Western Specialty Contractor’s Washington, D.C. branch recently completed a 17-month project to waterproof the three buildings of Sequoia Plaza in Arlington, VA. The project required 90,000 linear feet of replacement caulk.
Western’s scope of work included replacing failing waterproofing on the three buildings’ facades, which were showing signs of deterioration due to age and weathering.
Western replaced waterproofing around each building’s perimeter, masonry joints and windows as part of ongoing maintenance. Western’s waterproofing experts installed approximately 90,000 linear feet of caulk on the three buildings.
Caulking is the first line of defense against water getting into a building. Failed caulking is the number one cause of water issues in all buildings. Western’s experts recommend inspecting a building’s caulk joints at least once a year to look for any signs of deterioration, which may include cracking, flaking or missing caulk. When caulk is deteriorating, water can easily seep into a building’s interior, causing unhappy tenants and costly interior damage.
“It makes sense why caulking is so often overlooked by building managers. Its size and cost seem relatively small compared to other parts of the building,” said Western’s Chief Operating Officer Tom Brooks. “If one component fails, like the caulk, it doesn’t matter what kind of shape the other components are in; water is going to get into your building. The main thing to keep in mind is that your building is made up of a bunch of different components. The only way your multiple building components can work together is if each one is properly transitioned into the other parts. That transition is usually the caulking.”
Western completed the Sequoia Plaza project on schedule and within budget in November 2024. For more information about Western’s waterproofing and other façade restoration services, visit https://westernspecialtycontractors.com/services/.
Have a project you need completed? Contact the DC branch today https://westernspecialtycontractors.com/dc/
About Western Specialty Contractors
Family-owned and operated for more than 100 years, Western Specialty Contractors is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing, and specialty roofing. Western offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects, and property managers can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures, including industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational and government buildings, parking structures, and sports stadiums. Western is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, with 30 branch offices nationwide and employs more than 1,200 salaried and hourly professionals who offer the best, time-tested techniques and innovative technology. For more information about Western Specialty Contractors, visit https://westernspecialtycontractors.com.