Masonry Magazine December 2009 Page. 30
MOISTURE >>> CASE STUDY
Defeating Water
BY GARY HENRY
IMI SEMINAR SHOWCASES 'MAGIC BULLET' FOR HANDLING WATER IN MASONRY WALLS
W
ATER IS A BEAST THAT HAS LONG FEASTED
ON THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
Much of architectural history, in fact, has been about pro-
tecting buildings from water. Cornices, water tables, coping
stones, even fearful gargoyles all serve dual purposes of deco-
ration and destructive-water diversion.
Masonry cavity-wall construction is another ingenious archi-
tectural advance. It turns the structural wall into a drainage plane
ushering invading water back outside through weep holes.
Yet, water seems to find a way. As vapor, for instance, water
uses air to invade walls to do its damage, from creating favor-
able conditions for mold and reducing walls' R-values, to rust-
ing pipes and staining interior walls.
But the beast may have met its match in a fluid-applied air
and water-resistive barrier applied in concert with a pre-assem-
bled flashing system.
"We think we've hit on that 'magic bullet' that will solve
many of today's problems in our masonry walls," said Jim
Lucas of J.N. Lucas & Associates in Hammond, Ind., a mason-
ry specialist and manufacturer's rep with nearly 40 years of con-
struction experience.
Lucas and the International Masonry Institute (IMI) unveiled
that so-called bullet to contractors and architects in two semi-
nars in Addison, III., in July.
They built the program around the construction of a 10,000-
square-foot addition to the International Union of Bricklayers
and Allied Craftworkers' (IUBAC) District Council Training Cen-
ter in Addison.
"We actually specified the general system," said Project
Architect Dave Jenkins of Larson and Darby Group in Rockford,
"The products themselves came to us from the Bricklayers
Union. They said 'These are products we'd like to try out.' They
met the specifications we set, so we ok'd the products."
For the air barrier, PROSOCO in Lawrence, Kan., supplied
R-GUARD Spray Wrap and R-GUARD Transition Membrane.
Mortar Net USA in Burns Harbor, Ind., supplied its new
TotalFlash pre-assembled, all-in-one flashing system.
The original idea was to use the construction project to
show IMI apprenticeship instructors the latest air barrier and
flashing system technologies, Lucas said. As instructors, they
have to be familiar with the newest systems in order to teach
the union's apprentice masons.
"Then I thought this could be valuable training for our area
construction professionals," Lucas said. "Architects, in particu-
IMI Instructor Janusz Chwalek fastens TotalFlash pre-assembled panels to CMU back
up walls treated with PROSOCO R-GUARD Air- & Water-Resistive Barrier. Jim Lucas,
J.N. Lucas & Associates, narrates the action, while Videographer John Young gets
the procedure on camera.
(R) Jeff Lucas, J.N. Lucas & Associates, backrolls R-GUARD Spray Wrap over a
section of R-GUARD Transition Membrane. Next to Jeff, Justin Kulick, Graco, applies
the Spray Wrap with an IronMan 500G gas-powered airless sprayer. (L) Mike Tretta,
PROSOCO, caulks holes and voids in the CMU back-up wall while videographer John
Young gets it all on camera.
lar, aren't often able to get out of the office to see how the lat-
est products work on real buildings."
The IMI's Scott Conwell, director of market development
and technical services and an American Institute of Architects
(AIA) member and construction document technologist, invit-
ed the Northeastern Illinois AIA members, and the area's
union bricklayers.
About 50 people showed up for the program the first day,
and more than 30 the second day, Lucas said.
The mason contractors and architects watched as two IMI
apprenticeship instructors applied a first coat of PROSOCO R-
GUARD Spray Wrap to the training center addition's CMU back
28 MASONRY
December 2009 www.masoncontractors.org
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