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Problems with Baumit.com thin coat render system - part 3.


ProDave

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Might be worth putting on a Clear coat after it’s stopped bulging and dry before you start hacking it off or applying even more rain screen. ?‍♂️ As I said above it’s certainly sealed our bricks on the west wall.

Edited by joe90
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I have to say I concur with you, @saveasteading and @Gordo that it's most likely external moisture ingress and that microcracks may be playing a role. If your render is going through thermal shock while damp then it's got to be possible that the freeze-thaw expansion and contraction causes microcracks which let in more moisture over time.

 

Having looked at the technical manual from my wood fibre manufacture, Schneider, I also suspect that movement in the timber frame plays a role here. Schneider wood states that their silicon resin plaster, similar to Baumit's sillikonTop, only has ETICS approval when the boards are fitted onto a masonry substrate. The alternative top coat is a mineral final render which appears to be fine on timber frame. They also recommend the application of a final levelling coat of silicon paint for extra weather protection on top of the silicon resin, or as the final coat on the mineral render final coat. This is quite different to the buildup used by Pavatex/Baumit and the now defunct NBT which is on your wall.

 

It may be that, as already suggested, trying a final layer of protective silicon paint might help, but obviously damage has already been done.

 

 

 

 

Edited by SimonD
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  • 5 weeks later...

An update, not really because there is anything particular new to report, but more of a diary.

 

I had the heavy wind driven rain followed by sharp frost that provoked the start of this thread.

 

Not long after my last post we had another sharp frost, and no blistering issue.  And since then we have had a lot of cold weather including right now, where it has been well below 0 for several days, the whole north facing side of the house is covered in a glistening layer of frost and not blister, bulge or any issue to be seen anywhere.

 

This reinforces my view that the problem occurs when we get heavy wind driven rain that allows some moisture to get through the top coat, that then freezes, expands and blisters, possibly cracking the top coat in the process making it easier for more water ingress.

 

The fact it does not blister again when it freezes a week later, suggests whatever moisture has got in dries out fairly quickly.

 

And the fact that now even after a lot of sub zero weather, there are no other signs of problems suggests there is no other underlying moisture issue apart from the occasional heavy wind driven rain, which is a bit of a relief.

 

So now it's a case of wait and monitor what happens to see if there are any other issues that need remedial work or not.

 

Still fuming that Baumit are not interested in even looking at the problem or giving any advice.

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34 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Still fuming that Baumit are not interested in even looking at the problem or giving any advice.

 

I don't blame you. I'd have thrown all my toys out of the pram with them by now. It's simply not on.

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  • 1 month later...
On 10/12/2021 at 15:45, ProDave said:

So further speculation:  Water got in with the wind driven rain and when it froze it expanded.  A few mild days has dried it out and there is no longer significant moisture there to expand when frozen.

i'm trying to rationalize this, if it only happens with wind driven rain and the top coat is there to prevent water ingress to substrate, how is the wall managing to dry out so quickly?  or is it that the top coat material is breathable? tbh i didn't read through first two posts and this may have been mentioned.

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My grown up kids tell me that if you want a response from the manufacturers, post every day on the manufacturers Facebook, and Twitter, with "don't use this product " pointing out that "BBa have pulled the cert". Post every day, and you will get a response within a week.

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Well, the latest on this, is I did some googling, found the name and contact details of the managing director of Baumit (I found his contact details on Linkedin) and sent another email to try and get some help in resolving what has actually gone wrong here.

 

This, I am very sad so say is his reply.

Quote

Good afternoon Mr. xxxxxx

 I have now returned from my break and reviewed your emails with my team. It is disappointing to hear that you have experienced problems with your façade.

 


I do not believe that there has been any guarantee provided by Baumit for your project from my predecessor or any of the team here as supplied through Suprema, however if you have evidence to the contrary could you please provide me with this?

If there is no guarantee from ourselves then all liability would reside with your installer / distributor of the system and we are unable to help you unfortunately.
 

I look forward to your reply and supporting accordingly.

image.png.c4badcbb02a27607eea8ae6ecc3c93d5.png


 

So the MD of the company rejects any liability for the failure of their product ans is not even interested in looking at it to see what has actually gone wrong.

You can draw your own conclusions, but I would not be buying from a company that has no interest in it's product once has has sold it.

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Sorry to hear that @ProDavebut hardly surprising.

 

I wonder is this a standard response. I had a colleague who having smashed an alloy on an unmended pothole wrote to the council. They sent a standard "not our fault" letter twice but paid up instantly on getting a legal letter.  A new alloy was probably cheaper than paying a solicitor for them. I wouldn't be surprised if this company made a similar calc. 

 

Back to the practicalities. Do you think the issue lies with the render system being inherently unsuitable for the application over woodfiber or in general use in the Scottish climate?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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When re working some of the failed bits, I did observe what appeared to be pin holes in the top coat, I pictured those before.  So my current speculations is wind driven rain drives water through these into the base coat, and if it freezes very soon after the moisture expands and causes the delamination.

 

Freezing weather on it's own does not seem to cause an issue.

 

Whether this is an inherent fault or limitation with respect to this product and this climate, is the big un answered question.  In the absence of any input or interest from the manufacturer, then only time will answer that.  i.e. if all the re worked areas now stand up okay without further problem then it may have been bad workmanship or a bad batch of materials.  If the re worked areas fail again, then there must be more of an inherent issue with the product.

 

I keep saying this is where I really really really want some technical input and interest from the manufacturer to work out what has happened and this is where they are woefully lacking and disinterested.

 

Who would buy now from a company with such an attitude?

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  • 3 months later...

Not only do I still have ongoing unresolved issues, I am devastated to announce that a few weeks ago, the plasterer that did all my work, passed away.

 

so not only have I still got issues to resolve, and some more rework needed, I don't even have the faintest idea who I can call on for help and advice and to actually do the work now.

 

It is a very lonely feeling here right now.  But I would repeat my personal opinion that I would not use the Baumit system again, because you don't want to use a product where the manufacturer or their agent has no interest in the performance of their product and will offer no constructive advice as to what went wrong and how to correct it. 

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2 hours ago, Redbeard said:

@ProDave, I am buying my WF from Ty Mawr lime, but propose to buy Baumit MC55 from my usual supplier. I have signed up for Baumit's installer training at the start of June. 

On a personal note, if you get the chance, could you raise my issues with the Baumit product failing and ask what advice they would give you to identify why it has failed and how to rework it so it won't fail again.  and please let us all know if you get a chance to do that.

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Not sure why you can't find the PM link.  Click on a members avatar which takes you to their profile page and at the top is a sens message button.

 

If you can't get that to work follow the link at the bottom of my posts to my blog and at the bottom of my blog is a link to my business where you will find my email address.

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