Water Intrusion Under Front Steps — A Possible Approach

IT MAY BE POSSIBLE to stop water intrusion through the sanctuary’s front steps, after all. (This is a follow-up to my post of 2-7-22, which I updated on 7-18-22. Later that year, I met with a vendor who described to me a proprietary process, and he sent me ballpark pricing. 

Front steps in 1948 (building dedication)

On the strength of that proposal, our board of directors recently authorized a certain expenditure for this work, as funds become available. Below the jump, this post briefly describes the proposed approach.…

Milestones reached in south wall waterproofing project

THE SANCTUARY WALL that faces southeast (which we call “the south wall” for convenience) is pretty massive: 139 ft long, and 25 ft high on average. 

With the early morning shadows from our neighbor’s suspended cables
(As usual, click/tap on an image in order to enlarge it.)

Below the jump, this post will document and illustrate this wall’s recent rehabilitation, which the contractor says is now about 90% complete. 

What Roof Maintenance Looks Like

A ROOF IS NOT A STATIC THING that just sits there. Rather, it expands daily under the baking sun — with different sections being exposed at different times of day — and contracts every night, and during cold snaps. It withers under ultraviolet light. And it endures rainstorms and the rush of flowing stormwaters.

So when you think about it, it’s not surprising that a roof can use a little loving care once a year.

Below the jump is a brief description, with photos, of the annual preventive maintenance that was performed this week on our sanctuary roof.…

Water Intrusion Under Front Steps — Not Yet Stopped

FEW PEOPLE ARE AWARE that our sanctuary’s front steps sit atop a portion of the basement. Until now, probably even fewer have known that whenever those steps get wet (from rainfall, or being hosed down, or washed), water percolates through and finds its way onto the ceiling of the rooms beneath. 

The results of this intrusion? They include: rusted rebar, spalling of the concrete, degradation of basement wall surfaces, damage to the ceiling drywall, discoloration of ceiling paint, dripping of water onto the floor, and potential dry rot in the ceiling joists.

In this post, I will discuss the nature of this problem, our attempted resolutions, and my plans for future action.