Apex National Decorators

Cost Effective Monsoon Protection

The Role of Parapets in Protecting Your Facade

In our last blog entry, we shared with you some common tips on how to avoid severe damage to your home or business from the rough monsoon winds and rain. While that article focused on water flow and leak/mold prevention on the inside of your business, there are other things you can do to prevent unsightly cosmetic damage to the exterior of your building fairly inexpensively. We’ve all seen grocery store or strip mall storefronts that have large yellow to brownish water stains coming from the top of their buildings; sometimes this is merely painted over, however, the same thing happens after the next big rain storm. Painting over the stains is merely a cosmetic band-aid on a deeper wound.

The underlying cause of these stains is due to uncontrolled water leakage on what is known as a parapet. The parapet, at its most basic, is a short façade wall above the roof. From the street, it not only makes the building look larger, but it also serves a cosmetic purpose in hiding air conditioning units and a safety purpose in acting as a guardrail for rooftop workers. While attention is paid to prevent water stagnation and waterproof the roof, the flat tops of the parapets are often overlooked. This seemingly insignificant amount of space can catch water and lead to large, unsightly stains on your building.

There are two methods to dealing with this. The first is a metal coping that can be installed atop the parapet; various coping styles are slanted so that the rainwater runs off, and groves underneath prevent water from leeching onto the parapet sides. Besides the material and labor expense necessary to install, coping can also significantly alter the appearance of your building and add extra weight to the parapet walls (which they may not be designed for). They can also catch wind easily, making them a less-than-ideal choice for monsoon storms. An extremely effective alternative method that we (highly) recommend is to create a water barrier using high performance coatings. The system involves coating [buttering] the top of the parapets with an elastomeric compound that provides a protective waterproof surface that keeps the water from seeping in, and actually repels the water from the top of the surface. This highly cost-effective method not only keeps the stagnant water and mold from forming, but does so without altering the appearance of your building or adding any extra stress to the structure.

Monsoon Ready ???

Avoiding Costly Rain Damage

The Valley of the Sun is famous for its late-summer weather; and we’re not just talking about the scorching heat. The intense monsoon season, caused by a range of thermal low pressure over the arid desert, brings with it powerful walls of dust, high winds, and intense rain storms. While considered by many to be a beautiful weather occurrence, the effects of these events can be very harmful and expensive to your home or business. You can help reduce the chances of costly storm-related damage by taking a few precautions before the onslaught of the major storms.

To avoid blemishes to your building, including the façade and any other architectural elements, ensure that there is a sufficient water drainage system in place. Beyond the basics of maintaining a clean gutter and unclogged pipes, take a trip up to your building’s roof and ensure that there are no places there or on the top of the façade where water can stagnate. Large amounts of stagnated water often overwhelm the building and cause leaks; this results quickly in watery, moldy stains indoors, rapidly ruining ceiling tiles and paint. While you’re up there, be sure to remove leaves and other debris that could cause drainage clogs, and consider trimming nearby trees that could contribute debris to the rooftop in the event of a rainstorm.

It is also important to prepare your interior for rain-soaked customers or guests who may pay you a visit. Ensuring that there is a proper floor mat and a hanger (preferably by the door) for wet jackets will help keep your carpet and upholstered chairs fresh and safe from premature damage and unpleasant smells if mold develops. While these precautions are simple and the monsoon season lasts but a few months, businesses that do not prepare are often the ones hit with costly repairs after the fact. Continuing into August, we will continue to share more tips on protecting your home or business from the effects of monsoon storms and intense heat, including tips on façade integrity, wood exposure, and rust.