BRACE YOURSELF: WINTER IS COMING

It’s that time of year when winter is coming and we begin to think about the blowing snow and disappearing sun. What we should be thinking about is our building envelope: are there any leaks or drips that need to be addressed before it’s too late to do so. We recently had a client who had these very thoughts. The walkway and parking area over top of their retail space had a few cracks that needed to be repaired. There was no leaking inside as far as they could tell, but they didn’t want to go through a winter and risk having bigger problems show up in the middle of a blizzard. As you can see in the photo, there was some ponding and a few major cracks.

The freezing and thawing cycles that we exhibit in Alberta could cause more cracking, spawling, and deterioration in a few short months, making ‘pot holes’ in their concrete slab. The surface itself was looking worn, especially when compared to the recently renovated interior. To prevent the concrete from failing and leaking into the retail space all winter, Desco provided a waterproofing solution. The cracks were chased and caulked and patching was done on the walls. A high wear traffic coating was installed to protect the caulking, provide a slip resistant finish, and increase the overall aesthetics of the project.

The resulting finish will withstand the foot traffic, ice melting salts, and scraping of ice of the next few months. If you are planning on delaying a project till next spring, you may want to think again since the winter may increase the overall damage to the structure, increasing your costs significantly.