Crystalline waterproofing materials remain a terrific way to protect your basement walls from the damage that water does by penetrating and freezing in your foundation.

In this process, crystalline waterproofing material is brushed onto basement walls. Here it penetrates the concrete cavities and forms a strong bond. This changes the porous concrete into a waterproof solid.

This process is most effective in a wet basement where water seepage is a problem.

One significant advantage of this material is that installation is straightforward and can be accomplished by any do-it-yourself homeowner.

Step 1: Cleaning

Before you begin application, you must completely clean the concrete wall surfaces. The crystalline waterproofing material will only adhere to the concrete surface if it is free from any other debris or dust. Use a wire brush to remove loose concrete or paint. A hammer and chisel may be needed for large pieces of concrete that are loose but can’t be brushed off. If there are multiple layers of paint that cover a wide area, you could try power washing the surface or even sandblasting it.

Step 2: Preparing

The next step is to repair your concrete surface by filling large cracks. Using concrete patch or liquid concrete in a tube, spread it over the surface with a trowel. Fill the crack completely and let it dry and set before doing anything else to the surface.

Step 3: Priming

Next you will prime the concrete for the crystalline waterproofing by thoroughly wetting the surface of the concrete with water. You don’t want to soak the area, but it should be damp, which will actually help with spreading and adhering the waterproofing substance.

Step 4: Mixing

In a bucket, you should mix the crystalline waterproofing material with water, according to the instructions. Apply just enough water so that the material becomes a thick paste.

The chemical process of the water and the material will cause the substance to warm. This is a natural and expected process, and evidence you are doing it correctly.

Photo by Yuriy Pavlov on Unsplash

Step 5: Applying

Using a masonry brush, apply a thick coating of the paste to the concrete wall. Make this coat thick but even.

Step 6: Curing

Once the crystalline waterproofing material is applied to the surface of the concrete, you must keep it wet for at least 48 hours. Lightly spray it with a misting bottle. This allows the materials to penetrate into porous concrete. If it sets too quickly, it won’t combine correctly and you will have wasted your time.

Once upon a time in construction, a manager had to choose between the most effective solution for a location, and the solution that got the work done on time. That meant compromises that could shorten the effective life of the work, especially the waterproofing.

However, now there is a solution that solves both problems at once. The QuickSeal waterproofing products offered by Mar-Flex are designed to be effective while also being easy to use and apply.

QuickSeal waterproofing membrane

QuickSeal waterproofing membrane is the simplest solution to starting the process of waterproofing your next construction project. This membrane, in emulsion or liquid form, can be applied with great confidence over any clean, dry substrate down to 0 degrees fahrenheit. With multiple application options in a wide range of effective temperatures, QuickSeal waterproofing membrane is the ideal solution for year-round construction.

QuickSeal waterproofing is available in the size you need

Many companies like to choose one product that can meet all their needs, to simplify ordering and issues related to inventory. Keeping the right items in stock is easy when you need fewer items!

To save you time and energy, QuickSeal WB (water based) comes in multiple sizes to meet your needs. You can order 55 gallon drums, which can come in pallets of 4 for a total of 220 gallons.

Additionally, we offer a 330 gallon tote, or our largest, the 6000 gallon bulk order.

The QuickSeal SB (solvent-based) solution has fewer options, but still offers enough variety to meet your next project’s needs.

You can order 55 gallon drums of QuickSeal SB, which can come in pallets of 4 for a total of 220 gallons.

The largest option, for your biggest construction needs, is the 6000 gallon bulk order.

ICC Approved

The QuickSeal solutions, both water based and solvent based, come with the ICC approval.

The ICC is an international ratings agency that has been certified to determine whether a product meets international specifications for a wide range of indicators. In the case of QuickSeal products, the ICC certifies that it meets a wide range of International Building Code expectations, International Residential Code expectations, and the Abu Dhabi International Building Code.

You can be confident that your QuickSeal purchase helps keep you and your project protected today and for years to come.

There is a growing trend in modern architecture that attempts to marry nature with construction. This seems a very easy and simple idea, but it is in fact very complex.

You see, at the very heart of construction has long been a desire for that construction to be the opposite of nature. That is, it must be able to stand up against nature, resisting water and wind and heat and cold. It must look and feel very much not like nature at all. It must resist.

So the move to marry the two has not been a natural fit. But it is happening.

In order to do this, architects must be prepared to deal with water, the enemy of buildings.

One way this happens is with planter drains.

Planter drains keep dirt in and let water out

In a perfect world, you would put exactly the right amount of water on your plant every time, and that would be the end of that. However, the world is not perfect. Sometimes you under-water. Sometimes you over-water. In fact, usually you over-water.

This is true in nature too. When the skies open, they usually deliver more water than the dirt can handle right in that moment, so the water must be taken away and re-enter the water cycle.

This is where a planter drain comes in handy.

Beneath the plants, beneath the soil, are one or more finely knit meshes that allow water to soak out without taking the dirt with it.

Additionally, at the top of the planter, is a metal tube with holes in it to quickly drain water that overflows and floats even above the soil line.

These together constitute a planter drain.

Picture is a screenshot from rainsmartplanters.com

The goal is to work together to quickly shunt water away from the soil, not allowing any of it to stand. However, the mesh is in place to prevent the soil going with it.

Many municipalities are experimenting with stormwater planters to help reduce runoff. A key piece of every one of these stormwater planters are planter drains, which allow water to be trapped in soil that feeds a series of plants that are beautiful, hearty, and which absorb a lot of water.

If you are a contractor working with large earthworks, building roads, or transforming entire cities, the word abutment is not new to you. You understand the concept because you’ve built them, studied them, and you have seen what goes wrong when they are incorrectly done.

But in fact, if you have ever built something with Legos, or Lincoln Logs, or some other material, and then you tried to help it hold weight, you inadvertently were studying abutments, even if you didn’t know it.

An abutment, in short, is what holds up a bridge or other piece of construction that does not rest directly on pilings and the ground directly beneath it.

How does an abutment work?

The abutment in a construction design is Atlas at the bottom of the earth, holding everything else up.

The abutment rests firmly on the ground, and likely has piling dug deep into the soil and clay below. It had to be firm and steady, because it will end up holding a great more width than just the abutment itself.

The bridge, or other piece of construction (this is true for porches and other items that may extend out), is held in place on the abutment, and any weight that goes onto the bridge is transferred to the abutment.

That is, when you are driving and you get part way across the bridge, though you may feel as if the weight of your car is being held by the surface below you, there are actually complex forces at work.

Photo by edwin josé vega ramos from Pexels

The platform you are on is holding your weight at the moment, but it is not what is keeping your weight off the ground. That is, it is transferring your weight to an abutment. It is this abutment that truly holds the weight.

What does abutment mean?

It might help to know that to “abut” means to touch by way of a mutual border. That is, to share a common space or border. An abutment has a bridge or other span resting on it. This mutual space includes both the span and the abutment.

So if one thing is resting or placed against another, it can be said to be abutting it. In the case of a bridge, however, there is a permanent and secure seal. This allows the abutment and the span to work together to safely deliver you to the other side of the water below.

We all watched the news in horror. Security videos captured the last seconds of a Florida condominium standing, then suddenly folding and finally collapsing in a heap of concrete and dust. The Champlain condo, in Surfside Florida, was home to hundreds of people. Days after the collapse, more than a hundred people believed to be inside are still unaccounted for, and presumed dead.

Even before the search and rescue operations came to a close, questions were being asked about the cause of the collapse.

Initial reports from inspections, both routine inspections and less frequent mandated ones, are starting to paint a sad picture about the collapse.

It was preventable. And the signs were there that it was coming, and people ignored those signs.

Photo by Joe Raedle / Getty images

Waterproofing matters

According to press reports, a pool inspector reported to his superior that he was seeing unusual amounts of water leaking under the building.

While it was not initially clear whether it was pool water, ocean water, or misdirected rain water, there is no confusion over what that meant. Mishandled water in building construction is a recipe for disaster.

Professional waterproofing experts know that it takes both the right design and the right materials, like Mar-Flex quality products, to keep water where it belongs.

When water reaches the steel rebar inside concrete pilings and supports, it immediately beings to eat away at the steel. The effect is faster if it is salt water, and if there are periods with and without water. This appears to be the case at Surfside, though a final determination has not been made.

Without the rebar inside to provide support, all the specifications for the strength of the concrete fly out the window. One fault at the bottom of a large tower means disaster for everything above it. That might be fine on the top floor, but in the basement level, it meant certain death for more than a hundred residents.

While not every building project is as tall as the Champlain Tower, every one with your company’s name on it and people inside represents an urgent need to attend to the details and do everything right.

That is why professional waterproofers stick with trusted products with a proven track record. Mar-Flex waterproofing materials have been trusted for a generation, and will last for a generation too.

Basements, more than any other space, are known for their cold, moist, and undisturbed atmospheres. You might even find yourself greeted with the slightly sour smell of mildew buildup as you walk down the steps. Without the proper waterproofing and precautionary steps taken, moisture can easily build up in a building or house’s basement.

After exposure to water, materials in the right setting can take less than two days to develop mold. If your house or building has undergone water damage or water exposure, there are several types of mold to keep an eye out for:

Fusarium: This mold is unique in that it can grow and thrive at colder temperatures than other molds. It is typically found in homes with water damage, specifically within wallpaper, carpeting, and fabric. If discovered, carefully inspect adjacent rooms as this mold spreads quickly and easily;

Alternaria: This mold follows damp environments, meaning that there is a possible nearby leak or exposure to the outdoors. It can spread relatively quickly, so it is important to stop it early;

Mucor: Mucor is found most commonly near areas with high condensation and moisture, for example air conditioning units or HVAC units;

Chaetomium: The presence of chaetomium likely means severe water damage. It is indicated with a musty odor, and either a gray or black cotton-like texture depending on the growth stage;

Penicillin: Similar to the other molds on this list, penicillin can be traced to areas with high moisture levels. It can be easily spotted with its bright blue or green surface, and can spread quickly through the air;

Stachybotrys: Also known as black mold, stachybotrys is found in areas with consistently moist and unkempt environments. More specifically, black mold typically grows on cellulose materials such as drywall or cardboard;

Ulocladium: If this mold is found in a basement or building, it is a sign of extreme water damage. It may grow alongside the aforementioned fusarium, another indicator of inadequate waterproofing.

This is not an extensive list of all the possible molds, but it is still a good idea to keep a careful eye out for all and any growth. Though each mold may vary in danger and severity, each is an indicator that your building spaces may be in need of a check up. If there is suspicion of any dangerous molds, always be sure to contact a professional to inspect and remove.

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels