Façade and window water testing, Melbourne.
A controlled water test shows where a façade leaks, not just where the water turns up inside. We test one detail at a time from the bottom up, mark and photograph every entry point, and give you a written summary before any repair is priced.
Prove the leak before anyone quotes a repair.
A visual inspection shows where sealant has failed. A water test shows which failure is letting water in, and they aren't always the same joint. Water runs along frames, down cavities and behind cladding, so the entry point can sit a long way from the stain.
We use rope access because the leaking detail is nearly always on the façade. Testing, findings and any remedial work stay with the same crew, so nothing is lost in a handover. For the wider picture, see our water ingress investigation service.
How the test runs: bottom up, one zone at a time.
Testing starts at the lowest zone and works up. Water from a higher test runs down over areas already tested and muddies the result. Each zone is isolated, tested for a set time and recorded before we move on.
- Hose testing. A controlled hose is run over each detail in turn, modelled on the AAMA 501.2 field water-check approach. One head, sill or glazing joint at a time, rather than a blanket soak.
- Spray-bar testing where specified. If the specification or the building's consultant calls for a spray bar, we set one across the test area and run that instead.
- Entry points marked and photographed. Each point where water is seen to enter is marked, photographed with its elevation, level and grid reference, and logged.
- Observer inside. A person inside the affected unit watches the wall, ceiling and window reveal, and calls out to the rope crew when water appears. Each call is logged against its zone.
How a testing day runs.
Two certified rope-access technicians run the test on the rope, with an observer inside the affected unit. The morning is rigging, a safety brief and a walk-through of the test plan with the building representative. Testing then runs zone by zone, with marks and photographs taken as each entry point appears. At the end of the day the results are reviewed with the building representative, and the test area is cleared before we rig down.
What we need from you.
A water test is only as good as its setup. We need three things before testing starts:
- Tap water within 60 metres of the test area. We connect to a tap or hose point within 60 metres of the work. Please confirm its location when you book.
- Internal access. A person to observe inside each affected unit during its zone, with access to the wall, ceiling and window reveal.
- A test plan. The elevations, details and units to cover. Send any drawings or earlier reports, because they often point at the likely entry points.
The written summary comes before the quote.
Testing ends with a written summary, not a price. It lists the zones tested, the result for each, every entry point with its photographs and location, and the details that did not leak. That record is the finding.
The remedial quote is a separate document, built from the confirmed entry points, so the test stays independent of the repair. Entry points usually lead to one of three repairs: failed sealant joints, covered by our caulking and sealant replacement work; glazing gaskets and glass, see our glazing service; or wider façade repairs under our façade repairs service. Once the findings are in, you're free to take them to another contractor for a second quote.
Façade Water Testing FAQs
Why test from the bottom up?
Water from a higher test runs down over areas already tested. Starting at the bottom keeps each zone's result separate, so the entry point you find is the one that let the water in.
Will the test damage the sealant or the glass?
We test with a controlled hose, not a pressure jet, and we check each detail before we wet it. If something looks compromised, such as cracked glass or failed sealant, we stop on that detail and flag it.
Why not use a drone or moisture readings from inside?
A drone shows the joints but not what is behind them. Moisture readings show where water has ended up, not where it came in. A controlled test shows the entry point.
Does the test fix the leak?
No. It finds and records the entry point. Remedial work is quoted separately, from the confirmed findings.
Can you test a whole building in one go?
Usually not. We plan by elevation and zone, starting with the area reporting the worst water, so the results stay readable.
Leaking, and not sure where from?
Tell us the building, the elevation and where the water shows inside. We'll respond within one business day.
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