THIS PROJECT was completed last month. It features several historically significant components of our sanctuary building’s façade. Therefore this post follows a report template in the 2003 Historic Structure Report, as recommended for all historic-cultural monuments.
| (As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.) |
Below the jump, this post restates the basic need and documents the work done. For more background, see HERE.…
Project Summary
The façade’s walls and overhangs have been patched, sealed, and coated with a waterproof “skin.”
Problem Statement
The original construction design admitted rainwater inside the walls (as stucco will do) and then unfortunately trapped it there. Furthermore, the front walls were hardly maintained since 2007, allowing cracks to develop and the paint to dry out. For both reasons, years of water intrusion have degraded many components: an exterior pillar, two interior stairwell walls, concrete foundation walls, the portico’s concrete substrate, and the ceiling below it.
Intent of the Work
To stop ongoing water intrusion, while restoring a uniform and pleasing appearance.
How the Work was Approached and Accomplished
The criterion for success was stated as follows: Fix the damage, and then find a way to keep water from getting into the walls in the first place. That goal seems to have been achieved.
Work steps performed:
- Mechanically pressure wash the entire exterior of front of the building, to remove dirt, loose paint, and damaged stucco.
- Hand/mechanically scrape any loose areas of plaster on concrete, and patch as needed to create a consistent textured appearance.
- Caulk any wall cracks and around the columns and building seams.
- Prime the front and underside of the façade and the planter stucco wall.
- Apply at least 2 coats of waterproof elastomeric heavy-duty wall coating.
- Paint the adjacent elements (columns, underside of portico ceiling, Stars of David, and synagogue name) using regular exterior primer and paint.
Time Required to Do the Work
• First consultation with ballpark estimate: Aug. 2022
• Board resolution approved: Nov. 2023
• Proposal from Mark Beamish Waterproofing: 6/10/24
• Funds available (Powerhouse sold): 6/14/24
• Contract signed with Mark Beamish Waterproofing: 8/1/24
• Contractor started on site on 9/16/24 and worked a solid two weeks. After a hiatus for the High Holy Days and to sort out the coating color problem, they returned with a large crew on 11/11/24 and finished that same day.
Cost
Total: $20,526 = $22,450 (for contract) + $36 (for quart of enamel trim paint) + $28 (for street address numerals)
Comments
Waterproofing materials used:
- AQUAFIN-1K cementitious waterproofing and protective coating
- Sikaflex-15 LM high-performance polyurethane-based elastomeric sealant
- Sikagard-552 Primer W adhesion promoter and surface conditioner for concrete surfaces
- Sika MasterProtect EL 750 water-based, high-build, elastomeric, 100% acrylic waterproof coating (formerly branded as Thorolastic-750)
In addition to the primer coat, there are 3 layers of elastomeric coating on the façade walls, rather than the usual 2 layers. That’s because the distributor incorrectly mixed the colorants into the buckets that were used for the first 2 coats—which necessitated another top coat.
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| The first 2 wall coats (on left) did not match the chosen color. |
Arguably the top coat, which is correctly colored, is not as thick as the previous coats (since I observed much brushing on of the product, which is supposed to be rolled on), but nonetheless we should have unusually good protection from rainwater.
Yet until we have one or more heavy rains, we won’t know for sure that the water intrusion problems have been fixed. The contractor has specified a 5-year warranty, not only on the elastomeric coating but also against future cracking or new delamination of the plaster in two places: (1) on the stem wall along the north edge of the front steps, and (2) on the south wall below the portico (porch) that is at the top of the steps, to the east of the planter.
The window returns (a/k/a wells or bays) and window sills received only the primer and 2 elastomeric coats; hence they appear off-white.
Sealant was applied generously, which was great overall. Except it created a problem at the mid-seam of the columns. As a matter of aesthetic appearance, the resulting bulge looked unacceptable to me, so I asked that it be scraped down, so as to be more flush with the column flutes.
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| Before scraping |
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| After scraping (before final paint coat) |
Unfortunately, the seams are already cracking again, as the columns continually expand/contract in the sun. This was predicted by the crew chief. (Next time, perhaps the plaster along the seam should be carved out in a “v”-shaped channel before the sealant is applied.)
For details on the painted elements and the colors involved, see HERE.
For my Yelp review of Mark Beamish Waterproofing, see HERE.
IMHO, it was well worth paying $36 extra for the enamel trim paint, which was applied to the Stars of David. The smooth finish not only makes them “pop” visually, but also should result in longer-lasting protection from the elements.
New (larger) street numerals were ordered and mounted. They are metal with an “antique bronze” finish, to roughly match the bronze plaques on the same wall.
Last but not least, I must acknowledge the generosity of the neighboring business that controls the parking space alongside our southwest planter wall: Green Dog Dental. They gave up their clients’ access to that space for half a month! We could hardly have completed this project without their cooperation, as well as that of their landlord: Perloff & Webster. Thanks are due to them both!
Photos of intermediate stages of the work
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| Lettering was masked off; street numerals were removed, revealing the original wall color beneath. |
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| The power lift made the work itself efficient, but it did damage the sandstone patio by cracking some pieces (many of which were originally placed on sandy soil rather than a stable concrete base). It also twisted the metal track that our sliding gate travels upon. |
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| Many cracks were filled in. |
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