- Location:
555 Universal Hollywood Dr Universal City, CA 91608
- Project Type: Repair, Wet Seal
- Project Status: Completed
- Products Used: Dowsil 795
- Facility Type: Hotel
Available for work in Colorado and Coast to Coast — It all starts with a simple phone call.
The 40+ year old skylight sits on the edge of the hotel’s tower.
The Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City hotel, a modern glass 24 story tower, is located next to Universal Studios Hollywood and City Walk.
Overcoming Bad Design: A Custom Solution for Pooling Skylight Water
Every now and then, we come across a job where the existing skylight simply wasn’t designed for the reality of how it’s being used.
Recently, our team tackled a project that perfectly illustrates how we have to think outside the box to correct inherent manufacturing flaws and protect a building from water damage.
The Problem: Trapped Water and Flawed Geometry.
The core issue with this particular skylight was drainage—or rather, the complete lack of it. The system featured a large number of cross purlins (the horizontal bars running across the glass). Unfortunately, instead of shedding water, these purlins were actively acting as dams and holding it.
Why was this happening? It came down to a flaw in the original manufacturer’s design. The base of the skylight stuck up directly past the glazing height. This prevented a normal, flush butt joint from being formed. Instead of water smoothly rolling off the glass, it hit this raised barrier and pooled.
Our Custom Solution
You can’t just leave water sitting on a skylight system; it’s a guaranteed recipe for leaks, structural degradation, and costly repairs down the road. We needed to engineer a way for the water to escape without compromising the integrity of the unit.
Here is how our team solved the problem:
- Strategic Notching: We carefully notched out specific sections of the horizontal crossbars that were blocking the water.
- Precision Waterproofing: We thoroughly waterproofed these newly created channels to ensure no moisture could penetrate the structural frame.
- Restoring the Flow: By creating these pathways, we allowed the water to flow cleanly through the purlins that were previously trapping it.
It was a highly customized, hands-on fix for a frustrating design flaw. By modifying the frame to work with the water rather than against it, we ensured the skylight could finally function the way it was supposed to—keeping the elements outside where they belong!
Product used:
DOWSIL™ 795 Silicone Building Sealant
A one-component, neutral-curing, medium modulus silicone sealant intended for weatherseal and structural applications with excellent adhesion to a wide range of materials, including glass, metal and aluminum.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Dowsil 795 Data
