Down Under

Today was spent trying to get the rubber membrane applied to the treated wall. This is fairly tricky when you are doing it by yourself but it can be done, albeit with shorter strips of rubber. This is a peel-and-stick kinda stuff and it works best to leave as much of the plastic film on the membrane as you can and then gradually work down the strip, peeling and sticking as you go. I peel the top edge first and apply it lightly at the grade I want, then peel the rest downward. Gravity lets the membrane lay down easily that way. Keep the membrane as cool as possible too, don't let it lay in the sun and try to not let it touch itself! Very important. This membrane has a white, fibrous coating on it, I think as a type of reinforcing against tears. This was some drop leftover from a job also, so this is only costing me the paint-on stuff, which is about $10/gallon. I let the membrane turn down onto the footing about 4 to 5 inches and lap joints about 6 inches. I have also applied a second run above this one.
I know a lot of people would think, well, if that stuff is so sticky, why paint on the goo too? Well, the membrane must be applied to a treated surface. No matter how well you clean concrete, it's always going to have some dust or film on it that would interfere with the membrane sticking.
After I applied all the membrane, I go back and use a butyl rubber caulking to seal all the edges. And you must use butyl rubber that is rated for 'below grade' applications. It comes in a regular caulking tube and you just lay down about a 1/4 to 3/8" line of the caulk and then tool over it with a putty knife, assuring that it has sealed the edge. I go over all joints and edges.
Now, waterproofing is the nastiest stuff you will deal with. Wear the worst clothes you have with the expectation that you will throw them away when you are done. I don't care how careful you are or try to be, how much you watch what you are doing, the waterproofing will get all over you. You remember in the first season or so of the Star Trek; New Generation series when Picard and the crew got stranded on that planet with the tar pit-looking monster? Okay, that tar pit monster was waterproofing. Yeah, you think I'm joking. This crap waits for you to turn your back and then it jumps on you. Everything will be fine and then suddenly...it's on your arm! or in your hair! Beware of it.
Of course, gasoline will take it off but so will WD-40 or similar and then you can just wash that off with soap and water. The roller and paint brushes you might use though are trash, so buy disposable.


*Men At Work