Waterproofing of masonry walls to prevent rising damp.
Background
Although the Ras al Khaimah Private English language school is located in the heat of the United Arab Emirates, rising damp (in this case from groundwater laden with salts) was causing paint to flake off leaving the external walls unsightly.
The Client therefore required a coating system that would be able to protect the building from the constant degradation problems that they were experiencing and give an aesthetic, and durable waterproof finish.
The Solution
Cementitious Coating 851 – a thixotropic, cementitious modified polymer coating with high adhesion to both steel and concrete – was chosen for application to the base of the exterior walls, which was the area exhibiting the most severe problems. A major plus point was its high resistance to water permeability, enabling it to eradicate problems associated with damp and salt accumulation. Cementitious Coating 851 forms a hard, highly alkaline coating which also has greatly enhanced chemical and chloride resistance. Its properties are unaffected by prolonged exposure to the extreme heat of the Middle East climate.
Client
Ras Al Khaimah Ceramics
Contractor
Project Profile - Ras Al Khaimah School