3131 RDU Center Dr – Caulking & Waterproofing Project
Presto Restoration completed commercial caulking and waterproofing at RDU Center II, a two-story office building at 3131 RDU Center Dr, Morrisville, NC 27560, in the Raleigh, NC metro. Wet glazing carried the bulk of the work. Our crews re-glazed the glass-to-metal joints across the building exterior, then re-caulked the window perimeters and the control joints between wall panels. The crew reached every joint from a boom lift.
Failed Wet Glazing & Window Caulking in Raleigh, NC
The building’s original caulking had reached the end of its service life. Wet glazing, the seal where the glass meets its metal frame, had gone first. Those gaskets had hardened and pulled away from the glass line. Meanwhile, the caulking around each window perimeter had shrunk back from the wall. Once caulking fails that way, wind-driven rain moves straight into the window framing and the wall cavity behind it.
Commercial buildings in the Triangle ask a lot of their caulking. Raleigh summers stay hot and humid for months, so intense UV breaks down exposed sealant year after year. Afternoon thunderstorms and the remnants of Atlantic tropical systems then push rain sideways into the building exterior. Winters look mild on paper, yet January lows sit right at freezing here. As a result, the Piedmont crosses the freeze line dozens of times each season instead of staying frozen. That repeated cycling works joints harder than a steady deep freeze, and over time it pulls the caulking loose at the bond line. Our commercial waterproofing team sees the same failure across the Southeast, and commercial window caulking is usually where it shows first.
Wet Glazing & Window Perimeter Caulking in Raleigh, NC
First, our crews cut back the failed glazing gaskets and solvent-wiped every glass-to-metal joint clean across the Raleigh building exterior. Next, they re-glazed those joints with a high-performance silicone sealant, sealing the metal-to-metal butt joints in the window framing at the same time. Wet glazing was the largest part of the job. The team then moved to the window perimeters, where we removed the old frame-to-building caulking, applied primer, installed fresh backer rod, and tooled in new caulking. Finally, our crews resealed the control joints between the wall panels the same way. We tooled every joint by hand to hold a consistent profile and a full bond on both faces.
Exterior Caulking & Waterproofing Results in Raleigh, NC
The building now carries a continuous seal from the glass line out to the window openings and wall joints. Fresh backer rod gives the new caulking the right depth, so each joint can move as the building expands and contracts. In turn, the building exterior handles Triangle summer storms and winter freeze-thaw swings far better than the original caulking did.
Commercial Caulking & Waterproofing Contractor in Raleigh, NC
If your commercial building has failed wet glazing or open window perimeter joints, Presto Restoration can help. We provide exterior caulking and building waterproofing throughout the Raleigh, NC metro, including Morrisville, Cary, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Our crews work from lifts and suspended platforms, so building height is never the obstacle. Learn more about our waterproofing and exterior restoration services throughout North Carolina. Call 1-800-785-9927 or request a free quote today. Learn more about the rest of this restoration project.
