Restoring Wisconsin: Concrete Baluster Repair Maintains History and Function

January 16, 2017 | Written by ABATRON

Balusters serve both a functional and aesthetic purpose in architectural design.  They’ve been incorporated into building plans since the early Renaissance.  But these features can turn from elegant to eyesore very quickly when in disrepair.

One may think of permanence when they hear the word, “concrete”.  However, years of weathering had contributed to chipping, cracking, and breaking of these fine concrete balusters at an historic home in Kenosha, WI.  Concrete, while quite strong and effective, does not last forever.  It requires observation and occasional maintenance to remain both structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing.

Accordingly, Abatron, Inc. provides ABOWELD 55-1™, a cost-effective solution for this all too common and often ignored issue.  This 2-part, slump resistant epoxy is an extremely strong adhesive paste consisting of 100% solids, meaning the applications will not shrink or crack.  Aboweld 55-1 actually provides greater strength than that of concrete.  These properties give new life to crumbling structures previously thought to be unrepairable.

The owner of this historic home simply mixed Aboweld 55-1 Parts A and B in a 1:1 mix, and then applied that mix to the damaged concrete, piecing the balusters back together. Even though Aboweld 55-1 is a naturally strong adhesive, tape was employed to hold the repairs in place while the product hardened.

 

Before                                                                                                                        After

Many of Abatron’s products, including Aboweld 55-1, are GreenGuard® Certified, meaning they contain virtually no VOCs.  ABOWELD 55-1™ is environmentally friendly not only by these means, but the unmatched formulation keeps salvageable, beautiful structures out of landfills and retains them in our neighborhoods for generations to come.