Moisture is one of architecture’s greatest enemies. It bubbles paint. It crawls into corners, triggering black mold. It greys and stains surfaces and creeps between bricks, often carrying pathogenic and toxic agents into your workspace. Your average leak does more than just discolor. It brings toxic organic substances and heavy metals indoors, dragging sick building syndrome behind it. Moisture control is a core part of your building’s preventative maintenance. Much like a raincoat, waterproofing commercial buildings keeps your structure nice and dry, but its benefits stretch beyond the basics.
The Benefits of Waterproofing Commercial Buildings
Category One Water Damage is caused by clear, potable water, but Category Two and Three damage tend to carry toxic, staining fluids into your living space. Even Category One water damage can break down your supply lines and cause rising damp, attracting mold and bubbling that breaks down that gorgeous paint you’ve chosen so carefully. Category Three water damage is much more serious. It brings harmful pathogens inside from sanitary leaks and floods. These are potentially fatal, so waterproofing commercial buildings is a core part of your risk management strategy.
Bituminous and liquid membrane waterproofing can prevent all three categories of water damage from affecting your roofs and foundations. By keeping moisture away from your mortar, waterproofing commercial buildings can prevent rust and rot while simultaneously strengthening your infrastructure. With no microorganisms to speak of, your building’s air won’t cause allergies and asthma. Can anyone say “clean living?” That’s what Fresh Paint Inc. is all about—safeguarding your property as well as the people using it.
A basic cementitious membrane is a beautiful thing. It can be placed on just about any substrate in a continuous envelope. That means waterproofing commercial buildings protects their entire interior, and that’s like a fountain of youth for aging architecture. It can add years to your structure’s lifespan. Waterproofing commercial buildings also comes with a side benefit of keeping your interior design features protected against leaks and moisture wicking up through your flooring. With that, warped floors become a thing of the past.
Fighting the Weather by Waterproofing Your Building
Minneapolis snow and rain is stronger than cheap waterproofing. You’ll need polyurethane membranes for flat roofs that must defend against local winters. Polyurethane doesn’t need joints or leak risk areas to form a seamless membrane, and it can bridge cracks of up to two millimeters. It can even cope with liquids of -30 degrees Celsius. Snow and ice carry a lot of weight, so they can weaken your building’s structural integrity. Your gutters, window wells, and basement drains can all be sealed against these threats. Think of polyurethane as the armor of the waterproofing world. It handles mechanical damage with assurance.
Improving Property Value
When it comes to return on investment, waterproofing packs plenty of punch, increasing your property value while maintaining your building’s youthful good looks. Just adding basement waterproofing will bring a 30% return on investment. Your water-damage-free building will bring its own returns on resale, so waterproofing your commercial building is less of an expense than an investment.
You just need to look at the Grand Canyon to grasp how much mere water, ice, and snow can do. Waterproofing commercial buildings does more than just add a membrane to your walls or foundations. It takes care of everything from your flashing and substrates to your insulation. That covers your structural floors, vertical and horizontal surfaces.
With Freshpaint Inc. on your side, rain and snow will represent skiing and puddle-hopping, not leaks and destruction. Contact us today to learn more about waterproofing your building to be prepared for the next rainy day or snowy season.
