Waterproofing at Citywide Printing
Case study
By Masonry
Citywide Printing is a full-service print shop in Des Plaines, Ill., that specializes in commercial printing projects. The print shop and equipment are located in a business district not far from the Des Plaines River, in a designated flood zone.
With almost $1 million of equipment inside the concrete building, Citywide owner Jim Hess looked to a local contractor for a waterproofing solution.
“I bought the building three years ago,” says Hess. “I knew it was in the floodplain, but not all that close to the river, and would need to carry FEMA flood insurance. I had heard about Xypex waterproofing from an architect who had specified it for tunnels. It sounded like a perfect solution for my print shop. I contacted Safeguard Basement Waterproofing to get more details.”
Tim Denman from Safeguard brought the local Xypex representative, Sandy Bradford-Dice, to the building site to evaluate the waterproofing options. The Citywide Printing building is a 4,600-square-foot brick building.
Denman and Bradford-Dice recommended treating the bottom four feet of exterior walls with one-half inch of Xypex Megamix II on the outside. Xypex Megamix II is a thick repair mortar ideal for patching and resurfacing concrete. It can be sprayed on or trowel applied.
Denman’s Team mixed the Xypex Mega Mix II – which was purchased at RKD Construction Supplies – on site and added a dioxide color to match the existing brick. Then they sprayed it on and troweled it to create a light sand finish. The owner also had flood doors installed throughout.
For more information, visit www.xypex.com.
Originally published in Masonry magazine.
About the Author
Masonry, the official publication of the Mason Contractors Association of America, covers every aspect of the mason contractor profession - equipment and techniques, building codes and standards, business planning, promoting your business, legal issues and more. Read or subscribe to Masonry magazine at www.masonrymagazine.com.
