Rust stains, cracks or drummy concrete on a balcony, slab edge or retaining wall? Describe the damage and the suburb.
Get a Quote →Concrete cancer happens when the steel reinforcing bars inside a concrete slab, balcony or column start to rust. As the steel corrodes it expands — sometimes to more than double its original size — and that expansion cracks and pushes apart the concrete around it. Left alone, chunks of concrete spall (flake or break away) and the structural strength of the element is compromised.
It's especially common on the Central Coast because salt-laden sea air from Terrigal, Avoca and The Entrance carries chloride ions that soak into concrete and accelerate corrosion. Buildings within a few kilometres of the coast — particularly those built in the 1960s to 1980s before modern cover and waterproofing standards — are the most at risk. Balconies, carports, retaining walls and exposed facades cop the worst of it.
The good news is that concrete cancer is very treatable if caught early. A proper repair removes the rusted steel and damaged concrete, treats the remaining steel against future corrosion, rebuilds with structural repair mortar, and finishes with a protective coating system.
Thorough onsite assessment of cracking, rust staining and spalling, including a written report for insurance, strata records or your own planning.
Removal of deteriorated concrete, cleaning and treating exposed reinforcement, and rebuilding with certified structural repair mortars matched to the original profile.
Membrane and coating systems applied after repair to keep moisture and salt out of the concrete, slowing future corrosion and protecting your investment.
Larger-scale remediation for strata buildings — balcony slab repairs, staged works to minimise disruption, and reporting for owners corporations.
In the July 2020 storm erosion at Wamberal Beach, Central Coast Council reported 43 residences impacted and about 54 residents evacuated, and it engaged coastal engineers for emergency remediation works. Council's FAQ on that event said the building waste exposed on the beach came from private property, and that it had removed asbestos from Wamberal and Terrigal since the community first reported it there in 2018. If a cracking slab, pile or retaining wall sits on a frontage like that, have an engineer look at the ground first, and on an older structure ask for an asbestos check before any concrete is broken out, cut or ground.
Salt exposure can also change the specification. The Terrigal Rock Pool works that Central Coast Council outlined in 2017 specified new bored concrete piers and new concrete walls with stainless steel reinforcement. For a beachfront balcony or wall, ask what steel treatment, repair mortar and coating a contractor proposes for the exposure, rather than assuming a like-for-like repair is the right one.
Then there is strata. The Australian Bureau of Statistics counted 11,486 occupied flats or apartments in the Central Coast council area at the 2021 Census, 8.7% of occupied private dwellings against 21.7% across NSW. Where damaged concrete on a unit block is common property, the owners corporation is generally responsible for the repair, so ask for a written scope the strata committee can put to owners.
Enquiries are welcome from across the Central Coast, including Wamberal, Terrigal, Erina, Avoca Beach, Kincumber, Gosford, Kariong, Somersby, Woy Woy, Ettalong, Umina, Wyong, Berkeley Vale, The Entrance, Norah Head, Toukley, Budgewoi and Blue Haven. Put the suburb and the type of structure in your enquiry, whether it is a balcony, carport, slab, retaining wall or common property on a unit block.
Tell us what you need and where the property is.