Forspec

The ACTFLEX range is built around the main parts of a waterproofing build-up: preparation, membrane and detailing. It includes ACTFLEX 989 CWP, ACTFLEX 906 WPU, ACTFLEX 929 HV and ACTFLEX 101 UV, the ACTFLEX 600 Primer and ACTFLEX 700 PU Primer for substrate preparation, ACTFLEX FLEXTAPE for detailing, and ACTFLEX 400 Clear for tiled surfaces. Each product page sets out the intended use for that product, so check it against your substrate and exposure before ordering.

Membrane choice comes down to exposure. Internal wet areas such as bathrooms and laundries are enclosed and tiled over, while decks, roofs and planter boxes sit in sunlight, movement and standing water and need a product rated for external use. Check the stated intended use on each ACTFLEX product page and confirm it covers your substrate and finish. Coverage, cure times and coat counts differ between the ACTFLEX products and are listed on each product's technical data sheet.

Primers prepare the substrate so the membrane bonds properly and does not fail at the interface. They bind residual dust, even out absorbency in porous surfaces such as concrete, screed and render, and give the membrane a consistent surface to key into. The range includes ACTFLEX 600 Primer and ACTFLEX 700 PU Primer, and the right one depends on the substrate and the membrane being used, so follow what the membrane's own product documentation specifies. Skipping or substituting the primer is one of the most common causes of adhesion failure in wet area waterproofing.

ACTFLEX FLEXTAPE is a detailing tape for the places waterproofing most often fails: internal corners, wall to floor junctions, control joints and around penetrations such as wastes and pipes. Those areas move, and a tape bedded into the membrane bridges that movement rather than relying on the membrane film alone. It is installed as part of the membrane application, in the sequence given in the product documentation, not added afterwards.

Forspec describes ACTFLEX 400 Clear as a leak stopping solution for tiled surfaces, so it is applied over the existing tiles and grout rather than beneath a new tile bed. Whether it suits your job depends on why the area is leaking: water tracking through grout lines or a failed joint is a different problem to a membrane that has already failed underneath the tiles. Diagnose the cause of the leak first, then check the product's stated suitability for that situation before you buy. If the substrate below the tiles has been compromised, a surface applied product may not be the right fix.

In Australia, waterproofing of domestic wet areas is governed by AS 3740, external above ground membranes by AS 4654, and wet area membrane materials are assessed under AS 4858. Wet area waterproofing membranes are also subject to WaterMark certification under the National Construction Code. Those requirements cover the product, the substrate preparation and the installation, so compliance is never the product on its own. Check the certification details supplied with the specific ACTFLEX product to confirm it covers your class of use, and keep that documentation for handover on certifiable work.

The Waterproofing Shop carries the Forspec ACTFLEX range online for delivery around Australia. Because the membranes, the primers and ACTFLEX FLEXTAPE are listed together, you can order a full build-up in one place instead of sourcing the primer from one supplier and the detailing tape from another. If you are unsure which membrane suits your substrate and exposure, or whether ACTFLEX 400 Clear fits the leak you are chasing, get that sorted before you order rather than after the first coat is down.