Long-time Smooth-On user Jon Scott wrote us an email about his success using Brush-On® 50 as a leak stopper during Hurricane Irene:
"Dear Smooth-On Team,
I just wanted to send a quick note of thanks and appreciation for your product Brush-On 50. Normally I use it for my mold making and have been very happy with it, but this past weekend I gave it a real test: leak prevention during the brunt of hurricane Irene.
My wife and I live in a historic home in Catasauqua, PA that was built in 1895. As anyone with an older home can attest, a lot of time, energy and money is needed to maintain and repair a house like ours. This spring and summer, the record Pennsylvania rainfalls have done a number on our roof, which dates from the 20’s. Buckets have not been enough to stop the flow of water from damaging a bedroom, a closet and our main stairway. With hurricane Irene (and potentially 10+ inches of rain) bearing down on the East Coast, we knew we had to try something to patch the roof and stop the leak.
I once made the mistake of not using release agent over one of my sculptures before applying Brush-On 50, so I know how adhesive it is. I decided to give it a try on the seams between the copper plating around the chimney where I suspected the leak originated. We applied the rubber Saturday morning, and the rain started Saturday afternoon and continued on through today (Sunday). I was hoping it would help slow the leak, but was shocked to find that it completely stopped it. I can’t tell you how pleased I am with the results. We are looking to replace the entire roof sometime in 2012, but I am happy to know that the Brush-On 50 will work as a patch until then. Less than $10 of material will help us save thousands in costly repairs to the rest of the house.
My son helped hold the ladder and took some photos of the process. I’ve attached a few pictures along with descriptions, and you are welcome to use them on your site. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Jon Scott"
Thanks Jon - we are glad to hear that Brush-On® 50 helped you get through the hurricane. If you decide to patch any other areas in the future, we would suggest adding Sun Devil® to the Brush-On® 50 (info: Sun Devil) to increase the UV resistance. This will help extend the life of the repair job.
Our house, built in 1895. The roof dates from the 1920s.
Some of the damaged areas in a bedroom caused by past leaks.
Some of the damaged areas in a closet caused by past leaks.
Some of the damaged areas in the main stairway caused by past leaks.
Setting up the ladder to reach the roof.
A precarious climb up to the roof.
Some of the copper plating around the chimney - I suspect this is where the leak originated.
Cleaning the seams in preparation for the applying the Brush-On 50.
Brush-On 50
Mixing. I added some black SO-Strong to match the current seams, and hopefully increase the UV resistance.
Applying Brush-On 50.
Applying Brush-On 50.
Applying Brush-On 50.
I did not use it on every seam, focusing more on the vertical areas.
The result: bone dry around the chimney where in the past the worst leaking occurred. Thanks Brush-On 50!
