The Perils of Drip Trays: A Waterproofing Consultant's Perspective

Karl Wootton, Principal Consultant with the Australian Waterproofing Consultants provides commentary on the use of drip trays to manage water leaks.

As a Principal Consultant with Australian Waterproofing Consultants, I've encountered numerous water leaks in buildings, causing substantial damage to structures, property, and belongings. My role is to identify the root cause of the issue and provide clients with lasting solutions. 

Alarmingly, I've observed an increasing trend of using "drip trays" as a makeshift solution beneath areas of internal water leaks. While I understand their appeal as a temporary measure to collect water and seemingly alleviate the problem, they should never be considered a permanent fix. 

Drip trays can mask a multitude of underlying issues that will continue to deteriorate and ultimately cause more extensive damage. Water ingress can cause deterioration of the structure, and while the drip tray may stop water leaking being a nuisance at that location, other potential hidden water paths may be causing unseen damage. In the long run, drip trays may mask the real problem by treating a visible symptom only. My advice is to use drip trays with caution. They serve as a temporary Band-Aid until a permanent long term solution can be implemented. If you're dealing with water leaks, our team of experts is here to help. We offer thorough inspections, detailed reports with recommendations, and effective solutions to protect and restore your asset. 

Coating systems will naturally degrade over time with exposure to external elements. Typically this occurs in the form of localised loss of gloss at areas where the coating is most exposed to the elements. In high-traffic zones you might see a degradation of the topcoat, eventually exposing the underlying membrane. With pedestrian traffic, this tends to be gradual and is noticeable due to the visible degradation of the topcoat in patches (patches will appear at high traffic zones such as entries, exits or dedicated walking lanes). Loss of non-slip aggregates also occurs here. For continued safe passage for users, non-slip resurfacing should be undertaken as soon as the issue becomes apparent.

With car park situations, the loss of topcoat and aggregate will also be most noticeable at high traffic areas (entries and exits, driving lanes, and turning zones). It’s important to keep in mind that this is not a failure of the coating system to perform, but rather, an expected result of long-term exposure and wear.

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