Although basically in good shape, the 12-story, 76-unit high rise in Columbia, Md, needed a facelift. According to building manager, Jeanne Fisher of this condominium community, Watermark Place Condo, there were a lot of stains and algae on the building, and it definitely needed sprucing up. “The windows have weep holes and the water, dirt and algae drained down on the building,” said Fisher. “The trees surrounding the building are nice but didn’t help when it came to the algae.”
Watermark Place Condo contacted the engineering firm, Gardner James Engineering, Inc., and they got to work on the high rise. “We were a little hesitant at first on deciding which product to use as a coating,” said Dave Gertz of Gardner James Engineering, Inc. “We researched a new product, StoCoat™ Lotusan, from Sto Corp., and are glad we went with it.”
Lotusan® is an exterior wall coating modeled on the microstructure of the lotus leaf. This BIONICS™ technology, engineered by Sto Corp., imparts super-hydrophobic properties – the Lotus-Effect® - to the coating. The features of Lotusan include high resistance to soiling, pronounced self cleaning effect, high resistance to mold, mildew and algae, excellent weather and chalk resistance, and high water vapor permeability.
“We used two coats of Lotusan for the project and it really stands out, making Watermark Place Condo look like a brand new building,” said Gertz of the high rise built in 1989. “If you watch the coating during a rain, the coating never really seems to get wet as the water continually rolls off the surface. When the rain stops, you can run your hand over the Lotusan and it’s almost immediately dry.” Gertz continued; “Lotusan applies like a paint, and is thinner than other coatings which makes it easier to apply. And it has a 10-year waterproofing warranty behind it.”
Three colors were chosen including light beige, dark beige and a dark maroon band. “We’ve had no problems with anything at the job site and Lotusan is a great product,” added Gertz.
Fisher agrees. “The building looks beautiful.”
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About Lotusan
Lotusan is an exterior wall coating modeled on the microstructure of the lotus leaf. This BIONICS™ technology, engineered by Sto Corp., imparts super-hydrophobic properties – the Lotus-Effect® - to the coating. The features of Lotusan include high resistance to soiling, pronounced self cleaning effect, high resistance to mold, mildew and algae, excellent weather and chalk resistance, and high water vapor permeability.
About Sto Corp.
Sto Corp., based in Atlanta, Georgia, is an innovative world leader and producer of a broad range of versatile cladding and coating systems for building construction, maintenance and restoration. Sto Corp. is ISO 9001 certified and operates production plants strategically located to serve more than 200 distributor shipping locations across North America. At research and development laboratories in the U.S. and Europe, Sto continues to revolutionize the industry with the highest quality products and application technology. For more information, visit www.stocorp.com or call toll free (800) 221-2397 or (404) 346-0755.
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