Technical Information On Potential COOLWALL® Installation Errors

There are many ways a job can be done improperly.  The main seven are:

  Efflorescence Poisoning

  Gaps Or Lack Of Sealant That Allow Water Damage

  Gaps That Just Look Bad

  Improper Construction

  Insufficient Coating

  Old Paint Not Removed

  Overspray

  Rotted Wood Not Replaced

In addition to our Need To Know section in our TEX•COTE COOLWALL® page where we offer more critical information on keeping your home painting project legal, we now present a photo essay of the many known ways of improperly doing a job.  Naturally, our very experienced consultants and crews strive to avoid and correct issues like these:

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Efflorescence Poisoning

Efflorescence poisoning is handled by Capstone Coatings & Windows by waterblasting first. The pressure that we will waterblast with is determined by the underlying substrate.  For instance, with concrete we would waterblast at a higher psi than wood.

Waterblasting accomplishes a few things.  It is a test of pressure.  Simply put, after waterblasting wood at 4000 psi, you will be able to determie if it has termites, water-rot, black-mold, fungus, sun damage, etc..  

When you waterblast stucco at 6000 psi you willl be able to see what is structurally sound, and what is not.  

After waterblasting, pre-existing damage is thus uncovered.

After we have determined what is structurally sound, we reconsititute the underlying substrate with sealing compounds like TEX•COTE® exclusive TEX•BOND®  and FLEX•PATCH® products. Next, primer with hydrophobic resin is applied to keep water out. Finally COOLWALL® is applied, which offers the only warranty in the industry that blocks efflorescence.

If you do not fix efflorescence correctly, anything that is applied to the surface will exacerbate the problem by trapping moisture. The efflorescence poisoning will thus compromise the structural integrity of the wall exponentially faster than before anything was applied.

Many painters and stucco companies have applied paint or stucco on top of efflorescence in the hope of putting a band-aid over the tumor.  However, this approach though it may accomplish a short-term cover-up, will actually create more damage to the substrate.  In many cases will lead into a mold infested wall.

Often, when efflorescence is present, mold is present in the wall as well, since both problems are caused by moisture.  

When efflorescence is present, the key is to remove what is not structurally sound, reconstitute the wall, seal the wall to stop the moisture penetration, and eliminate the porosity of the stucco. Once done, the cause of the efflorescence has been remedied.

Without reconstituting and sealing the stucco, any material applied to the surface will cause greater damage. 

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Lack Of Sealant Covering Gaps That Allow Water Damage

Capstone Coatings & Windows insists on doing work according to the highest standards of craftsmanship. This means we always take the time to seal areas where water can seep in, and cause wood rot between the window and the frame, as seen below.

Capstone always takes the time to seal exposed wood prior to installing TEX•COTE COOLWALL® or windows.  Otherwise, the result is wood rot as seen below.  If the wood rot has already taken place, we replace the wood.

The lower edges of the wood beige siding were never sealed, so the rain is rotting the wood and ruining the paint.

Gaps That Just Look Bad

This is another example of the kind of ugly work Capstone does not do. Old sealant is always replaced with TEX•BOND® or FLEX•PATCH®, so water cannot seep in. 

Here we see the miter joint, a.k.a. the space where two pieces of wood come together were not sanded smooth once patched together.

The space where the fascia board meets the siding has not been sealed to keep water out.  As a result, the fascia is rotting and cracking.

Improper Construction

Failure by the previous contractor to use TEX•BOND® or FLEX•PATCH® has resulted in the rotting and destruction of the sealant used to bond the siding to the flashing.  Also, the flashing itself is ugly.

A large unattractive gap not only lowers the value of this home, but also allows water to seep in and cause damage.

Insufficient Coating

Not covering or protecting the bottom edge of this siding board is sloppy.  It looks bad, and it allows water to more easily damage it. 

The same kind of sloppy work can be seen here, where the lower part of the trim is unprotected.

Old Paint Not Removed

Lack of water blasting or sanding has given the owner this bumpy paint job.

Not removing the old paint is causing the top layer of new paint to peel.

Overspray

Proper masking of surfaces needs to be done to avoid ruining surfaces that were never meant to be colored.

Poor plant!

Rotted Wood Not Replaced

Capstone Coatings & Windows replaces rotted wood prior to priming.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  We want your COOLWALL® to last for decades.

Don't forget to see our Before & After page where you can see for yourself the kind of work we do to the homes of our customers, as well as our Need To Know section where we offer critical information on avoiding costly painting mistakes. 

Capstone Coatings & Windows is an authorized independent affiliate of The Home Service Store® for Trusted Home Services® and offers Tex•Cote COOLWALL® and eShield^TM through the Costco.com home improvement program.

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