Masonry Magazine February 2007 Page. 45
The control of exterior moisture requires an effective water shedding surface and an effective water-resistive barrier. The term 'water shedding surface' refers to the surface of assemblies, interfaces and details that deflect and/or shed the vast majority of water impacting on the wall.
The 'water resistive barrier' is the surface furthest into the wall from the exterior that can accommodate some exterior water without causing damage to interior finishes or materials within the assemblies.
As Jim Keene, CEO of Keene Building Products of Pepper Pike, Ohio, explained, "All walls must be drained to function properly. Drainage involves a number of products, but the most important is the use of an accumulation pipe to move the water from the soil away from the foundation. This accumulation pipe is most commonly a perforated pipe placed at the bottom of the footer.
"The entire wall is typically drained with a sheet drain," he continued. "This sheet drain is either a 'dimple drain' type product or an entangled net' type product. Both products work well and have their advantages and disadvantages. Dimple drains have greater capacity to drain and entangled net products offer more resistance to the rigors of crushing during backfill. In either case, both materials have many times the capacity required to handle the water flow from soil, and both materials have the strength or compression set to handle the backfill."
The control of exterior moisture requires an effective water shedding surface and an effective water-resistive barrier.
Membranes and Moisture
"THE IMPORTANT THING to remember is to prevent water from accumulating against the foundation. That means an emphasis on drainage first and foremost," acknowledged Cosella-Dörken's Western regional sales manager, Marc Sandin. "Products such as Delta-Dry help direct water away from the building and the foundation, while improving the speed with which the wall dries after rain." Delta-Dry is one of several products from Cosella-Dörken Products of Beamsville, Ontario, that when combined-help create an effective moisture barrier system for waterproofing above and below grade.
Membranes come in a variety of types from bituminous (rubberized asphalt) to clay, and in sheets, sprays, liquids and even cardboard forms. Obviously, each has its advantages and disadvantages.
According to Keene, "In commercial construction, the most common membrane is a bituminous sheet, 60 mils thick. This product is applied to the wall in its entirety. It creates an impermeable barrier to moisture even if a hydrostatic head of water
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February 2007
Masonry
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