Balcony Repair After Cyclone Alfred

Pooling water exposed rot and poor screed work

THE PROBLEM

After Cyclone Alfred hit the Gold Coast in 2025, Annabelle noticed water pooling on her balcony. While the water dried up eventually, the damage it left behind didn’t — and that standing water posed not just a slip hazard, but a serious long-term risk to the structure.

When water pools on a balcony — especially over porous cement grout — it slowly seeps underneath, compromising the waterproofing and causing leaks, dampness, and eventually rot. And unfortunately, there’s no shortcut fix for this. The only real solution is to rip up the tiles and rebuild the screed from scratch — a job most tilers won’t touch.

WHAT WE FOUND

Once we began demolition, the real story came out:

Incorrect slope — water had nowhere to go, with no drainage point and no fall to the edge
Poor subfloor construction — large areas had been built up using glue, not cement bedding
Timber rot — the entire outer perimeter of the balcony frame had been affected by trapped moisture
Subfloor variation — we had to build up to 80mm on one end just to achieve the minimum compliant fall

This was a big job — and one that had clearly been avoided or covered up by the original builder or renovator.

OUR SOLUTION

Our team got stuck in. Over the course of the repair, we:

Fully demolished the existing tiles and bedding
Rebuilt the screed using proper cement-based compound to achieve correct falls
Removed and replaced rotten timber framing around the perimeter
Retiled the surface with a suitable non-slip outdoor tile
Applied epoxy grout and sealants for long-term waterproofing

One major challenge was the balustrade posts. These are often drilled through tiles, breaking the membrane and letting water in. To prevent that, we custom-cut tiles around each post and sealed them with FlexiShield™ epoxy, ensuring no water could penetrate the system.

THE OUTCOME

What started as a case of water pooling became a full structural restoration. But now, Annabelle has a fully rebuilt, properly drained, waterproofed, and safe balcony — all backed by our 10-year workmanship guarantee.

If your balcony has standing water or cracked grout, don’t wait until it starts leaking into your ceiling or rotting your subfloor.

Allspex Tiling specialises in balcony repairs that others won’t touch — from complex screeding to structural rebuilds and epoxy sealing.

📞 Call us on 0401 481 775
📧 Or email: info@allspextiling.com.au