BUILDING RESILIENCE: MANAGING WATER IMPACT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Plano, Texas (October 21, 2024) – Water may be the source of life, but many argue that it is also responsible for over 75% of damage to buildings.¹ As the second most common claim (29.4%) from home insurance in the United States, water damage affects around 14 000 people daily with the average insurance payout being $11,605.² And we’re not just talking about flooding. 

The most common cause of water damage – aside from severe weather, wind and hail – is constant exposure to wet or damp conditions that cause rust, rot, warping and cracks, as well as mold and musty smells. Blocked drains or gutters dripping onto your patio, organic material and debris rotting on your deck, leaking taps or appliances such as air-conditioner extractors, and inappropriate material selection necessary for the environmental conditions can all lead to water damage; and therefore, constant maintenance, repair and worst case, replacement.

Water doesn’t only enter by rain or direct contact in its liquid form, but also by capillary action as a vapor or moisture from humidity acting like an insidious intruder with a direct bearing on the performance, and appearance, of your building materials. It can cause materials to expand and contract, as well as react with other elements such as chemicals, pollutants or spores and fungi, causing physical, chemical or biological damage to your structure.

Consequently, it’s very important to understand the effects of water on the chosen substrates within the environmental context of your proposed project.

The effect of water ingress on building materials is much more sinister and much less obvious than the destruction or subsidence caused by flooding. Lesser volumes of water have far greater potential to inflict significant structural damage to even the most durable building materials such as concrete, wood or steel. Who hasn’t seen the cracking, buckling, mold or mildew growing on a wooden deck? Sagging ceiling or disintegrating rails?

Fortunately, modern building materials such as advanced bamboo composite from Eva-Last have been engineered to overcome these shortcomings to be impervious to the insidious effects of water given their advanced material composition.

Made from recycled plastic extruded with resilient bamboo cellulose, Eva-Last’s extensive range of bamboo composites are available in the advanced formulations of Pioneer, Apex, Infinity and Eva-Tech material technologies.

These hi-tech compounds are suited to specific product applications, providing an all-important moisture barrier with inherent anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. This naturally prevents the swelling and degradation typical of wooden decks, while the enhanced surface materials provide the sought-after timber tones and textures with added protection from scratches, slips or sun-damage.

Available across their ranges of Pioneer, Apex Plus, Infinity and Eva-Tech decking, VistaClad cladding and Lifespan architectural beams, Eva-Last composites offer the aesthetic appeal of wood without its water sensitivity or snack appeal to termites, mold or fungi.

All Eva-Last materials have been tested and proven to withstand water absorption or moisture content to prevent the swelling, warping, cracking and rotting typical of wooden decks and cladding. In fact, after submersion in water for 28 days, Infinity measured a water absorption of just 0.6% while Eva-tech measured just 0.2% more - way below the required norm of below 7%. No matter the weather – how wet or dry – your deck, façade, patio or pergola will stay beautiful and low-maintenance if you opt for the superior characteristics of Eva-Last bamboo composites.

Notably, the cellulose-polymer composition does not provide nutrition for fungi or mold to grow, boasting a fungal resistance of 0.77 – 0.91% to various spores and a termite resistance of 0.77% too. No more disintegration of your deck, stairs, rail or pergolas from pests or biodegradation when you build with an Eva-Last product.

“At Eva-Last, we understand the destructive impact water can have on building materials. That’s why we’ve engineered our bamboo composites to withstand the harshest environmental conditions, ensuring our products remain beautiful and resilient, no matter the weather,” asserts Marc Minne, Eva-Last CEO and Co-Founder.

Each Eva-Last product is designed for flexibility in application whilst also allowing optimal drainage and ventilation.

While Eva-Last’s convenient cladding range VistaClad is available in popular textured timber tones, it’s the design-detail of the interlocking tongue-and-groove board profiles coupled with the clever clip-strip fasteners, adaptors and trims, that allow for an advanced cladding system that ensures water-tight installation while allowing for adequate ventilation.

Lifespan’s lightweight hollow-aluminum core with the triple-extruded composite coating are the ideal architectural beams to build weather-resistant pergolas, decorative soffits or shady screens. Suitable for dramatic outdoor architectural features with a weatherproof, wood-look finish, these components are available in a variety of versatile profiles and sizes. Lifespan can be used as castellated wall mounts, slatted ceilings or screens or just to decorative effect at any height.

Eva-Last’s extensive product portfolio with innovative composite material technology ensure that water damage and product failure are things of the past. Safely specify the gorgeous good-looks of any Eva-Last bamboo composite building material for any exposed exterior and you needn’t worry about water damage or worrisome weathering on your outdoor structure.

-ENDS-

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References:

Eva-Last is a globally recognized and trusted brand that manufactures and distributes specialized bamboo composite building products. Together with a wide range of advanced decking, cladding, fencing, architectural beams, fasteners and flooring products, Eva-Last also offers specialized support systems and expert advice, ensuring each and every build is designed to last. Eva-Last composite products and complimentary systems can be found in over 30 countries globally and have been an imperative part of some of the world’s largest building projects. As a global leader in composite building technology, Eva-Last ensures product quality and customer satisfaction with class-leading warranties. For the latest news, please follow Eva-Last on Facebook (EvaLastAmericas), Instagram (EvaLast_Americas), X (EvaLastGlobal), LinkedIn (Eva-Last Global), TikTok (evalast_), Pinterest (EvaLastDecking), and Flickr (Eva-Last), or view the brand's YouTube channel (EvaLastGlobal) for product information and installation guidelines.   

For more information, please visit www.eva-last.com.