Residents, tenants, visitors – everyone loves balconies. In fact, they’ll pay a premium to have one. But without proper waterproofing, a prize selling point for your property can become a real liability.
Efflorescence. It’s a pretty name for the ugly crystalline salt deposits that mar porous building materials. The word, which comes from the French verb “to flower,” refers to the way salt appears to bloom from the surface of masonry, or brickwork.
Few Westwood properties boast a better location than 1380 Westwood Boulevard. Situated near the intersection of Westwood Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard, close to UCLA and I-405, this two-floor, 45,000-square foot retail/office center with above- and below-ground parking has never wanted for tenants.
Benjamin Franklin wasn’t a waterproofing professional as far as we know, but when he said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” he was speaking to building owners everywhere. In fact, there’s no smarter investment for your building than staying on top of waterproofing.
Think of all the time and money you spent designing and constructing your building. Whether it’s one or one hundred floors, standing water around its foundation can create major structural issues. In addition, roofs, windows, concrete pane joints, outdoor decks and balconies are areas where leaks start and continue to do damage if not attended to early on. Waterproofing your building protects it from water intrusion and the adverse impact of hydrostatic pressure. At HSG, we look at all aspects of water intrusion from the inside and out. This blog post will focus on what happens when you ignore the problem, the four leak origin areas, waterproofing core benefits and the HSG difference. What Happens If You Don’t do Waterproofing If you never have your building inspected and/or you are aware of some roof or window leakage, you’re at risk for major problems. Here are real-life examples about what happens when you ignore the problem: Water dripping from the ceiling. While initially you can put a bucket under the leak, the problem comes from a hole in the roof. If you don’t remedy the situation, eventually the ceiling tile will give way, possibly injuring your employees. In addition, a dropped tile can damage furniture, equipment and technology. Standing water next to the foundation. Not only will it weaken your concrete, but water can seep into your HVAC system causing havoc with heat and air conditioning. Known window and roof leaks that are getting worse. These can lead to bacterial problems…