Capping fixed through the top face
Every screw through the highest surface is a hole where water lands.
In short: Parapet capping fixed from above on an Austral handover, recorded twice on the one job.
What capping does
It closes the top of a parapet wall and sheds water off it. It is the most exposed surface on that part of the building.
What we recorded
Capping fixed through the top face on an Austral home at handover, on more than one run.
Why it matters
A fixing through the top is a penetration at the point where water collects. Sealant around it becomes the only defence, and sealant is a maintenance item with a life measured in years.
How it should be done
Fixed from the side, or concealed, so that water runs over the capping rather than into a fastener.
Where it leads
Water into the parapet, then into the wall below it, showing up internally long after handover.
Written by the Owner Inspections team from inspections carried out in Austral. Licensed building practitioners, NSW Fair Trading licence 366177C.
