Builders, contractors, homeowners and home repair enthusiasts know they have a range of options available when it comes to waterproofing.

And while waterproofing in advance is always the best, by changing the landscape and providing physical paths for the water to take before it ever reaches your foundation, sometimes that option is not available.

When you need a specialty repair or an emergency fix to stop water from entering your space, sometimes what you need is a liquid waterproofing product.

When liquid waterproofing products work best

While a solid barrier between you and the water is almost always the best bet, sometimes it just isn’t an option. For these occasions, thankfully there are lots of good options for liquid waterproofing.

Use liquid waterproofing products to patch a crack

The first, most obvious use of liquid waterproofing products is to patch a crack in a below-grade wall in your home or business. The ease of application is the most appealing reason to use a liquid waterproofer here. You can trowel in the liquid or, in many cases, apply with a caulking gun to completely fill the crack.

Using a liquid waterproofer allows you to create a full seal and reach deep into the crack, providing a more secure barrier against water.

Use liquid waterproofing to seal a driveway

Your driveway needs to be waterproofed too. In this case it doesn’t mean keeping water off the driveway, but it does mean keeping water from getting inside your asphalt or concrete.

Once inside your drive, water can expand when it freezes and speed the deterioration of your huge investment. Using a liquid sealant allows the waterproofing to permeate the entire crack, protecting from the top and from the bottom, as far as the sealant reaches. This creates a more effective patch.

Use liquid waterproofing as a final coat

Some contracts, and some contractors, like to take a thorough approach to completing a waterproofing job. That means adding a final layer of waterproofing for security, even when there are already sufficient layers of waterproofing in place.

In this case, a thin coat of sealant applied to the outside of the below-grade wall helps protect the barriers behind it.

Use liquid waterproofing to spray where you can’t reach

In rare occasions, a breach is too complicated to reach, or too expensive. In this case, a spray-adhesive sealant can work more efficiently. With the right tools and application techniques, it can work as effectively as other barriers, while saving time and effort exposing the problem area to larger tools.

If you are looking for drain and dry board for your next building and waterproofing project, you want to be sure you have the best quality products.

After all, you don’t get too many chances to waterproof your building.

Making sure that you have the best products and workmanship can help give you the peace of mind and confidence needed to complete your project with quality.

Using high quality drain and dry board will help.

What is drain board or dry board?

Any board used to support and facilitate the drainage of water in, on, or around your construction is considered to be a drain board. However, more specifically, drain board is a specialized product made for the purpose of directing unwelcome water away from the space you are protecting.

Typically the board is made of completely waterproof components, and lines the inside of below-grade foundational walls.

The best drain board products are manufactured to stand up to constant moisture if necessary, handling as much or as little moisture or water as needed. A good example is Mar-flex FiberDrain Board. This is a semi-rigid board made from inorganic glass fibers; its unique design promotes effective water drainage while still retaining the board’s R-Value.

One example of a pallet of insulated drain board. Screen capture

What should I look for in drain board?

If you are looking for drain and dry board for your next building and waterproofing project, you want to be sure you have the best quality products.

After all, you don’t get too many chances to waterproof your building.

Making sure that you have the best products and workmanship can help give you the peace of mind and confidence needed to complete your project with quality.

Using high quality drain and dry board will help.

What is drain board or dry board?

Any board used to support and facilitate the drainage of water in, on, or around your construction is considered to be a drain board. However, more specifically, drain board is a specialized product made for the purpose of directing unwelcome water away from the space you are protecting.

Typically the board is made of completely waterproof components, and lines the inside of below-grade foundational walls.

The best drain board products are manufactured to stand up to constant moisture if necessary, handling as much or as little moisture or water as needed. A good example is Mar-flex FiberDrain Board. This is a semi-rigid board made from inorganic glass fibers; its unique design promotes effective water drainage while still retaining the board’s R-Value.

One example of a pallet of insulated drain board. Screen capture

What should I look for in drain board?

If you are working on your own construction project and looking for effective insulation against water, you will want to seek out high quality drain board.

Specifically, your project will likely require boards in a thicknesses ranging from just over half an inch to more than 3 inches, depending on the constraints of your project.

You should consider the needed R-value of your project as well, and choose the product that delivers what every energy-conscious home buyer needs.

Also, your drain board should meet the specification of local building codes.

Not sure if you are getting the right product? Reach out to waterproofing experts like the folks at Mar-Flex and we can help get you the right drain board for your project today!

Mar-Flex has a wide range of options to meet all of your foundational waterproofing needs, no matter how big or how small. Contact our knowledgeable representatives to get started.

We have specialized Geomat and Shockwave options as well, for the most demanding customers who want the lightest possible ecological footprint.

Window wells are an important part of creating a livable basement. They allow daylight and fresh air into your basement, keeping it from being dark and dungeon-like. Additionally, they reduce the ways that water can get into your basement and damage your foundation and possessions.

However, owning and maintaining a window well requires a little bit of knowledge and work.

With this quick quide to problems and solutions with window wells, your window-well owning experience can go without a hitch. And you can keep your basement light and dry all season long.

Window well problem 1: keeping it clean

From dirt accumulating on the sides to the drain keeping water from collecting, keeping your window well clean is the most frustrating and time-consuming concern with maintaining your window wells.

If you have a drain that connects to your foundation drainage system, there are some upsides. First, you can hose down the sides of your window well to get off the regular dust and grass clippings that accumulate over time.

On the other hand, you must periodically clear out the drain so that it continues to allow water to flow out. This often involves climbing or reaching into your window well to sweep or vacuum out debris from the grate.

Window well problem 2: small animal rescue

Another problem with window wells is that they often capture unsuspecting creatures. Depending on your location and the time of year, window wells can trap frogs, rabbits, snakes, and other local wildlife.

Fortunately, some window wells are built to handle these situations, and they have stairs or ridges in them that allow animals to safely exit the well.

In other cases though, the best defense is someone from your home periodically checking the window wells and taking the proper steps when an animal is trapped.

Woodchuck trapped in a window well. From Youtube.

What are the proper steps to release an animal from your window well? It definitely depends on the animal.

Window well problem 3: flooding or breaking

A poorly installed or old window well might become susceptible to taking on more water than it can handle. This happens when water is directed into it from an outside source, or when groundwater flows through a broken window well boundary.

In this case, your window well puts your foundation and your basement at risk.

Only the hardiest of fix-it-uppers can handle this repair yourself. If the window well is causing more problems than it is solving, call a waterproofing expert.

By now we are all familiar with the LEED certification for buildings. Designers, builders, and architects all strive together to earn the highest possible Leadership in Energy and Engineering Design ratings and brag about them to prospective investors. Press releases include the grades of new buildings, and tenants boast of their LEED scores as they show around their own employees or clients. Projects with the highest LEED scores get local and national attention, and companies boast of their sustainability and eco-friendly buildings.

But what are the rankings, and what do they represent?

Well, there are four rankings for buildings, according to the US Green Building Corporation. Those rankings are certified, silver, gold, and platinum, with certified being the lowest level, and platinum being the highest. They are awarded on a point scale for achievements in certain areas of energy efficiency.

Certified 40-49 points

The first level of attainment for LEED certification is “certified.” Buildings that score between 40 and 49 points are Leed Certified. This means that they have met important standards for sustainability and energy usage in their selection of materials and building design. This is an important designation that shows a commitment to sustainable growth and building.

Silver 50-59 points

The next highest certification is “Silver.” A building that earns this status has invested time, energy, and additional resources to demonstrate their commitment to the environment over time. Through the use of credits, complex credits, and the right building materials and approaches to reduce energy usage, Silver buildings deserve recognition as a monument to sustainability.

Gold 60-79 points

Unlike in the Olympics, “Gold” is the second-highest level of achievement in LEED certification. However, just like in the Olympics, “Gold” status bestows a very high honor. The Gold status is reached only through meticulous care and careful dedication to the LEED standards, and an awareness of resource usage throughout the entire building process.

Platinum 80+ Points

The highest level that can be achieved on the LEED certification scale is Platinum. This is a distinguished level, and shows a rare deep investment in sustainability in every aspect of the building process. According to the USGBC website, fewer than 9,000 buildings in the world have earned Platinum LEED status as of August 1, 2021. These buildings are known locally and internationally to designers and engineers, and they draw additional visitors who simply want to see how this level was achieved.

Mar-Flex industry leading waterproofing designs and products have garnered a lot of well-deserved attention from builders and contractors around the United States. Our innovative and effective blends of recycled and new construction have helped countless projects reach the LEED certification they sought. And they have done this while providing top of class protection from water and moisture.

But did you know that Mar-Flex also works closely with architects?

You see, we know that an architect is as good as the tools they have to use in their designs, combined with their experience. So having well-trained architects is in everybody’s interest. If their designs can incorporate cutting edge technology to repel water in attractive and lightweight packages, they can do more and stretch buildings to new heights and shapes.

What is the AIA

The AIA was founded in 1857, designed to create standards for how architects were trained and to create basic ethical frameworks.

Today it has grown to include over 90,000 architects, and it helps manage certification to meet its mission, which is to “advocate for the value of architecture and give architects the resources they need to do their best work. Our work drives positive change through the power of design.”

Their website explains that “Licensed architects must earn continuing education credits each year to fulfill AIA membership requirements.” And once an architect is licensed, he or she might also need to complete continuing education requirements to renew their state license(s).

Additionally, architects who are working on getting licensed can use some AIA-approved courses to count toward the “experience” portion of the licensure requirement.

The AIA recognizes Mar-Flex courses as a way to earn continuing education credits that make meeting an architect’s goals and licensing requirements interesting and also convenient.

If you are an architect seeking licensure, or looking to renew an already existing license, the courses offered at Mar-Flex could help you earn or maintain your license while also giving you deep insight about the present and future of sustainable waterproofing.