of commercial properties throughout Auckland. It’s a sentiment shared by many involved with property maintenance, with the increasing number of wild weather events keeping this a hot topic of conversation. Luckily, Colin believes he has the answer. Elastik, a liquid waterproof product, is his not-so-secret formula and he’s been using it successfully for the past two decades.

Colin’s story starts before then, on the beautiful island of Nauru. As a flooring contractor, building a local school, Colin was introduced to using fibreglass matting with an acrylic paint to create waterproofing. He was impressed by how effectively it worked, and on his return to New Zealand he looked for similar products to replicate his experience. This brought about his first meeting with Leon, now the owner of Leon took it one step further and introduced Colin to Elastik, a waterproofing membrane that can be painted on, just as Colin had done with the paint. Describing the outcome with enthusiasm, Colin says “The result with Elastik is a very strong and flexible rubber membrane. It’s bulletproof.”

Colin instantly recognised the value of Elastik and began using it for a variety of purposes. As his portfolio of commercial properties grew, it became his go-to solution for a range of waterproofing issues. Colin found that because Elastik can be used on a number of surfaces, including galvanised metal (new or rusted), aluminium, tile, and bituminous membranes, it is ideal for repairing roofing and gutters. He also uses it on plastic, concrete and wood, to repair decking, retaining walls and almost any surface where water tightness is compromised. With Elastik coming in a range of sizes, from 310ml to 20L, Colin can always buy the right amount for the size of his job.

With his properties now between 20 and 50 years of age, Colin finds there are always more leaks to fix. Often, he finds these leaks occur due to rusting between the iron and the ridge of the roof. Instead of replacing the roof, Colin says it’s quick and simple to fix with Elastik. Simply apply a layer of Elastik, lay down the matting, paint another layer of Elastik, finish off with a coat Enviroflect and Colin says it becomes an invisible repair. “Most of all, I like the fact that once it’s done, I walk away and don’t have to worry about it again.”

Colin believes one of the biggest advantages for Elastik, is that the application doesn’t require any roofing skills (although make sure you have the right gear to be up on the roof). “It’s straightforward, it works, and it lasts” he says.

Such was his joy at finding Elastik, Colin started using it creatively. When wanting to install solar panels on his flat roof 13 years ago, his roof’s butynol waterproofing had expired and he was not granted council consent to go ahead. He decided to create a solution using Elastik and matting to protect his entire roof including the penetrations where the clips for the solar panels needed to be attached. His Elastik plan was approved by council and today he is delighted to say the roof “hasn’t leaked one drop in 13 years”.

Work like this can help a roof last 10-15 years longer, explains Colin. He says while it’s a huge cost saving, it’s not just about the money, it’s also about the timing. “I’ll have a plan for when the roof needs replacing, but the leaks don’t always conform to this. Some of the rain heads I’ve repaired, most wouldn’t bother with. But it saves me getting a roofer out to do the job. I do the patching to maintain the roof and then I get to choose when I want to go ahead with the cost of replacing it. Elastik gives me more time to live with an older roof.”

While Colin’s experience in the flooring trade had provided him with plenty of experience in waterproofing, he says you don’t need any specific skills to use Elastik. “It’s not a difficult product to get to know. Because it’s water based it is easy to apply and kind to the planet. If you have a few DIY skills you’ll be fine.” Colin recommends getting in touch with the team at Tried.Tested.Proven for advice and help. “They are exceptionally knowledgeable and are always friendly and helpful.”

If you’d like more information on Elastik or have specific questions about using it on a project, please get in touch. Elastik can be ordered directly from the Tried.Tested.Proven website and we’ll deliver it to your door - or you can come and pick it up from ours.