No one wishes to be soaked by the weather. Rain, snow and hail can cause deterioration of one’s most precious possessions. Before the invention of good waterproofing materials a number of attempts were made to treat fabrics. This included using wax and lanolin and pitch or tar was used on boats, but for various reasons these methods were not satisfactory.
In the 1800’s Otis Ferrin, an inventor, developed oilcloth by using heavy oil on heavy material. Later, in that same era, a chemist, Charles Macintosh, using liquid rubber over wool cloth developed a waterproof cloth. This was used for years to cover items from the weather and was especially popular for raincoats. These raincoats were most commonly known as the Mackintosh.
With the discovery of plastics in the 40’s, including Silicon Polymer, Teflon, and Scotchgard, a full blown industry began to waterproof almost everything. Uses of weather protective materials is worldwide, especially in the building industry. There is no building erected that does not have this kind of protection on various parts of the structure. Without this protection, mold and other problems develop.
This protection is used in building structures (basements, decks, roofs, and other areas that get wet), in paper (milk and juice cartons), watercraft, canvas, and clothing. Exposure to the weather can cost thousands of dollars in materials and lost time for the building industry. Without its use on paper it would be impossible to have inexpensive containers. For watercraft, canvas, and clothing this protects and prolongs its life.
Water damage can be very expensive in boat construction so the materials available to prevent this are very important. Clothing for the camper or hiker needs to repel water to keep the body from developing medical problems. The paper industry has adapted the process to include their paper products, such as milk cartons and other containers. The list goes on and on as to what and why something must be treated against moisture.
In building a home, on the other hand, the basement is the first wall of defense against damage. If improperly treated to resist water it can develop life-threatening mold as well as ruin walls and insulation. Today’s building industries have developed special treatment for basements using special membrane sections which are specially treated. As with other products, there are various levels of protection guaranteed. In this most important part of a home it is important to have only the best.
Boats and other watercraft have benefited greatly from advancements in waterproofing systems. Constantly exposed to the force of waves and, in many cases, salt water, the damage to wooden crafts can be disastrous if they cannot repel water. Additionally, making clothing impervious to water has become a large industry and includes liquid (spray silicon) which can be sprayed on any clothing from hats to boots. This has become especially important for those who go hiking of camping. Weather is unpredictable and when in a location that is far from shelter water proof clothing is essential.
Through time a number of methods were used for waterproofing, including treating with lanolin from wool, covering fabric with wax, tar or pitch on boars, none of these processes were perfect. We have got the ultimate inside information on best waterproofing companies .
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