Need to waterproof in a hurry? Mapelastic Turbo charge it!

Have you ever been in a situation where you need to waterproof an area and time is working against you? Well, it seems like every job falls into that category. No one wants to wait days to finish a job, especially when you are working in a business that is shut down or in a home where the family has to share a single bathroom. Waterproofing is a big concern where water penetration is eminent and, if not properly done, can cause major issues – including the cost of repairing the damage caused by a leak.

As the old sayings go, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” and “Time is of the essence.” We believe that as well, and that is why MAPEI introduced Mapelastic Turbo, a new product that will help contractors to waterproof areas in a timely fashion.

Mapelastic Turbo is a two-component, rapid-drying, cementitious-binder-based membrane with fine-grained selected aggregates, special admixtures and synthetic polymers in water dispersion. This product is for interior and exterior installations under ceramic tile or stone in residential, commercial and industrial intermittent wet or submerged environments. Applied easily with a roller or brush, Mapelastic Turbo provides an excellent barrier to protect adjacent rooms and floors below from water damage.

Mapelastic Turbo’s attributes include:

• Waterproofing and crack isolation, up to 1/8" (3 mm)
• Rapid-setting: Tiling in as little as 90 minutes
• Flood-testing after 3 to 4 hours
• A pot life of greater than 45 minutes
• Application with roller or brush
• Ability to adhere to PVC, copper, brass and stainless steel-pipe penetrations (abraded by sandpaper)
• Multiple pre-treating applications – cracks, corners and coves; drains; and openings around pipes and other penetrations.

It is not just the time frame of Mapelastic Turbo that is impressive – it is all the various applications of the product as well. It can be used on countertops, fountains and pools, shower pans, showers, tub and shower surrounds, laundry rooms and submerged applications, just to name a few.

A particular area of concern for installers over the years is balconies. Not anymore with Mapelastic Turbo – it can be used on cantilevered balconies and decks over unoccupied space, and balconies, decks and terraces over occupied space when used in conjunction with a primary waterproofing membrane. Another benefit of Mapelastic Turbo is that it can be used over young (green) concrete that has cured for 7 days.

A typical application where Mapelastic Turbo has the greatest advantage is the installation of a shower pan. Once the shower pan is completed and the mud bed has dried properly, Mapelastic Turbo can be rolled with a 3/8" (10 mm) nap roller onto the shower pan and then left to dry for 50 to 60 minutes. Once the first coat of Mapelastic Turbo has dried, a second coat should be applied and then left to dry for about 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the jobsite conditions. At this point, tile can be installed or, if necessary, a flood test can be performed in just 3 to 4 hours once the second coat of Mapelastic Turbo has dried; typically, it would be necessary to wait 12 to 24 hours before a flood test could be completed.

Saving time on a job is crucial in any business, considering the costs involved with downtime. Preparation and execution go hand in hand to obtain the best possible solution to any situation – knowing that time is always of the essence, MAPEI has a solution for any application.

You can find more waterproofing-membrane options from MAPEI here, or you can contact MAPEI’s Technical Services Department at 1-800-992-6273.