Repeated repair spend
Another emergency call-out, another invoice — and the same leak returns with the next rain.
Recurring commercial roof leak?
Your Roof Leak Was ‘Fixed’. So Why Is It Leaking Again?
Before you pay for another repair, let us check the part most people overlook: the box gutter running through your roof.
If the leak keeps returning after previous waterproofing, the visible drip may only be the symptom. A Free Roof Check helps identify where the water is actually getting in before you spend again.
Free within 15 km of the LabWorks office in Ottery, Cape Town. Outside this area, the team will confirm availability and terms.
600 commercial box gutters completed • 7 years’ experience • Cape Town specialists
See the RubberGutter System™ in action.
Typical installationThree days on site
Built around operationsReduced disruption below
The recurring cost
Every Time It Rains, the Same Problem Becomes Yours Again.
Another call from the tenant. More water near stock or equipment. Another emergency repair. Another invoice. And still no certainty that anyone has found the real cause.
The expensive part isn’t the leak. It’s paying repeatedly to solve the wrong problem.
Stock and equipment at risk
Each new leak puts inventory, machinery, electrics and tenant goods back in the firing line.
Tenant pressure
Every recurrence is another frustrated call and more strain on landlord, tenant and agent relationships.
Business disruption
Clean-ups and emergency repairs interrupt the people and operations working below.
Building deterioration
Ongoing moisture keeps working at ceilings, walls and finishes between repairs.
The hidden cause
The Leak You See May Not Be Where the Problem Starts.
A box gutter is built into the roofline, often above ceilings, stock and occupied workspaces. When its waterproofing, joints, metal or outlets fail, water can travel through the structure before appearing somewhere else inside.
Box gutters are a standard rainwater path on many commercial and industrial roofs — which is why a failure inside one can become a much bigger building problem.
That is why repairing the visible drip can miss the real failure point.
You don’t need another patch on the leak. You need to find where the water is actually getting in.
Why Does the Leak Keep Coming Back?
Because the visible leak is not always the failure point. A repair can cover one symptom while corrosion, outlets, seams, joints or terminations elsewhere in the box gutter remain untreated.
If failed waterproofing allows moisture to remain against the original metal, deterioration can continue underneath a repair that looks sound from above.
Another patch may hide the symptom. It does not prove the gutter has been solved.
Before you repair the roof again, find out whether the box gutter is the real problem.
From recurring leak risk to a rebuilt gutter.
The expensive alternative
When the Alternative Is Roof Replacement, the Job Gets Bigger Fast.
Replacing a commercial box gutter can mean opening up the roof above it, planning access, coordinating around tenants and operations, and dealing with older fibre-cement or asbestos-containing roof sheets where present.
The RubberGutter System™ is designed to work inside the existing gutter so that, where site conditions allow, you can avoid turning a waterproofing problem into a full roof replacement project.
Fix the gutter problem without automatically replacing the building above it.
Roof sheets are lifted and refixed on most jobs. The exact method is confirmed after inspection.
The specialist mechanism
Instead of Replacing the Gutter, We Rebuild Its Waterproofing From the Inside.
The LabWorks RubberGutter System™ is not another patch or coating. We expose the original gutter, treat the underlying metal, install a new EPDM waterproofing system through the full channel and document the completed work.
- 1
Expose
Remove failed waterproofing and expose the metal gutter.
- 2
Rust arrest
Clean, dry and treat affected corrosion first.
- 3
Reline
Install the RubberGutter System™ EPDM layer through the full gutter, including seams, outlets and flashing.
- 4
Verify
Photograph and certify the completed work. Optional flood testing where the client provides water access, at their cost.
Built for the African sun
The EPDM membrane is UV-stable and does not require a separate protective topcoat or protective top layer.
Handles standing water
The membrane is fully water-resistant and tolerates standing or ponding water. Outlets still need to remain clear and the gutter still requires maintenance.
Cold-applied, no torch-on flame
The membrane is adhered rather than torch-applied and is flexible enough to accommodate movement at joints and details.
A major leak problem does not have to become a major building project.
Typical RubberGutter System™ installation: three days on site.
The objective is to solve the gutter problem while minimising disruption to the people and business operating underneath it.
Commercial gains
Protect the Building Without Creating a Bigger Problem.
- Avoid unnecessary full roof or gutter replacement where the existing gutter is suitable.
- Minimise disruption to the workforce, tenants and business below
- Protect stock, equipment and tenant goods from recurring water ingress
- Protect property condition, tenant confidence and rental appeal
- Stop repeatedly spending on the same unresolved leak
Proof you can inspect
600 commercial box gutters completed over seven years.
You do not have to take the mechanism on faith. See the transformation, inspect completed commercial work and review real project evidence.
Real work on commercial properties, including Iconic Park / Hilton Benneworth and Tygervalley Shopping Centre.
Featured commercial project
Tygervalley Shopping Centre
That work includes a leaking box gutter above one of Tygervalley Centre’s anchor tenants, with the membrane terminated against the parapet wall.
What Clients Say After LabWorks Solves the Leak Properly
“The only solution that finally worked”
We tried everything to stop our continuously leaking flat roof. The EPDM membrane applied is the only solution that has finally worked.
“Extremely impressed with the system”
I am extremely impressed with the system and the application. It is just what I had wanted.
“A lasting solution for their customers”
They are always available for follow up and are truly interested in ensuring a lasting solution for their customers.
“It worked where other products had failed”
We are very happy with the product and the professional service. Far less mess combined with better efficiency means we will use them again.
“No problems since the EPDM was installed”
After years of failed torch-on repairs, I chose the EPDM product based on published reviews. They were extremely efficient — and I have had no problems since then.
“No issues even during torrential rain”
The team were professional and on time, got the job done efficiently and with really good, quality results. We have had no issues following the repair, even during the most torrential rain.
Peace of mind
10-Year Peace-of-Mind Promise
The point is simple: if we recommend the RubberGutter System™, you should know exactly what is being installed, what is covered and what is expected to keep the system performing.
Your proposal will set out the applicable promise, scope and maintenance requirements before work starts.
Before you book
Questions Most Property Owners Ask Before They Book.
You do not need to know whether the box gutter is the cause before you contact us. That is the point of the Roof Check.
The next step is diagnosis, not another repair.
Before You Pay to Fix the Roof Again, Find Out What Is Actually Leaking.
If the box gutter is the problem, we’ll show you. If it isn’t, you’ll know before committing to the wrong repair.
Book a Free Roof Check on WhatsApp. Free within 15 km of the LabWorks office in Ottery, Cape Town. Outside this area, the team will confirm availability and terms.
Commercial roof-leak guides
Research before you decide.
4 min read
Is Your Roof Leak Actually a Box Gutter Problem?
Recurring leaks in commercial buildings are often blamed on the roof, when the real cause is a rusted or deteriorated box gutter hidden in the roofline. Learn the signs.
4 min read
Why Patch Repairs and Torch-On Fixes Keep Failing
If you have paid to fix the same leak more than once, the repair method may be the problem. Here is why temporary repairs can fail when they do not address the complete gutter system.
5 min read
How the LabWorks RubberGutter System Works
The RubberGutter System™ replaces the failed waterproofing layer inside a suitable existing box gutter. Here is what the process involves.