You know something? You and I have something in common and I never figured it out until now. After such a wonderful Thanksgiving as this, it's pretty difficult to get excited, isn't it? I mean, what would you rather think about-turkey sandwiches and delicious pumpkin pie while watching football, or cementitious-based brush-applied coating systems? That's right, cementitious-based brush-applied coating systems! You see? I knew that you were the type of person that only a masonry salesman could love! So let's get back to basics on what to buy when you need to waterproof something.
Here are a couple of rules to go by: 1) Don't shop only according to price! You are not always going to save money when you purchase the cheapest product on the market. Don't be price-conscious as much as you need to be quality concious. 2) Don't underestimate the job the product needs to do, and don't let the salesperson sell you too much of a good thing. Locate the problem, identify the options open to you (photograph and diagram if possible), and write them down. 3) Only go to a reputable and knowledgeable source for your product. You shouldn't come to us to ask about wood decking, but you shouldn't go to a lumber yard to ask about sealing masonry. Go to where there is expertise. 4) Get someone to go out to your home or job site if possible, and get a second opinion because there is always the chance that the first person may have missed something.
Okay, now to some products; let's start with some waterproof coatings. The goal of waterproofing a wall is to prevent any water from going through the pores of the wall. To do this, it will require that the product can bond to the surface. Remember, "If it don't stick, it don't work!" Some products require a bounding agent, some only recommend it. When should you get it? If the wall has any dirt, excess paint or anything on it that could hinder a bond, then you get the bonding additive. Also, if you are in a real tough waterproofing situation, then you should still get it.
Now there are many types of hard coating products. You have asphalt and tar emulsion products--these are good for temporary situations, or for protective coatings. They are supposed to last quite a while, but I have seen them fail after a matter of three or four years, especially when the soil contains any acid water, i.e., from a nearby farm. Now modified asphalt products are good. We sell one that is called HLM 5000, and I think that it is the cat's meow. (You know what? That is really a weird phrase! The cat's meow. How about the dog's bark. No, no, no, wait... how about the snake's hiss. I got it... the fish's gurgle. Man, I need a vacation.)
Another type is the cementitious coating. Now these may look like plaster, or like a really thick paint. Thoroseal is the best on the market today. Beware! Someone may say that their product is just like it, but easier to apply because it is not as thick. This is called a damp-proofer or block-filler, and they are to be put under paint. Again, read the label and question thoroughly the salesperson who is selling the product. For below-grade applications never-never-never put on a damp-proofer, and I mean never-never-never! They won't last and you will have to excavate all of the dirt, and replace the damp-proofer with another product. For below-grade applications, do it right and buy the right and best product.
Here's what we offer: For walls that have light to medium amounts of water pressure, we sell Thoroseal and an acrylic bonding additive. For walls with medium to heavy pressure, we sell HLM 5000, a modified asphalt type of product. For heavy to extreme water pressure, we combine the two. A coat of Thoroseal with a couple of coats of HLM 5000.
If we've got water up to our elbows because it is going underneath the footing or around the coating, then we use the big gun called Tegraproof, which is over $100 for a 5 gallon pail, but it's a whole lot less than carpets and furniture!
Just remember, common sense will tell you a lot about what to buy, and if you still get confused, then call, write or e-mail me, and let me answer your questions. Next week, water repellents. Until then, see ya'!
Originally published in the Daily Courier December 2, 1999