Challenge:

A local Buddhist Temple in South Auckland needed to waterproof their reflection pond. This was no easy task, as the pond had certain considerations that most other ponds wouldn’t have…

While it is a given that all ponds must be watertight, it was especially imperative for this installation as this pond was also a roof, with a living space underneath it. There were certain criteria the pond’s membrane type and its installation needed to meet:

• The application of the materials needed to be of the highest possible standard seeing the pond/roof would be under water 24/7.
• The work was also carried out in the winter months, so the waterproofing job had to be done in wet weather conditions where membrane adhesion and welding could be compromised if not adequately managed.
• The applicators had to seal a multitude of penetrations (including a complicated stainless steel water level system) without sacrificing its overall waterproofing integrity.
• The membrane type and its installation had to account for the interesting pool design — one with water cascading evenly along the entire length of the pond’s edge and recirculating back into the pond.
• The membrane itself had to be robust as it would be exposed to other trades working concurrently with Aquaproofing’s applicators.
• The substrate couldn’t be vented, meaning any moisture trapped in the concrete would eventually break down the adhesive used to bind the membrane to the substrate.

Solution:

Because of our reputation for demonstrating a high attention to detail, Aquaproofing was selected by the main contractor to line the pond/roof with Viking’s Enviroclad TPO membrane.

It was imperative to the success of this project to work closely with the architect, building contractor and membrane suppliers. To ensure absolute watertight integrity we:

• Ensured the substrate was installed to specification with an extra smooth finish
• Guaranteed they complied with the membrane supplier’s exact specification
• Installed the fit-for-purpose drainage outlets and accessories
• Arranged shallow flood-testing of the finished job to ensure water tightness before filling the pond to its finished level.

Result:

With the Viking Enviroclad membrane system installed to a high standard, the South Auckland Buddhist temple sacrificed nothing in its reflection pond design. They received exactly what they desired from Aquaproofing: a watertight, aesthetically pleasing reflection pond with water that cascades over the engineered parapets before recirculating back into it, with no risk of water ingress into the living space below.