The Lauren – Bethesda, MD

PRODUCTS: XL-Perm Ultra VP, XL-Flash

Luxury in the Air

Bethesda, MD is a thriving urban center home to numerous restaurants, retailers, art venues and is considered to be one of the most renowned communities in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. So it wasn’t surprising when a DC developer decided to build high-end boutique condos, available for ownership in spring 2016, called The Lauren.

This seven-story building offers 29 resident homes, five guest suites and six moderately-priced dwelling units. The floor plans range from 1,444 sq. ft. to more than 6000 sq. ft. If that isn’t enough space for your new home, there is a 7,300 square-foot penthouse that includes a private outdoor terrace, maid’s quarters and private elevator access available exclusively for the residency.

Robert Swedroe Architects (Miami, FL) wanted the building to have an “understated, timeless elegance” for its tenants. This meant building substrates consisting of: classic stone panels and windows without large expanses of glass curtain wall or other reflective surfaces.

When constructing a building of this magnitude, Robert Swedroe Architects work endlessly to design the exterior aesthetics. This same thoughtfulness was used to make the building envelop energy efficient and air-tight. So, it was only natural that Seal Caulking and Waterproofing (Suitland, MD) would choose a quality ABAA evaluated, fire-rated air barrier system. Pecora XL-Perm^ULTRA VP a STPU vapor permeable air, vapor and water resistive barrier was selected as the system that would protect this high-end property. The properties of the STPU system, which include fast cure and the ability to install in wet weather, allowed Seal Caulking and Waterproofing to meet the accelerated construction time line. The XL-Perm^ULTRA VP and its flashing hold a UL certification and has passed the NFPA 285 wall component testing.

All of the windows, corners, joint and penetrations were initially flashed with Pecora XL-Flash, which is a fast curing, one-part, STPU liquid flashing. This sealant was applied at 20-40 wet mils. Once completed, the next step was to roll the XL-Perm^ULTRA fluid-applied liquid coating. The XL-Perm^ULTRA can be either rolled or spray-applied in one single coat at 10-14 wet mils to achieve a coverage rate of 85 – 110 sq. ft. per gallon.

The durable STPU formulation of the XL-Perm^ULTRA was able to withstand the rigors of the panel installation and will continue to provide long lasting weather protection for the residences. The application of the air barrier system was started in June 2015 and completed that September. The seamless efforts of Pecora’s Technical Department partnering closely with Seal Caulking and Waterproofing, made this project a success. Laboratory compatibility tests were performed to ensure that both the coating and the flashing adhered to the other components being applied to the EIFS on the balconies.

After the building envelope was properly protected, Seal Caulking and Waterproofing applied Pecora 890NST on the window perimeters and for the joints between the stone panels that clad the exterior. This sealant was chosen because of its Non-Staining Technology, which removes the molecules that cause the free fluids associated with the damaging effects of building staining and residue rundown.

The new residents at The Lauren not only have a luxurious new home, but they have an energy efficient and healthy dwelling in which to reside.