• All of these materials are subject to cracks and breaks.
• Even the smallest spider crack can allow water to enter the building.
• Even if you have a coat of paint on top of your base material, you are still subject to issues and water inside your building.

– When a building has a new leak, we work through our process:

• investigate the source of the intrusion
• complete a water test on questionable areas to determine the source of the water

– Once we have determined that the building needs to be coated or re-coated, there are a few steps of prep work:

• for a crack in the building surface less than 1/16” we can repair that crack with an
  elastomeric patching compound
• for a crack larger than 1/16” we grind out the crack to show clean edges, then caulk with
  a silicone or urethane sealant
• repair all expansion joints and areas around protrusions (pipes, signage, etc)

– The sealant is determined by:

• the primary application
• as well as the coating that will be going on top

– After all caulk has cured:

• pressure wash the building to remove all dirt and laitance to ensure a clean surface for proper adhesion of the coating
• generally apply a primer coat and then a topcoat of our selected waterproofing coating

Using waterproofing coating on a building is a great way to shore up spider cracks, porous brick, uncoated EIFS and more. It will provide a solid coating on your building envelope and help you avoid lots of ongoing, smaller issues.

• Make sure your contractor completes full and proper preparation for the coating. Otherwise it will likely fail.
• Make sure your contractor chooses the best coating for your needs. Waterproofing is not the same as painting.

Project materials include:

• Sherwin Williams Loxon XP High Build Waterproof Coating
• Dow Corning Dowsil Allguard Silicone Coating.

Loxon XP is a polyurethane specialty masonry coating product that provides great coverage and is usually slightly less expensive. When applied properly, Loxon offers a 7-year product warranty.

Dow Allguard is a silicone product with superior waterproofing capabilities. Keep in mind, all silicone products are soft, so they tend to attract dirt more easily. You will want to include a line item for regular pressure washing of this coating. This pressure washing should be completed by someone like Remediation Specialists, who are experts in working with the product. The highest allowed pressure for this coating is 1500 psi. Anything higher will damage the coating and void the warranty. When applied properly, Allguard offers a 10-year product warranty.