+---
+title: Self-Adhering Sheet Waterproofing
+category: Building Envelope
+toc_depth: 3
+description: >
+ When to use: peel-and-stick (factory pressure-sensitive adhesive) sheet
+ waterproofing membranes — polymer-modified bituminous and non-bituminous
+ composite — on below-grade and foundation walls within their rated
+ hydrostatic head, horizontal deck soffits, plaza decks, split-slab and
+ topping-slab construction, wet-area tile/mortar beds, and roof eave/valley
+ ice-and-water shield, in new construction or rehabilitation on concrete,
+ masonry, metal, and wood substrates, including pre-applied (blind-side)
+ assemblies, protection course, and drainage composite integration.
+ Not intended for: fluid-applied coatings (use sync/fluid-applied-waterproofing);
+ bituminous dampproofing with no hydrostatic resistance
+ (use sync/dampproofing); the broad family of below-grade systems such as
+ bentonite, crystalline, and hot-applied (use sync/below-grade-waterproofing);
+ through-wall flashing and cavity-wall moisture control
+ (use sync/through-wall-flashing); ice-and-water shield installed as part of a
+ shingle roof system (use sync/asphalt-shingle-roofing); and built-up or
+ torch-applied modified-bituminous roofing membranes.
+---
+
+# Scope {toc}
+
+## This standard covers self-adhering (peel-and-stick) sheet waterproofing membranes that bond to the substrate through a factory-applied pressure-sensitive adhesive without hot-applied adhesives or open-flame torching. {note}
+
+## Self-adhering sheet membranes are supplied in rolls with a release liner; the adhesive face is exposed at installation and pressed to a primed or compatible substrate, forming a continuous fully-bonded waterproofing plane. The fully-bonded condition is the defining advantage over loose-laid systems: because the membrane is adhered, water that breaches a defect cannot migrate laterally between membrane and substrate to a remote leak, which keeps below-grade leaks local and findable. {note}
+
+## The following applications are within scope. {note}
+
+### Below-grade and foundation walls within the membrane's rated hydrostatic head, both post-applied to cured concrete and masonry and pre-applied (blind-side) against formwork or soil-retention systems. {note}
+
+### Horizontal applications including deck slab soffits, plaza decks, split-slab construction, and membranes installed beneath topping slabs, mortar beds, and tile in wet areas. {note}
+
+### Roof eave, valley, and penetration ice-and-water shield where the self-adhering sheet is the specified deck or below-grade waterproofing product rather than a component of a finished shingle roof system. {note}
+
+## The following systems are deliberately out of scope because a different membrane chemistry, hydrostatic rating, or installation discipline governs them; each is covered by a dedicated SynC standard. {note}
+
+- Fluid-applied (spray, roll, or brush) waterproofing coatings — [[sync/fluid-applied-waterproofing]].
+- Bituminous dampproofing (a single coat with no hydrostatic resistance, used only to retard capillary moisture) — [[sync/dampproofing]].
+- The broad family of below-grade waterproofing systems, including bentonite panels, crystalline admixtures, and hot-applied rubberized asphalt — [[sync/below-grade-waterproofing]]; this standard is the self-adhering-sheet member of that family.
+- Through-wall flashing and cavity-wall moisture control — [[sync/through-wall-flashing]].
+- Ice-and-water shield installed as an underlayment within a finished asphalt shingle roof — [[sync/asphalt-shingle-roofing]]; the same ASTM D1970 product used as deck or below-grade waterproofing falls under this standard.
+- Built-up and torch-applied modified-bituminous roofing membranes (a different product category, not self-adhering sheet waterproofing).
+
+# Referenced Standards {toc}
+
+## Materials, products, and installation shall comply with the latest adopted edition of each of the following unless a specific edition is cited.
+
+## Where referenced standards conflict, the more stringent requirement shall govern unless the Engineer of Record directs otherwise in writing.
+
+## ASTM D6135, the historical application practice for self-adhering bituminous sheet, was withdrawn in 2014 and has not been replaced; as a result, this standard treats the manufacturer's published installation instructions as the governing procedural document. {note}
+
+| Standard | Title |
+|----------|-------|
+| ASTM D1970/D1970M | Self-Adhering Polymer Modified Bituminous Sheet Materials Used as Steep Roofing Underlayment for Ice Dam Protection |
+| ASTM D7832/D7832M | Performance Attributes of Waterproofing Membranes Applied to Below-Grade Walls / Vertical Surfaces Enclosing Interior Spaces |
+| ASTM D5385 | Hydrostatic Pressure Resistance of Waterproofing Membranes |
+| ASTM D412 | Vulcanized Rubber and Thermoplastic Elastomers — Tension |
+| ASTM E96/E96M | Water Vapor Transmission of Materials |
+| ASTM D4541 | Pull-Off Strength of Coatings Using Portable Adhesion Testers |
+| ASTM D903 | Peel or Stripping Strength of Adhesive Bonds |
+| International Building Code | Soils and Foundations (Chapter 18) |
+
+# Submittals {toc}
+
+## The Contractor shall submit the following action submittals for review before delivery of any material to the site:
+
+- Product data for each membrane, primer, mastic, tape, protection course, and drainage composite, including the manufacturer's physical-property and hydrostatic-head data.
+- A statement of the membrane orientation rating (vertical, horizontal, or both) and the application sequencing (pre-applied or post-applied) for each product proposed.
+- Samples of the membrane, release liner, protection course, and any drainage composite.
+- Shop drawings showing membrane extents, lap layout, termination heights at grade, and details at penetrations, corners, footings, transitions, and changes in plane.
+- Manufacturer's printed installation instructions for each product, marked to identify the governing substrate temperature range, primer, and lap requirements.
+- A written statement from the membrane manufacturer confirming compatibility of the membrane with the specified primer, protection course, drainage composite, insulation, and any adjacent fluid-applied or sheet system.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Action Submittals
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - Product data (membrane, primer, mastic, tape, protection, drainage)
+ - Orientation and sequencing statement
+ - Material samples
+ - Shop drawings (extents, laps, terminations, details)
+ - Manufacturer installation instructions
+ - Compatibility statement
+default:
+ - Product data (membrane, primer, mastic, tape, protection, drainage)
+ - Orientation and sequencing statement
+ - Shop drawings (extents, laps, terminations, details)
+ - Manufacturer installation instructions
+ - Compatibility statement
+```
+
+## The Contractor shall submit the following informational submittals:
+
+- Applicator qualification records demonstrating the experience required under Quality Assurance.
+- Field adhesion and field quality-control test reports as required under Testing.
+- Manufacturer's field report for each site inspection performed by the manufacturer's technical representative.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Informational Submittals
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - Applicator qualifications
+ - Field adhesion / quality-control reports
+ - Manufacturer field reports
+default:
+ - Applicator qualifications
+ - Field adhesion / quality-control reports
+```
+
+## The Contractor shall submit the following closeout submittals before final acceptance:
+
+- Executed manufacturer warranty and applicator workmanship warranty.
+- Record documentation of as-installed membrane type, thickness, and extents, including any deviations from the shop drawings.
+- Maintenance data describing inspection intervals and repair procedures for the installed system.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Closeout Submittals
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - Manufacturer and applicator warranties
+ - Record documentation of as-installed system
+ - Maintenance data
+default:
+ - Manufacturer and applicator warranties
+ - Record documentation of as-installed system
+ - Maintenance data
+```
+
+# Quality Assurance {toc}
+
+## The membrane manufacturer shall be a single firm regularly engaged in the production of self-adhering sheet waterproofing, and all primary components — membrane, primer, mastic, tape, and protection course — shall be supplied or approved in writing by that manufacturer as a compatible system.
+
+## The applicator shall have completed at least three projects of comparable scope and substrate within the previous five years using the specified product family.
+
+## The applicator shall be approved in writing by the membrane manufacturer where the warranty requires an approved applicator.
+
+## Single-source responsibility prevents the common field failure in which a membrane from one manufacturer is paired with an off-brand primer or mastic; many adhesion and compatibility failures originate at that mismatched interface rather than in the membrane itself. {note}
+
+## A pre-installation conference shall be held at the site before the start of work, attended by the Contractor, the applicator, the membrane manufacturer's technical representative, and the trades responsible for adjacent and overlapping work.
+
+### The conference shall confirm substrate readiness criteria, the required substrate cure and moisture condition, the membrane temperature window, and the lap and termination details.
+
+### The conference shall confirm the sequencing of protection course and backfill, and the schedule for any required manufacturer field inspections.
+
+## A mock-up shall be installed where the Contract Documents require one, of sufficient area to demonstrate substrate preparation, priming, lapping, and termination, and shall be reviewed and approved before full-scale work proceeds.
+
+# Environmental and Service Conditions {toc}
+
+## Self-adhering membranes are temperature-sensitive at installation: the pressure-sensitive adhesive must be warm enough to wet out and grab the substrate, and standard bituminous products lose tack below roughly 40°F (4°C). Specifying a winter or shoulder-season project on a standard product without a cold-weather formulation or substrate heating is a predictable installation failure. {note}
+
+## The membrane shall be installed only when the substrate surface temperature is at or above the manufacturer's minimum, and at or above the value selected below.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Minimum substrate temperature at installation
+type: radio
+unit: °F
+options:
+ - "40 (standard SBS / composite products)"
+ - "25 (cold-weather formulation)"
+ - "0 (specialty low-temperature formulation)"
+default: "40 (standard SBS / composite products)"
+```
+
+## The substrate surface temperature shall not exceed 120°F (49°C) at the time of membrane application, because excessive heat softens the adhesive and can cause flow, slippage at laps, and bleed-out on vertical work.
+
+## The service temperature range, frost depth, and water-table conditions establish whether the assembly must be a waterproofing grade rather than a dampproofing grade. {note}
+
+### Under IBC Chapter 18, waterproofing — not dampproofing — is required wherever a hydrostatic condition exists, which the code characterizes as a high water table or other conditions creating hydrostatic pressure against the structure. {note}
+
+### Where the ground-water table can rise within 6 in. (150 mm) of the bottom of the lowest floor, or the floor is below grade in soil that is not well drained, a waterproofing membrane to this standard shall be provided.
+
+## The design hydrostatic head against the membrane shall be established by the Engineer of Record, and the selected membrane shall have a hydrostatic-pressure resistance per ASTM D5385 not less than that head.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Design hydrostatic head (membrane rating, minimum)
+type: range
+unit: ft
+min: 0
+max: 50
+step: 5
+default: 10
+```
+
+# Membrane Selection {toc}
+
+## Membrane chemistry, orientation rating, application sequencing, and thickness are the four selections that determine the assembly; the notes and datasheets below take them in that order. {note}
+
+## Membrane chemistry sets flexibility, temperature range, and compatibility with adjacent materials. {note}
+
+### SBS polymer-modified bituminous sheet is the general-purpose choice: high elongation (typically 200–400% per ASTM D412), good self-healing around fasteners, and broad availability, but it is incompatible with expanded polystyrene and with some solvent-borne primers and must be primed on concrete and masonry. {note}
+
+### HDPE or polypropylene composite sheet carries higher tensile strength with lower elongation and is the basis of most pre-applied (blind-side) products, where its film face bonds mechanically and chemically to concrete cast against it. {note}
+
+### EPDM-based and other elastomeric sheets are used where extreme low-temperature flexibility or specific chemical exposure governs. {note}
+
+```datasheet
+label: Membrane chemistry
+type: radio
+options:
+ - SBS polymer-modified bituminous sheet
+ - HDPE / polypropylene composite sheet
+ - EPDM / elastomeric sheet
+default: SBS polymer-modified bituminous sheet
+```
+
+## Some products are rated for one orientation only; a vertical-rated product used on a ponding horizontal deck, or a wall product specified where deck-grade lap integrity is needed, is a frequent specification error. {note}
+
+## The membrane shall be rated by the manufacturer for the orientation in which it is installed.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Application orientation
+type: radio
+options:
+ - Vertical (below-grade and foundation walls)
+ - Horizontal (deck soffits, plaza and split-slab decks)
+ - Both orientations rated
+default: Vertical (below-grade and foundation walls)
+```
+
+## Pre-applied (blind-side) membrane is installed against the formwork or soil-retention face before concrete is placed, so the concrete is cast directly against it and the cured concrete bonds to the membrane; post-applied membrane is installed onto cured concrete after the forms are stripped. The choice is driven by access: where excavation or lagging will leave no room to install and inspect a membrane from outside after the wall is poured, a pre-applied system is the only correct answer, and substituting a post-applied product there is a defining pitfall of this section. {note}
+
+## Where access to the outside face of a below-grade wall will not exist after the wall is constructed, a pre-applied (blind-side) membrane shall be specified.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Application sequencing
+type: radio
+options:
+ - Post-applied (membrane onto cured concrete)
+ - Pre-applied / blind-side (concrete cast against membrane)
+default: Post-applied (membrane onto cured concrete)
+```
+
+## Total membrane thickness is selected from hydrostatic head, traffic or topping load on horizontal work, and substrate roughness. The 80% case for a below-grade vertical wall is 60 mil; 40 mil is the floor for protected vertical work, and 80 mil is reserved for heavy-traffic deck and split-slab service. {note}
+
+```datasheet
+label: Total membrane thickness
+type: radio
+unit: mil
+options:
+ - "40 (protected below-grade walls)"
+ - "60 (below-grade and standard horizontal deck)"
+ - "80 (heavy-traffic or split-slab)"
+default: "60 (below-grade and standard horizontal deck)"
+```
+
+## Physical-property minimums shall be met by the supplied membrane and verified against the manufacturer's published data. {note}
+
+```datasheet
+label: Membrane physical-property minimums
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - "Elongation at break per ASTM D412, ≥ 200% (SBS bituminous)"
+ - "Hydrostatic resistance per ASTM D5385 ≥ design head"
+ - "Peel adhesion to concrete per ASTM D903 ≥ 1.0 lb/in."
+ - "Low-temperature flexibility verified for installation window"
+default:
+ - "Elongation at break per ASTM D412, ≥ 200% (SBS bituminous)"
+ - "Hydrostatic resistance per ASTM D5385 ≥ design head"
+ - "Peel adhesion to concrete per ASTM D903 ≥ 1.0 lb/in."
+```
+
+# Substrate Preparation and Priming {toc}
+
+## The substrate is the foundation of a fully-bonded membrane: a self-adhering sheet bridges voids it cannot fill, so surface irregularity, dust, laitance, and moisture all defeat the bond before the membrane is even down. {note}
+
+## Concrete substrates shall be cured before a post-applied membrane is installed.
+
+### Concrete shall have cured a minimum of 7 days; a 28-day cure is preferred where the schedule allows, because green concrete continues to release moisture that can interfere with adhesion.
+
+### The substrate shall be surface-dry with no standing water, frost, or visible moisture film at the time of priming and membrane application.
+
+## Surfaces shall be clean, sound, and free of dust, dirt, laitance, oil, form-release agents, curing compounds incompatible with the membrane, and loose or projecting material.
+
+## Voids, honeycomb, tie holes, and surface irregularities greater than the manufacturer's tolerance shall be filled and made flush before membrane application.
+
+## Rough or open-textured masonry, including coarse CMU, shall receive a parge coat or a primer-fill before the membrane, so the membrane adheres to a continuous surface rather than bridging the mortar joints and block texture. Without this step the membrane spans the irregularities and water tracks behind it at the surface profile. {note}
+
+## A primer compatible with the membrane shall be applied to concrete and masonry substrates wherever the manufacturer requires one, which for self-adhering bituminous products on those substrates is nearly always.
+
+### Most adhesion failures and field RFIs on self-adhering work trace to an omitted or wrong primer; the membrane line item must always carry its matching primer rather than treating priming as optional. {note}
+
+### The primer shall be allowed to dry to the manufacturer's tack condition before the membrane is applied — typically 30 to 60 minutes at 70°F (21°C) — and the membrane shall be installed within the primer's stated open time, generally not more than 1 to 4 hours, before dust or contamination compromises the bond.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Primer requirement
+type: radio
+options:
+ - Manufacturer's standard primer on all concrete and masonry
+ - Primer at terminations, laps, and transitions only (per manufacturer)
+ - No primer (pre-applied or self-priming product only)
+default: Manufacturer's standard primer on all concrete and masonry
+```
+
+# Membrane Installation {toc}
+
+## The membrane shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's printed installation instructions, which are the governing procedural document in the absence of a current ASTM application practice.
+
+## Detailing precedes field sheets: inside and outside corners, penetrations, footing-to-wall transitions, and changes in plane shall receive reinforcing membrane strips, prefabricated corners, or detail mastic before the field membrane is applied.
+
+## The membrane shall be applied with firm pressure over its full area.
+
+## The membrane shall be rolled with a roller of the manufacturer's specified weight to wet out the adhesive and eliminate voids, fishmouths, and air pockets.
+
+## On vertical work the membrane shall be installed from the low point upward so that each upper course laps over the course below in shingle fashion, shedding water over rather than into the lap.
+
+## Lap dimensions shall meet the following minimums, and all laps shall be rolled. {note}
+
+### Side laps shall be a minimum of 3 in. (75 mm).
+
+### End laps shall be a minimum of 6 in. (150 mm).
+
+### T-joints, where an end lap meets a side lap, shall be dressed with the manufacturer's detail mastic, because three layers of release-edge geometry are the most leak-prone point in any self-adhering field. {note}
+
+```datasheet
+label: Minimum lap dimensions
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - "Side laps ≥ 3 in. (75 mm), rolled"
+ - "End laps ≥ 6 in. (150 mm), rolled"
+ - "T-joints sealed with detail mastic"
+default:
+ - "Side laps ≥ 3 in. (75 mm), rolled"
+ - "End laps ≥ 6 in. (150 mm), rolled"
+ - "T-joints sealed with detail mastic"
+```
+
+## The membrane shall terminate above final grade at a reglet or with a termination bar and shall be sealed with the manufacturer's termination sealant.
+
+### The final finish-grade elevation shall be confirmed before the membrane is terminated; a termination set below finish grade is buried, loses its mechanical and sealant closure, and admits water at the top of the system. {note}
+
+### The membrane termination height is established on the drawings relative to confirmed finish grade. [[drawing: wall section, membrane termination height]]
+
+## Pre-applied (blind-side) membrane shall be installed with the bonding face oriented to receive the concrete, with laps and details completed and protected, before reinforcing steel and concrete placement, and shall be protected from traffic and damage during the steel and form work that follows.
+
+# Protection Course and Drainage {toc}
+
+## A bonded membrane is durable in service but vulnerable between installation and burial: backfill aggregate, form stripping, foot and equipment traffic, and topping-slab placement all puncture an unprotected sheet, and omission of a protection course is a leading cause of post-construction below-grade leaks. {note}
+
+## A protection course shall be installed over the completed and inspected membrane before backfill, topping-slab placement, or exposure to construction traffic.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Protection course
+type: radio
+options:
+ - Protection board, ≥ 1/4 in. (6 mm)
+ - Drainage composite with protection fabric (combined function)
+ - Rigid insulation board doubling as protection (XPS or EPS)
+default: Protection board, ≥ 1/4 in. (6 mm)
+```
+
+## Where a protection course of expanded or extruded polystyrene is placed against a bituminous membrane, an intervening protection layer shall be provided, because bituminous adhesives and solvent-borne primers attack polystyrene and the two shall not be left in direct contact.
+
+## A prefabricated drainage composite shall be provided on below-grade walls subject to a perched or rising water table, to relieve hydrostatic pressure at the membrane face rather than relying on protection board alone. Without a drainage plane, backfill can hold water against the wall and build a head that exceeds the membrane's rating.
+
+### Where a drainage composite is provided, it shall have a molded core that maintains a continuous flow path to the foundation drain.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Drainage composite core (where provided)
+type: select
+options:
+ - "20 (HDPE molded-dimple core)"
+ - "40 (HDPE molded-dimple core, heavy duty)"
+ - "Geocomposite (geonet core with filter fabric)"
+default: "20 (HDPE molded-dimple core)"
+```
+
+### The drainage composite shall discharge to a foundation drain, the location and invert of which are shown on the drawings. [[drawing: foundation drain location and invert]]
+
+# Testing {toc}
+
+## Field verification confirms two things the submittals cannot: that the membrane actually bonded to this substrate under site conditions, and that the completed assembly holds water before it is buried. {note}
+
+## Field adhesion shall be verified by pull-off testing in accordance with ASTM D4541 at the frequency directed by the Engineer of Record, and the measured pull-off strength shall be not less than the value selected below.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Minimum field pull-off adhesion (ASTM D4541)
+type: range
+unit: psi
+min: 15
+max: 50
+step: 5
+default: 25
+```
+
+## On horizontal applications that will be covered by a topping slab, mortar bed, or overburden, a flood test shall be performed before the covering work proceeds.
+
+### The completed horizontal membrane shall be flooded to a depth of 2 in. (50 mm) minimum at the high point, or to the depth directed by the Engineer of Record, and held for 24 hours.
+
+### Any leak disclosed by the flood test shall be repaired and the affected area re-tested before the membrane is covered.
+
+## The Contractor shall correct all defects disclosed by testing or inspection — fishmouths, voids, blisters, lifted laps, and punctures — by the manufacturer's repair method, and shall re-test as directed before the work is concealed.
+
+# Delivery, Storage, and Handling {toc}
+
+## Materials shall be delivered in the manufacturer's original unopened packaging bearing the product name, lot number, and handling instructions.
+
+## Membrane rolls shall be stored upright on end, off the ground, and under cover, protected from moisture, direct sunlight, and freezing where the product is temperature-sensitive.
+
+## Materials shall be stored within the temperature range stated by the manufacturer, and cold-weather and standard formulations shall be kept conditioned to their installation temperature before use so that adhesive tack is correct when the rolls reach the wall or deck.
+
+## Primers, mastics, and solvent-borne products shall be stored away from ignition sources and used within their stated shelf life.
+
+# Warranty {toc}
+
+## The system warranty protects the Owner against the two failure modes that matter below grade — loss of watertightness and loss of adhesion — over a term commensurate with the inaccessibility of the work. {note}
+
+## The manufacturer shall provide a written material warranty against defects in the membrane, primer, and accessories for the term selected below.
+
+## The applicator shall provide a written workmanship warranty covering installation defects, including lap and termination failures, for a minimum of two years from Substantial Completion.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Manufacturer material warranty term
+type: radio
+unit: years
+options:
+ - "5"
+ - "10"
+ - "15 (deck and plaza systems)"
+default: "10"
+```
+
+# Spare Materials {toc}
+
+## The Contractor shall deliver to the Owner spare membrane, primer, and detail mastic of the installed types for future repair, in the quantity selected below.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Spare membrane delivered to Owner
+type: range
+unit: roll
+min: 0
+max: 4
+step: 1
+default: 1
+```
+
+## Spare materials shall be from the same manufacturer and product line as the installed work and shall be delivered in original unopened packaging with current shelf life.