#iko prevent

What options do you have for waterproofing heritage (or any old wooden) structures?

Several years back, fire services were called to a fire at a historic homestead in Hawkes Bay. What they found when they got there was a bonfire as the tinder-dry dwelling burned out of control. And a roofing contractor sitting on the front lawn in tears.

It turns out the recently vacated house was getting an upgrade, including a new layer of waterproofing on the roof. And the inexperienced contractor using a naked flame had managed to ignite the woodwork under the tin, and before he could get his sorry ass off the roof the building was doomed. The exact cause of the fire was undetermined, but we suspect it was a birds nest amongst the dry beams.

Refurbishment of Heritage Buildings creates a whole host of issues for contractors. Not only are the buildings priceless and irreplaceable, they’re often poorly maintained, and packed with dangerous wiring and flammable materials.

Practices such as applying waterproofing membranes using naked flames, which are commonplace on other projects, are simply not an option. Even the use of volatile solvents and chemicals can cause unacceptable risk .

In such cases, your waterproofing choices are either to use cold applied membranes like IKO Prevent, or else to use conventional processes such as hot mastic asphalt. In the latter case, there’s still inherent danger with the asphalt boiler, so precautions need to be taken to make sure this is well away from the structure. But this is true of most jobs, and the product can easily be transported to the worksite in wheelbarrows.

Neuchatel is a specialist in heritage building refurbishments, and has carried out repairs on some of NZ’s most iconic Heritage buildings, including William Gummer’s family home, Stoneways, Epsom and Highwick House. But arguably the most delicate restoration was on Governor Grey’s Mansion House on Kawau Island.

The almost 200-year-old wooden structure was built for the mine superintendent, and extensively redeveloped when Governor Grey purchased the island in 1862. 100 years further on the house was acquired by DOC, and in the late 70’s underwent major restoration to restore it to it’s former appearance.

Natural Neuchatel Mastic Asphalt was chosen to sure up the roof, deck, gutter and verandah, because it’s strong, malleable, and impervious to water. But more important, it could be applied safely and without weakening the integrity of the structure.

Few products can match Mastic Asphalt for it’s strength and lifespan. It’s likely our product will be still doing it’s job in 100 years when the building is ready for it’s next refurbishment.

NZ’s temperate climate has made us all a little cavalier when it comes to insulation, but in reality, it’s one of the easiest ways for businesses to cut costs.

Inadequate insulation not only burns up energy. It spikes maintenance and plant costs as equipment undergoes more stress and wears out quicker. And then there’s the environmental cost of pumping pollutants and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Modern buildings are embracing new technologies to mitigate extremes of hot and cold. The heat funnel effect first seen on the Geyser Building, and later on factories like Ceres in Mt Wellington, use temperature differentials to draw cool air through the buildings in the summer, and solar warmed air in winter.

But what if you’re saddled with an aging building, with old or inadequate insulation? If that’s the case, you might consider retrofitting a high-performance insulation system with waterproof membrane directly onto the outer skin of the roof.

In NZ insulation has traditionally been placed inside, between the rafters and the roof, which is known as a “Cold Roof”. But more businesses are adopting the European practice of putting the insulation directly on the outside.  This is known as a warm roof, and has a number of advantages, including:

Less capital outlay to install, as there’s no need to remove the existing roof, and little need to prep the area. The new skin will cover everything.

Easier to apply, saving on time and the need for specialist craftsmen.

No disruptions to operations during the retrofit, as there’s no breaches to the building, and no workmen inside the building.

Less opportunity for Thermal Bridging. When insulation is applied under the roof, the beams holding the roof up transfer temperature differentials across the thermal barrier.

Less likelihood of moisture build-up in cold weather, as the dew point is located outside the roof

The extra skin adds to the integrity of the roof, prolonging it’s life expectancy.

Another couple of big benefits come when using products like IKO Prevent (from Neuchatel, NZ).

This latest technology waterproofing membrane is fire retardant, and can dramatically reduce losses in the unfortunate event of a fire. And

It’s “cold applied”. Having workmen on your roof with naked flames adds unnecessary risk to your project, when IKO performs the same job in a flame-free environment. 

So application is much quicker and less risky (without compromising the integrity or life expectancy of your membrane).

And while you’re weighing up the merits of adding a membrane, here’s another couple of questions for you to ask yourself.

Are you paying more in air conditioning than you are in heating? If so then maybe you should consider lightening the colour of your roof. You might be amazed at how such a simple act can cut your costs. The ‘solar reflectance’ of the paint you use also affects the way it absorbs heat.  And

Could you cut down on thermal bridging? It’s difficult to insulate beams, but there’s plenty of other items penetrating your roof. Pipes and vents are obvious, but what about nails? Each one that pierces your insulation is creating a pathway for heat to transfer in or out.

Good insulation is not difficult to achieve. And when weighed up against heating and cooling costs, is a surprisingly good investment for almost all buildings. How does yours stack up?