The membrane has a breach. Electricity finds the exact hole.

ELD locates breaches in waterproofing membranes electrically rather than by flooding or guesswork. The conductive structural deck below the membrane is one electrode and a charged conductor above is the other; an intact membrane insulates the two, but at any breach, water completes the circuit. Low-voltage (vector mapping) is used on wetted horizontal membranes — an operator traces the current straight to the hole; high-voltage (spark) testing is used on exposed dry membranes — it arcs at a pinhole. Either way the breach is pinpointed to centimetres, following ASTM-recognised methods.

Low-voltage vector mapping suits horizontal membranes that can hold a thin water film — flat roofs, plaza and parkade decks, green roofs under overburden — and locates breaches by tracing where current flows through the membrane to the deck. High-voltage spark testing suits exposed, dry membranes (including vertical and detail areas) and finds pinholes and discontinuities as the probe arcs through them. We select the method to the membrane, assembly, and conditions; many surveys use both across one project.

Yes — that's one of ELD's biggest advantages. Because it detects an electrical path through the membrane rather than visible water, low-voltage vector mapping works on covered assemblies: plaza decks under pavers, green roofs under growing medium, and protected membranes — provided a conductive path (moisture) can reach the breach. It's how a leak under tonnes of overburden gets pinpointed without stripping the whole assembly to find it.

When the question is specifically membrane integrity. ELD is the most precise way to confirm a new waterproofing installation is breach-free (QA before overburden goes on), to settle a warranty dispute, or to pinpoint where an existing membrane has failed. For broad moisture surveys we pair it with thermal imaging (which maps wet insulation) and, on large or steep roofs, aerial thermal; ELD then pinpoints the exact breach the moisture map flagged.

Yes — electronic leak detection of membranes follows established ASTM practices (low-voltage and high-voltage methods are both standardised), and the approach is widely specified by building-envelope consultants and recognised by IIBEC-aligned practice. That standardisation is why ELD results hold up in QA acceptance, warranty claims, and consultant reports — which we document accordingly.

Correct — it's non-destructive. The test applies a low or high voltage across the membrane to find where the electrical path exists; it doesn't cut, flood, or load the assembly. The only thing it changes is your certainty about where the breach is. That makes it ideal for QA on brand-new membranes and for investigating in-service assemblies you don't want to open on a guess.