Water Management

Water run-off quickly fills the channel and leaks into the building.

One unique challenge with a Quonset is water-proofing the base. If left as constructed, the U-Channel base plate will catch and hold water as it runs off the roof, and, trust me, a lot of water runs off the roof! There are two problems with handling the water: first, diverting the water away from the channel; and second, stopping the water from running between the channel and the slab. When the base plates were put down, grout was used between the channel and the concrete. 

Concrete fill is a cheap, quick, and easy way to divert the run-off away from the base.

After the arches were erected the pockets were filled with concrete. It’s important to coat the Galvalume Quonset panels with a protectant before the concrete is put into place. To simplify the concrete application, we put Sakrete in dry, then poured water over the top. This way it is easier to deal with, rather than having to mix a bag for each pour.  

After the concrete sets, a good quality caulk helps seal the joint between the concrete and the Galvalume skin.

After the pockets were filled with concrete, the edges were caulked and a thin coat of water-proof cement was troweled over it. After the water-proof cement cured we used concrete sealer over it all for good measure.