Technically advanced coatings deliver outstanding benefits to senior residence center and improve structural integrity of an aging roof.By Suzan Chin-TaylorThe Julia Craft Eventide Home in the heart of Bangalore has recently received some upgrades and a wealth of benefits by choosing to apply high-performance, nano-enhanced waterproofing and heat reflective coatings from OBIC Solutions Pvt Ltd.This project was very exciting for OBIC Solutions as it would allow them to not only showcase what their line of high-performance coatings could do, but also to help take care of the seniors that lived within these grounds to make them more comfortable, safe, and dry year-round. “In Bangalore, we had been hearing that it has been getting more and more hot and humid each year with monsoon seasons being extended and intense as well. With this project we wanted to relieve some of the tension that comes with living in these severe weather conditions by making it cooler inside the residences, reduce energy consumption and cooling costs, but most important, make the residents feel more at home and relaxed in the place that they call home,” shares Josh Reed, Managing Director of OBIC Solutions Pvt. Ltd. of Dehradun.The Best OptionsThe center decided to work with OBIC Solutions because of the range of products offered in its OBICCool coatings line. The OBICCool products, when used in conjunction with one another, could answer their challenges of waterproofing, stopping water ingress as well as reducing summer heat. In addition, the senior center also had different roofing substrates that included metal and concrete and OBIC had solutions well suited for both.The key to a successful outcome of any waterproofing or coatings project lies in the preparation of the substrates to be coated. “In the coatings business there are three P’s,” Reed explains, “Prep, Prep, and Prep. You have to be able to prep the surface well, meaning that the substrate must be clean and have a stable profile so that whatever material you are using can bond with the substrate.” For both the concrete and metal sections of roofs to be treated, the OBIC application team extensively cleaned all the surfaces, removing any debris to create smooth profiles. Next, the lining material was properly blended and mixed with the needed ratios for the application requirements. First, a layer of OBICCool 100M (for metal surfaces) or 100C (for concrete substrates) which can be mixed with concrete, was applied to serve as a priming coat. Because of its nano-enhanced, patented technology formula, OBICCool 100M and 100C provide an exceptional waterproofing characteristic that has been found to be superior to other waterproofing solutions currently available on the market. They can be used as stand-alone solutions for instances that call for only waterproofing.After the initial primer coating, the crews applied two layers of OBICCool 300M to the metal roof section and two layers of OBICCool 300C to the concrete substrate roof sections to form solar heat-reflective topcoat barriers. What was most surprising to the application team as well as the center staff, was that after the application of the first layer of topcoat, when one of the installation crew members came out and placed his hand on the treated metal rooftop, he was shocked to find that it wasn't giving off any heat. He then proceeded to go to the next untreated rooftop for comparison. The drop in temperature difference after just one layer of the reflective coating was exciting for everyone to witness. The product reflects away UV rays as well as infrared rays from the sun which equates to about 70% of the heat being reflected from the treated surface, and on average, the ambient temperature inside of a room beneath the treated roof will be reduced from 8 to 12°C.One of the sections of roofs being coated was quite thin and one of the advantages of the OBICCool products was that after application, due to the absorption and bonding properties of the material, the lifespan of this section could potentially be extended another 15 to 20 years.“The speed of the application was impressive. In a very short period of two days, the first major sections of the project were completed, and we could instantly tell the difference in temperature as it was much cooler and more comfortable than areas that had not received the application of the coating within our structures in the compound. We also noticed that terraces that faced the area where the coating had been applied were also cooler as they seemed to be bouncing the heat away from the adjacent areas. We were amazed,” shares Janis Barker, Board Member of the Eventide Home Association.Win-Win All AroundOBIC Solutions is excited over the success of this project and is experiencing similar results in smaller scale residential applications in areas like Dehradun. They are looking forward to bringing this solution to commercial applications such as poultry farm projects to help keep livestock cooler and healthier. “For us it's not just about the business or making revenue, it's actually about helping people and improving infrastructure in India which is very needed. We foresee that these products will be able to not only improve but will also offer sustainability and extend the life of infrastructure now and for generations to come,” Reed shares.For more information about OBIC Solutions line of high-tech, high-performance, and high-value coatings, contact +91 70788 88215, info@obicsolutions.in or visit online at www.obicsolutions.in