Protect single wythe concrete block walls

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Apr 01, 2010

The BlockNet® system by Mortar Net USA, Ltd. is the only product that reliably protects single wythe concrete block walls from damage caused by water infiltration. By providing an open path by which water can migrate to the exterior of the building while simultaneously preventing mortar droppings from blocking that path, the BlockNet® system allows the free migration of moisture from the interior of the block cells to the building exterior.

This new product, patent pending, forms a continuous drainage system around the entire perimeter of a concrete block building. When water enters the wall it flows down the inside of the face of the block, through the BlockNet® vertical mesh piece onto the horizontal stainless steel drainage piece and out of the wall through the integrated drainage tabs.

According to Robert Nelson of Robert L. Nelson & Associates, a nationally recognized masonry materials testing laboratory located in Schaumburg, Illinois "I have tested hundreds of walls over the years and moisture, even wind driven rain, will consistently run down the inside of the exterior face shell of the block. Moisture rarely penetrates beyond an inch inside the core."

For block walls, installing a flashing system that channels water to the exterior of single wythe concrete masonry unit (CMU) is the first step in preventing damage associated with water infiltration.

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