Waterproofing communal areas and keeping minimum disruption

You could apply the same analogy to balconies and other communal areas such as walkways and stairwells in flats and other buildings with multiple occupants. When they need refurbishing, you are going to disrupt a lot of people.

There is also the added problem of noxious odours frequently associated with the waterproofing and maintenance of communal areas – but it really doesn’t have to be like that. Modern waterproofing materials with fast curing times mean that contractors can get on with the job quickly and efficiently keeping disruption times down to a couple of hours at most. The added bonus is that such materials have minimal odour.

Companies such as Proteus Waterproofing are pioneering this approach in both the public sector and with private landlords to ensure that balconies and walkways can be refurbished in two hours with cold applied products that offer the added bonus of greater safety.

Cold applied products in particular are now the systems of choice for building owners and specifiers. The Grenfell disaster has naturally focussed attention on the danger of fire and health and safety of residents.

Proteus Waterproofing’s flagship product in this area is Pro-BW® Plus, a liquid-applied, rapid curing protective coating that provides a colourfast, UV stable and skid-inhibiting
surface for balconies and walkways. Pro-BW® Plus reduces installation time from days to hours, is made in the UK and is BBA Certified.

It is ideal for both refurbishments and new builds and is suitable for a variety of external applications. As it is a cold applied installation, the system meets health and safety criteria by minimising risk to both operatives and members of the public and can be applied in just 2 hours.

This is particularly good news for landlords or building owners. Statistics show that the greatest risk of fire or accidents occurs in communal areas, and anything that can be
done to improve safety is understandably welcome.

In the past, traditional waterproofing requiring molten material or naked flame has been used in communal areas. This has frequently put these areas off limits for several days and raised the risk of health issues from fumes.

When used by skilled operatives, such materials are not a risk but in densely populated areas, the use of such products is not welcomed by residents and if there is only one way
in and out of your home then you are not going to welcome the smell or the enforced absence.

So if you are thinking of taking up the carpet and want a new one down as quickly as possible then traditional will no longer do – that has been the Proteus experience and
it is just going to get bigger.