Water Ingress Due to Incorrect External Door Installation
Water Ingress Due to Incorrect External Door Installation is a high-severity moisture defect SURE inspectors have documented across 1 inspection report.
Causes
- Failure to create a minimum 40mm set down from internal to external finished floor levels at the door sill, non-compliant with AS4654.2 2012.
- The sub sill, including flashing, is not performing its intended purpose due to the insufficient set down.
- A breach in the waterproof membrane at the connection to the adjacent timber frame panel.
- Design/installation oversight regarding the door sill set down.
- Incorrect installation of the external door.
Symptoms to look for
- High moisture readings in the bulkhead, 1st floor suspended slab, and internal lower section of the timber frame panel.
- Water tracking under the door sill and causing moisture damage to the bulkhead section at the stairwell (ground floor).
- Lower section of the timber frame panel on the 1st floor landing is wet to the touch, indicating live leakage.
- Moisture damage to areas of the ground floor gyprock bulkhead in the living area.
- Moisture damage to a section of the timber frame panel on the 1st floor landing.
Remedies
- Install a suitable flashing system and waterproof membrane to the section of the adjacent timber frame panel, including a suitable DPC (Damp Proof Course).
- Install a hob to the door frame to create a minimum 40 mm set down to the external floor finish, in compliance with AS4654.2.
- Reinstate the external waterproof membrane to this area, ensuring no breaches over material joints.
- Engage a building designer/architect to update or amend the original building plans.
Get an inspector through this property.
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Curated entries in Moisture
- Curated 2–4/5Excessive Moisture Readings
A non-destructive moisture meter has detected elevated readings in wall or ceiling linings at the time of inspection. Elevated readings alone do not confirm the source - they indicate that water is present in a material and that further investigation is warranted to rule out active leaks, drainage failure, or concealed termite activity.
- Curated 1–4/5Deteriorated Splashback Sealant
Failed or missing sealant at the benchtop-to-splashback junction allows water to track behind the cladding and into the wall cavity, leading to substrate damage and potential mould growth. This junction is one of the most commonly missed maintenance items in kitchens across Perth's mid-century and newer housing stock.
- Curated 2–4/5Excess Moisture in Walls Adjacent to Wet Areas
Elevated moisture readings on wall linings next to bathrooms and showers indicate water is escaping the wet area - either through a failed waterproofing membrane or a leaking pipe inside the wall cavity. Left unaddressed, trapped moisture breaks down plasterboard, promotes mould, and can rot the framing behind the lining.
- Curated 1–3/5Tile Grout Deterioration in Shower
Grout failure in shower recesses is one of the most common moisture-pathway defects our inspectors record, present in 9.4% of all reports. Deteriorated or missing grout - including at screen junctions and wall-floor junctions - allows water to migrate behind tiles, saturating the substrate and ultimately causing waterproofing membrane failure, tile de-bonding, and concealed wall framing damage. AS 3740 requires shower wet areas to be fully waterproofed; grout condition is a primary indicator of whether that waterproofing system remains effective.
- Curated 3–5/5Bath Hob and Surround Missing Waterproof Membrane
I inspected the bath hob, step-down, and vertical wall returns and could not confirm a continuous waterproof membrane behind the tiling. Reference: AS 3740. In my experience overspray and splash then tracks into the sub-tile substrate over time. I see this most on renovations completed before the post-2004 tightening, and still on recent unlicensed work.
- Curated 2–4/5Shower Floor Fall Insufficient to Drain to Waste
I ran water in the shower recess and it ponded on the floor rather than draining cleanly to the waste - I measured a fall flatter than the 1:80 reference I work from (AS 3740). In my experience standing water then loads the grout lines, saturates the membrane at the low point, and tracks under the hob into the adjacent room. I often see this where the screed has been laid flat to suit a large-format tile layout.