Well, it is time for our project of the week, and our projects of the week are talking a little bit about different projects and the products that can make that project successful. And, joining me right now is Lance Lang, he is with United Gilsonite Laboratories,
UGL makers of
DRYOK, a masonry waterproofer. So, Lance Welcome to At Home with Gary Sullivan.
Lance: Thank you, good to be with you.
Gary: So, I was laughing when I was reading Masonry Waterproofer. Because why don’t you explain the difference between a waterproofer and a water sealer. Because we are always talking about concrete sealers for driveways and walkways, I talk a lot about the
DRYLOK product. And what is the difference between a waterproofer and a water sealer?
Lance: Our waterproofers hold out water from reaching an interior surface vs. a sealer that protects from the elements. So, they are quite different. Sealers are clear, and waterproofers are mostly pigmented except for
DRYLOK Floor and Wall for basement floors.
Gary: That is a great product (
DRYLOK Floor and Wall). I talked about it today. Let me frame up how I see the
DRYLOK product as both the clear and the paint color because it can be tinted. We have a lot of things that are penetrating not only the walls in our basement or foundations but also the floors, we have water vapor; we have running water sometimes; we have radon all that entering our home driving up humidity. Is this
DRYLOK product, on the floors and the walls, can we eliminate a lot of that?
Lance: Yes. The moister penetrating the surfaces do cause water problems, moisture is a big issue for our structure, and our waterproofer for basement walls will keep all the above out. The flooring product is unique because it will stop the rise of water and table water from coming in. There is more to it than just the waterproofing. There are preparation and repair items that come along with this, but once those things are done, these products will do what they say.
Gary: All products have limitations, so I want to go through one of the things we talk about all the time, of course, water is the number one enemy in your home regardless, whether it is a leaky faucet or what it is your number one problem. So, trying to keep water out of our house at all times. Many times, it starts outside of the home, clean gutters, and soil that slopes away from the foundation and water that is not puddling against the foundation. Those are the things I call the killer G’s, the gutters, the grading, the groundwater. Once you take care of that and put the
DRYLOK Masonry Waterproofer on the walls, it has some limitations on how much water pressure it can hold back, what is that number? Because if you have a significant issue, you know we have to be reasonable too, but it will stop some flowing water up to what degree?
Lance: So, to put it in perspective, the Original
DRYLOK Waterproofer will hold back 10 pounds per square inch, which, if you can imagine, a concrete block wall full of water 22 feet high, that bottom block has 10 pounds of pressure on it. That is where the Original
DRYLOK will take you. The Extreme
DRYLOK will go up to 15 psi, so that is a 33 feet wall. None of our basement walls are that tall, but that gives you a perspective.
Gary: So, it is going to hold back a lot of water.
Lance: Yes, it is going to hold back a lot of water.
Gary: I get asked the question, Lance, if I am going to finish my basement and don’t have a leak or anything, should I use the
DRYLOK on the walls before I finish them?
Lance: As a preventative measure. Things change over time.
Gary: It is the best insurance policy you can get.
Lance: It is.
Gary: And if you are looking at decorative flooring, whether it is carpeting or laminates or whatever, you should take a look at the
DRYLOK Clear (
DRYLOK Floor and Wall) that can be used on floors, correct?
Lance: The
DRYLOK Floor and Wall is unique; it is the only product on the market like it. As long as you use a water-based system like a waterborne thinset, you can thinset and tile over it. You can carpet over it, and of course, you can paint over it.
Gary: Will this help me control basement humidity?
Lance: Yes, you have to take all of the precautions like killer G’s you mentioned, once all that is done and the sump pump system, structurally everything is the way it is supposed to be, yes it will help in regards to all of that.
Gary: Yes, that is what I was thinking. I mean, if it can hold back that much water pressure, it has got to help with that water vapor that penetrates through the walls and the floors, which is significant through the course of 24 hours.
Lance: It is significant, yes, defiantly.
Gary: And the
DRYLOK, that is a water-based paint?
Lance: Yes, so the waterproofers are all water-based, water clean-up, so they are soap and water clean-up. There are 4; we make a powdered waterproofer for issues with a damp surface that is not going to dry. The powdered can be applied to a damp surface. We actually recommend you dampen the surface slightly before you put it on. It is the most labor-intensive, but it is also the least expensive. It was the original, but yes, the rest of the products are soap and water clean-up and easy to put on by the consumer.
Gary: And you put this (
DRYLOK Masonry Waterproofer) on with a roller?
Lance: Brush and Roll. It is a great idea to come back and brush and push that product back into the surface because it penetrates, expands, and becomes part of the substrate. The second coat is required, mainly because we can’t possibly get a full-coverage coat on the first try. You are going to get pinholes, so you have to fill those pinholes.
Gary: And coverage is less than a gallon of paint, so it’s more like 100 square feet per gallon?
Lance: About one hundred square feet per gallon. You will get a little less on the first coat and a little more on the second. So, an average of one hundred square feet per gallon. It is important not to stretch that.
Gary: Right, you need to put a nice thick coat on there.
Gary: Another thing and this is a thing some people don’t want to hear, at least this is my take away through the years, this is for bare masonry surfaces, right? I mean, if someone went down and painted a layer of cosmetic latex house paint on there and there is water weeping through that you have to take the old off, correct?
Lance: Yes, unfortunately. As a matter of fact, you will void the warranty if you don’t remove what is there. It is unfortunate
Gary: Yes, but it makes sense. When I explain it to people, they get it. Sometimes it is not as difficult to remove as you may think it is. But if you have water weeping through the walls, I have seen your displays in the stores, and I think people see the display with the cement block and the water being pumped into it, half the block coated in
DRYLOK and the other half not. Weeping is the word the water weeps through the untreated surface.
Lance: Yes, those are porous cement blocks, and that is an actual product that has been applied by hand at our factory, yes, two coats.
Gary: Can the
DRYLOK be mixed into colors, the stores will do that for you?
Lance: Oh, yes, that is a big deal. We have a color card with about 9 or 10 colors on it, but any of the formulas can be made into multiple colors, they cut back on the formula, and you can make all the light colors and some of the medium shade colors. There is an array of colors.
Gary: Yes, back in the day, I used a few cans of
DRYLOK Masonry Waterproofer, and I remember the formula was always half strength.
Lance: Yes, a quart formula per gallon is what they use. And, you cannot exceed two fluid ounces per gallon. It tints up pretty fast.
Gary: DRYLOK is sold, I would have to say almost any hardware store or paint store
Lance: Yes. Sold Nationwide. Hardware stores, paint stores, and at the Boxes.
Gary: it is a great product, and it has been around a long, long time, and I have used it many times. Again, it is
DRYLOK Masonry Waterproofer made by
UGL. Lance, thanks for joining us today.
