“Planning authorities and construction professionals should be considering new procedures and technologies to help protect building structures from the damaging effects of extreme weather events”.
Extreme rainfall events have become more frequent in Britain and indications from most climate change scenarios show that this trend is likely to continue and perhaps become more extreme in the future.
For all building structures, excessive moisture is the cause of many mechanisms that can compromise mineral building materials. The porous nature of brick and concrete soak up water via capillary suction, leading to discolouration, mold problems and at worst, failure of the substrate.
Rapierstar Protect – PROSHIELD™ is a water repellent masonry treatment that is quick and easy to apply, It penetrates to provide breathable, invisible protection from damaging water ingress. As well as maintaining building structures, it has the added advantage of increasing the thermal efficiency of treated homes – at a fraction of the cost of more elaborate cladding solutions.
1. Energy Saving
When walls get wet through water penetration, they become less effective at keeping heat in. Even cavity wall structures filled with insulating material are susceptible. If the insulation material gets wet through water penetration, it loses much of its insulating qualities. PROSHIELD™ treatments repel water and are scientifically proven to improve the thermal efficiency of masonry. One single application to the external masonry facades is all that is needed.
2. Maintains colour and appearance of structures
Unlike water repellent surface coatings or physical building additions, PROSHIELD™ treatments penetrate deeply, combining at the molecular level with the structure. This creates a strong bond and when cured is invisible to the naked eye, retaining the look of the original brick, concrete or stone feature AND maintaining vapour breathability.
3. Self cleaning
Taking inspiration from nature, nanotechnology water repellent products create a ‘lotus effect’ hydrophobic surface. A lotus leaf sheds water and dirt effortlessly in order to stay clean. Water forms droplets, which collect microorganisms, dirt, algae, pollution, oil and other contaminates at the surface, which simply wash away with a self cleaning action.
4. Reduces the build up of Lichens and Moss
Mold, lichens and moss grow wherever food and moisture is available. Bricks and concrete surfaces are very porous and therefore trap moisture and hence promote microbial growth. If you take the primary food stuff away – moisture, mold, lichens and moss cannot grow. A hydrophobic treated surface can also act as a barrier, preventing biological growth from developing by depriving it of a physical surface to hold on to.
5. Protects against surface damage
Efflorescence (salt blooming) is the most obvious, moisture induced damage to masonry materials. Minerals and salts dissolved in water can build up within the substrate and get to its surface as the water evaporates. Soluble salts in the masonry are also water attracting, which cause damp zones by the salts tendency to absorb moisture. Re-crystallization pressure, will induce damage and lead to structural cracks and fractures, weakening the masonry. As PROSHIELD™ treatments reduce this transport of water, structures remain dry and less susceptible to damage.
6. Eco Friendly
PROSHIELD™ treatments for masonry are solvent and silicone-free products. As water based products, with very little volatile organic compounds (VOCs), they are optimally environmentally friendly products.
7. UV resistant and long lasting
By penetrating deep into the building substrate and forming a strong polymeric network on the surface at a molecular level, PROSHIELD™ provides maximum resistance to UV attack. Coupled with high resistance to alkali degradation means that you can have a water repellent building surface that can last 20-30 years between repeat applications.
For more information about PROSHIELD™ products contact Rapierstar Protect on 01260 223311 or email info@rapierstar-protect.com.
