The job
Frank Cole Waterproofing was re-waterproofing the top floor balconies and terrace on an apartment building in Caloundra. Before their new membrane could go down, the old tiles had to come off and the old waterproofing had to be ground back to clean concrete. That part was ours.
The building is occupied, with residents and guests coming and going, so the work was kept to the balconies and done in short days over the first week of June 2026.
What the balcony tile removal involved
- Tiles and bedding jackhammered off the balconies and the top floor terrace
- The old waterproofing membrane ground back to clean concrete with a floor grinder and dust vacuum
- Edges, corners and around floor wastes ground by hand
- Old joints along the base of the walls broken out and chased clean
- Small areas patched and the slabs left clean for the waterproofer
What made it hard
Everything had to go up and come down through an occupied building. The grinder, vacuum, generator, jackhammer and buckets of tile waste all had to move through the common areas.
The balconies are narrow and curved, with balustrades, air conditioning units and walls on every side. A lot of the edge work had to be done by hand.
Residents were home. Noisy work was kept to working hours and the dust was captured at the grinder, not left to blow off the balcony.
How it was done
On the first day the crew jackhammered the tiles off and bagged the waste. Over the next days the old membrane was ground off with a floor grinder and a dust vacuum, then the edges and wastes were finished with hand grinders.
Along the walls, the old joints were broken out and chased clean so Frank Cole could detail them properly with the new membrane.
Outcome
The balconies and terrace were handed back to Frank Cole ground back to clean concrete, with the joints open and ready for their new waterproofing system.
Lessons learned on this job
Every job teaches the crew something. These are the ones we took from Caloundra.
What worked
- Taking the tiles off in one day, so the grinding days ran without stopping
- A floor grinder with a dust vacuum for the open areas and hand grinders for the edges
- Opening the old joints so the waterproofer could detail them properly
What was difficult
- Carrying all the gear and waste through an occupied building
- Narrow, curved balconies with balustrades and air conditioning units in the way
- Keeping noise and dust down with residents at home
If you have something similar
Balcony and terrace re-waterproofing on the Sunshine Coast almost always starts with getting the old tiles and membrane off properly. Have a look at our concrete grinding Sunshine Coast and joint cutting and sealing Sunshine Coast pages, see similar jobs at Sunshine Beach and Coolangatta, or get in touch.
Need this done at your site?
Perfect Concrete Care acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Traditional Custodians of the country on which we live and work. We pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians and Elders past, present and future, and honour their connection to the land and ongoing contribution to society.