Polyurea

clockwork

There is a commercial project going up nearby. It took driving by a few times to notice they were painting the block walls black. A few more trips by and it came to me that nobody paints block walls. I drove over and concluded that it is a light coat of polyurea.

Can anyone tell me if this is a common application on block walls? I'm guessing it's a vapor barrier. And why would they chose this application over other options? I assume they'll now have to core fill the blocks to insulate.

I'm a new sprayed foam business and this is interesting to me. I'm capable of spraying foam and polyurea. Niether polyurea or foam is cheap. It seems to me that if they're going to spend the time and money to spray the entire wall with polyurea as a vapor barrier, why not use a dense foam and get the vapor barrier and insulation at the same time?

First post, pleasure to be here.

concretemasonry

It is probably a spray on "house wrap" type moisture barrier that breathes. One manufacturer has a product that works for both wood sheathing and concrete masonry. - Its really good and does not have nail holes and can go over the window flashing.

I saw many projects in Virginia where they just sprayed on a cheap damp proofer or similar coating before doing the brick veneer. It was very common.

They may be planning on using some sort of a exterior insulation and have a brick veneer for a cavity wall or fill the cores and put a non-insulating exterior on.

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Dick

Engineer, designer and consultant recently active domestically and internationally on construction and design in about 35 countries.

woodmagman

You are in the spray foam buisness, that is just one step away from spraying truck box liners. A polyurea company uses concrete blocks as a sample when showing how tough it is. They throw is off a two story parkade....watch it bounce..... I posed a question regarding this product in another area...cool product.

hrscammisa

I'm not sure what the product is called but that is some thing they do all over Calif. And they should not be abel to fill the block with any thing. because when they build the walls they have to do it in lifts.Every 4to 5 blocks are poured with mud. they run rebar through it and it should be inspected first then poured. so you have # 4 uprughts every 2ft block over them then # 4 running horizantal every 4to 5 blocks. keep a eye out to see if they put foam in before they back fill.

concretemasonry

hrscammisa -

I think this is something that is sprayed on the surface of the block. I would like to find out how well it really works and what the code approvals may be.

There are methods to insert foam into the cells of the block before grouting and still meet the code requirements for reinforced cells. It is a polystyrene unit that is inserted toward one face of the core of the block, still leaving room for the steel and grout. The name of it is Enerblock.

The reinforcement you mentioned is a little overboard, even for California if it is properly designed. Grouting as close as 4-5 blocks is not as good and a higher lift if done properly.

__________________
Dick

Engineer, designer and consultant recently active domestically and internationally on construction and design in about 35 countries.

hrscammisa

A lot of guys here in Elko NV are using styrofoam blocks they are 16" wide for there found dos. Thats not over board for calif at all. On my projucts they have used 2#4 horizantals and a min of 3 blk pours.It is different there we had to build for seismic conditions 25 years in the trade as a commercial forman and super with structual steel and concret 40 ft walls 14" thick we built for movement its Calif hold on heres comes another.All design by structual engineers

onesch02

Carlisle (roofing mainly) makes a product for CMU walls for moisture/vapor barrier. This was used on a school project I am on in upstate NY.

First they prime all corners and returns

Then apply a tape around all corners and returns

Next spray all area with a black material

For insulating they used a spray in foam in which they drilled holes in the mortar joint and pumped/sprayed in expanding foam in lifts up the wall

Every 32" OC was poured solid with re rod and around all openings

Brick veneer with 1 1/2" air barrier

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The smell of 2 stroke demo saws at 7am + coffee = the start of another great day

TomHay

Hi polyurea and Spray foam are easy.

http://soythane.com/

http://spraymaxliners.com/