This project consisted of waterproofing a magnificent new water sculpture at Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, designed by one of Britain’s most prolific sculptors, Angela Conner. The vast kinetic sculpture employs the movement of the water to unveil a gold sphere that emerges from beneath the surface of the water.

The base of the fountain is approximately 10 metres in diameter, so it was essential that it was effectively waterproofed in order for the project to be successful. The Head of Building Services contacted Newton Waterproofing Systems for a solution.

Methodology

Newton Specialist Basement Contractor Dry Waterproofing undertook the project to waterproof the fountain base. The slab had been prepared and removed of dust and laitance, whilst Newton 308 Stopaq pipe sealant was also used to seal the pipe penetrations within the pit.

Newton 903-P Primer was applied using rollers directly to the damp slab, and just fifteen minutes later the surface was ready for the waterproofing coat.

Newton 103-S liquid waterproofing membrane was then applied via spray using a Graco 7900 spray machine. The upstands of the fountain and the lower pit walls were sprayed, and whilst the product was still wet, a trowel was used to fill small honeycombs in the cement with more of the product.

A second spray application was then applied and cast with dry kilned sand to provide a key for the protective coating that was also required. By the next day, the Newton 103-S membrane was completely dry, and ready to receive the specialist polyaspartic coating, commissioned by Newton especially for this project, as an extremely UV and chloride resistant finish.

Result

The combination of Newton 903-P Primer and Newton 103-S for this project was ideal. The primer is extremely easy to work with and cures quickly, even when applied to very damp surfaces – meaning it vastly supersedes other products on the market. Newton 103-S could be sprayed effectively to both horizontal and vertical applications.

“Newton 903-P primer was excellent to work with and as a single component product the process meant a very quick application. The fact that you can apply it on very damp surfaces puts it in a league of its own. Newton 103-S is a very versatile product which we were able to apply by hand and spray machine. We chose to spray 103-S with great success, as it is fantastic for vertical applications.

Due to the prestige of the project, time was always against us, deadlines had to be met. This complete system achieved outstanding drying times and allowed a seamless installation from start to finish in no time at all.” - Vince Tansey, Dry Waterproofing