The trade we're named after
Torch-on waterproofing Sydney
The toughest waterproofing system there is, applied with an open flame by two blokes with forty years on the torch. This is the job we built the company around.
What torch-on waterproofing is
Torch-on waterproofing (also called torch-applied membrane or torch-on membrane) is a modified bitumen sheet, melted onto the substrate with a propane torch. The flame turns the underside of the sheet molten, so the membrane fuses to the surface and every overlap welds into the next sheet. When it cools you have one continuous, seamless skin, 3 to 4 millimetres thick, bonded to the building.
It is the only waterproofing technique applied with fire, and it is the reason the company is called Top Torch. We install two-layer systems as standard: a base sheet and a cap sheet, torched on in opposite directions so no seam ever lines up with another.
Why torch-on beats the alternatives
- Thickness you can measure. A two-layer torch-on system is up to ten times thicker than a rolled liquid membrane. There is no thin patch, because the thickness comes off the roll, not off a roller.
- Welded seams, not lapped ones. Seams are where waterproofing fails. Torch-on seams are melted into each other. Done properly, the seam is stronger than the sheet.
- Waterproof the moment it cools. No cure time, no weather windows, no praying it doesn't rain overnight.
- Walkable and tough. Mineral-finished cap sheets take foot traffic, trades, ladders and hail. This is the membrane you'll find on car parks and plant decks for a reason.
- A 20+ year working life. Installed to manufacturer spec, torch-on outlasts nearly everything else in the category, and the warranty is in writing.
Where we use it
Flat and low-pitch roofs, balconies and terraces, podium decks, planter boxes, basements and retaining walls, box gutters, car park decks and plant rooms. If the surface is concrete, screed, ply or metal deck, torch-on is usually the right answer. Where it isn't, we'll tell you straight and spec the right system instead.
Done by the owners, start to finish
Torch-on is half engineering, half craft. The torch has to keep moving, the bitumen bleed at each seam has to run even, and every drain, corner and upstand has to be hand-detailed. That's why every Top Torch job is done by Zach or Chris, the owners, with no subcontractors and no juniors learning on your roof. We're fully licensed, insured and hot-works certified.
- Two-layer modified bitumen systems, installed to manufacturer spec
- SOPREMA, Sika, Ardex, Enduroflex, Fatra and Bayset membranes
- Hand-detailed drains, corners and upstands
- Hot-works certified, fully licensed and insured
- Warranties of 20+ years, in writing
No fluff. No buzzwords.
Straight answers
What is torch-on waterproofing?
Torch-on waterproofing is a modified bitumen membrane melted onto a roof, balcony or deck with a propane torch. The heat fuses the sheet to the substrate and welds every overlap, leaving one continuous waterproof skin around 3 to 4 millimetres thick. We install it as a two-layer system: base sheet plus cap sheet.
How long does a torch-on membrane last?
Installed to manufacturer specification, a quality two-layer torch-on system lasts 20+ years. Our installations carry manufacturer-backed warranties of 20+ years, and we put the warranty in writing before we start.
Is torch-on better than liquid waterproofing?
For exposed roofs, trafficable decks and anywhere durability matters, yes. Torch-on is thicker, its seams are heat-welded rather than lapped, it's waterproof the moment it cools, and it takes foot traffic. Liquid membranes have their place, mostly internal wet areas and complex details, and where they're the right call we'll say so.
Is torch-on waterproofing safe?
In trained hands, yes. We are hot-works certified, carry the right insurance, and follow strict fire-watch procedures on every job, including a torch-free zone near flammable materials and a monitored cool-down before we leave site. Forty years of combined torch time, zero fires, zero failures.
How much does torch-on waterproofing cost in Sydney?
It depends on the area, the substrate, access and the detail work, which is why we quote from an inspection rather than over the phone. What we promise: a fixed itemised quote, premium membranes installed to warranty spec, and no variations invented halfway through. Call 0427 207 670 and we'll take a look.
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Can't afford for it to leak twice?
Call the blokes whose names are on the patch. Straight answers, a fixed quote and a warranty that means something.
