Waterproofing

Waterproofing Services in Dubai

Membranes and coatings for roofs, balconies, wet areas, basements and water tanks — specified to the surface and the exposure rather than to whatever is on the van. Primo has been operating in Dubai since 2012.

Residential and commercial
Five membrane systems
Site visit before quotation

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Systems

Waterproofing Systems We Apply

There is no single best system — each suits different surfaces, exposures and loadings. The right one is chosen on site.

Liquid Applied Membranes

Applied in liquid form and spray-applied to the surface, curing into a seamless, joint-free membrane. Useful on complex shapes and detailing where sheet materials are hard to dress in.

Polyurea Membranes

A high-performance option with strong chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, tensile strength and tear resistance — suited to surfaces that will take mechanical wear as well as water.

Cementitious Waterproofing

A cement-based coating offering good scratch resistance and load-bearing capacity, and able to withstand long-term weathering. Commonly used in wet areas and on structural elements.

Bituminous Membrane

Sheet membrane torched or bonded to the substrate, forming a flexible, vapour-proof protective layer. Flexibility varies with the grade of polymer or fibre reinforcement used.

Bituminous Coating

A liquid-applied bitumen-based coating used to form a flexible, vapour-proof protective layer, with properties depending on formulation and grade of polymerisation.

Choosing Between Them

Substrate, exposure, foot or vehicle traffic, what will be laid on top, and how the detailing works at upstands and penetrations all decide the system. This is assessed on the site visit.

Decision

Where Is the Water Actually Coming From?

Waterproofing the wrong surface is expensive and does not stop the leak. This is how we narrow it down before quoting.

What you are seeingWhat it usually points to

Ceiling stains on the top floor, worse after rain or washingThe roof or terrace above. Roof and terrace waterproofing, including upstands and drainage outlets.

Damp on a wall shared with a bathroomFailed wet-area waterproofing behind the tiling. The membrane sits under the tiles, so this means lifting finishes.

Damp appearing at the base of walls, or in a basementBelow-ground water. A different system from anything used above ground, and usually detailed differently.

Staining below a balcony or on the soffit beneath itBalcony waterproofing and its junctions with the threshold and drainage.

Water loss or contamination in a tankTank waterproofing, with a system appropriate to the tank’s contents and access.

Bubbling paint with no obvious sourceInvestigate before treating. Painting over it will fail. See Painting only after the water is dealt with.

Application

Where Waterproofing Is Needed

Roofs and Terraces

The largest exposed area on most buildings, and the one taking the most thermal movement. Upstands, outlets and junctions matter as much as the open field.

Bathrooms and Wet Areas

The membrane sits beneath the screed and tiling. Because it is buried, it has to be right before the finishes go on — retrofitting means lifting them again.

Balconies and Planters

Constant wetting and drying, plus junctions with thresholds and drainage. Planters add permanently retained moisture against the structure.

Basements and Below Ground

Water under pressure rather than water running off. A different system, and detailing that has to be continuous to work at all.

Water Tanks

Systems appropriate to the tank and its contents, applied around access and curing constraints.

Before Finishes Go On

Waterproofing is almost always covered by screed, tiling or paving. Reinstating what sits on top belongs in the same quotation, not as a later surprise.

Process

How a Waterproofing Job Runs

Site visit and diagnosis
We establish where the water is entering before deciding what to apply. Treating the visible symptom rather than the source is the most common failure in this trade.
System selection
The membrane is chosen for the substrate, the exposure, the loading and what will sit on top — not chosen first and made to fit.
Scope and quotation
You receive a written quotation itemised by area and by system, including removal and reinstatement of anything covering the surface.
Removal and preparation
Existing finishes are lifted where needed, the substrate cleaned, cracks repaired, and falls checked so water actually reaches the outlets.
Application and detailing
Coats or sheets are applied with the curing intervals the system requires. Upstands, outlets and penetrations are detailed — this is where most failures start.
Testing
Where the area allows it, a flood or ponding test is carried out before anything is laid on top, so a defect is found now rather than through a ceiling later.
Reinstatement and handover
Screed, tiling or paving is reinstated, the area cleaned, and we walk it with you before closing the job.

Quotation

What Affects Your Quotation

We do not publish waterproofing prices, because these are the things that actually move the number.

What has to come off first

Lifting tiling, screed or paving to reach the substrate is frequently a larger part of the job than the membrane itself.

System specified

The five systems sit at different price points and suit different conditions. The cheapest that suits the exposure is the one we would specify.

Area and detailing

Open area is the easy part. Upstands, outlets, corners, thresholds and pipe penetrations take the time and cause the failures.

Condition of the substrate

Cracking, poor falls, spalling concrete or a previous failed coating all need addressing before a new membrane goes down.

Reinstatement

Whatever was removed has to go back. Matching existing tiling or paving affects both cost and lead time.

Access and occupancy

Roof access, working around occupied areas, and how long a wet area can be out of use all shape the programme.

Primo does not quote waterproofing without seeing the area. Diagnosing a leak from photographs is guesswork, and guessing here is what produces a second failure.

Enquiry

What to Send With Your Enquiry

The more of this you can send up front, the more useful the first conversation is.

Photographs of the damage and, if you can, of the area above it
Where the water is appearing, and roughly the area affected
Whether it is an apartment, villa or commercial property

When it started, and whether it tracks with rain or with use
Whether the area has been waterproofed or repaired before
What currently covers the surface — tiling, screed, paving

Why Primo

Why Choose Primo for Waterproofing

Waterproofing is judged years later, by whether it leaked. The value is in diagnosis and detailing, not in the coating itself.

Diagnosis before specification

We establish where the water is entering before choosing a system. A membrane applied to the wrong surface is a cost with no benefit.

Operating in Dubai since 2012

Primo has worked across apartments, villas and commercial properties in Dubai since 2012, on renovation, fit-out and maintenance contracts.

Written, itemised quotations
Site visit before pricing
Detailing at upstands and outlets
Reinstatement included in scope

FAQ

Waterproofing Questions

What does waterproofing include, and why does it matter?

It is the barrier layer that stops water reaching structure and finishes. Scope covers diagnosis, preparing the substrate, applying the membrane, detailing at upstands, outlets and penetrations, and reinstating whatever covered the surface. The detailing is where most failures begin, not the open area.

Which areas usually need waterproofing?

Roofs and terraces, bathrooms and wet areas, balconies and planters, basements and below-ground structure, and water tanks. Anywhere water sits, runs across, or presses against a surface.

Which waterproofing systems do you use?

Liquid applied membranes, polyurea membranes, cementitious waterproofing, bituminous membrane and bituminous coating. Each suits different substrates, exposures and loadings, and the choice is made on site rather than in advance.

Do I still need waterproofing if the area is being tiled?

Yes. Tiles and grout are not a waterproof layer — the membrane sits beneath them. This is why it has to be decided before tiling starts; retrofitting it means lifting the finishes again.

Do you have to remove the existing tiling or screed?

Often, yes, where the membrane has to bond to the substrate beneath. Removal and reinstatement are quoted as part of the scope rather than added later, so the figure you see is the whole job.

How do I get a waterproofing quotation?

Send photographs of the affected area, and of the area above it if you can, on WhatsApp — or call us. We arrange a site visit to establish the source, and the quotation comes back in writing, itemised by area and by system.

Next Step

Dealing With a Leak or Planning Waterproofing?

Send photographs of the affected area and we will arrange a site visit. The quotation comes back in writing, itemised by area and by system.