A special a.b.e. Construction Chemicals waterproofing coating was selected for wide-spread sealing of surfaces at the new ultra-luxurious Royal Palace in Maseru.

Boksburg-based a.b.e. is part of the Chryso Southern Africa Group.

Noel Abendroth, a.b.e. Polyurea Performance Coatings Manager, says VIP Polyurea Quick Spray Industrial pure polyurea coating has so far been applied to over 2 400m2 of diverse surfaces at the Royal Palace now being constructed by LSP Construction of Maseru. The VIP polyurea sealant was specified by LSP which is carrying out the large-scaled contract for the Government of Lesotho. 

Among the many areas of the palace sealed with the pure polyurea coating were:

Palace roofs;

Roof gardens;

Tanking for ground-level exotic gardens;

Guest house roof; and

Tennis Clubhouse roof.

“The design of the palace called for waterproofing that was guaranteed not to leak, particularly as part of the roof gardens are on the roofs of the living quarters of King Letsie lll. Despite exceptionally warm and humid weather, a.b.e.’s approved polyurea applicators, Diamond Linings, using high-pressure plural component spray equipment, managed to complete the project in just under a month,” Abendroth states. “It is expected that further applications of the polyurea sealant will be needed for the extensive and spectacular exotic gardens.” 

 He says VIP Quick Spray Polyurea can after proper preparation be applied to concrete, metal, foam or other surfaces and within seconds, builds a rubber-like elastic skin that will not only resist punctures but has excellent resistance to heat distortion and sagging as it maintains its flexibility and shape. The coating, once cured, is also not affected by moisture and copes with fluctuations of temperature with its high elongation and superior tensile strength,” he adds.

VIP Polyurea coatings – containing no VOCs and solvent-free – are designed to perform for around 25 years which substantially cuts the costs of repairs and maintenance.

Some of the advantages of the VIP Polyurea Quick Spray coating include:

* Extremely fast reaction and curing times - different systems offer between 6 to 90 seconds gel times;

* Exceptional adhesion to concrete, steel, aluminium, plastics, fibreglass, wood and foam;

* Seamless and jointless flexible coating;

* Capacity to transgress multiple substrates in one application;

* Application in any thickness is possible in a single application;

* Strong sound insulation;

* Resistance to ultra-violet radiation, saltwater, and aggressive atmospheric conditions; and

* Coverage of large areas at a rapid rate.

a.b.e. Construction Chemicals holds an exclusive agreement with VIP (Voelkel Industrie Produkte) in Germany for the local sale and distribution of the German company’s respected range of protective coatings and joint fillers.  Produced in Munich, VIP Polyurea coatings have been internationally hailed as a “new revolution in coating technology” and have set new benchmarks in terms of durability, protection, ease of application, and turnaround times.