Repair and Prevent Leaks on the Homestead

A Lexel case study-

Meet Cole.

He’s a law enforcement officer as well as a homesteader who lives in a small town outside of Des Moines, Iowa.

We found him on YouTube, invited ourselves to visit, and he graciously agreed. Cole took us around his homestead and showed us all of the places where he had applied Lexel to stop and prevent leaks.

When we arrived, we first checked out the barn where, in 2018, Cole constructed blocks out of white oak to support the door hinges and handles and to provide a nice aesthetic against the red metal barn. Cole told us that he knew he would need to somehow prevent water from penetrating the seams, but he still wanted it to be aesthetically pleasing. So, he was after a clear sealant that would allow his careful craftsmanship to show through. At the local hardware store employee’s recommendation, he purchased Lexel and applied it where the white oak wood blocks met the metal barn. During our visit, we were able to touch, see and feel the 4-year-old Lexel and could see and feel the moisture barrier it created. The blocks of wood where the Lexel was applied were still intact and showed no signs of weathering, thanks to the Lexel’s weather-resistant properties.

Not all seams on the oak blocks looked the same, though. Some of these things were definitely not like the others! Cole explained that during application, he ran out of Lexel, and in a pinch, he decided to use a different clear sealant that he had on hand to finish the job. Cole showed us where he had applied this other clear sealant. While it may have worked short-term in a time crunch, this difference over time between the two products’ durability was obvious. Here, a picture is worth a thousand words:

Lexel vs Competitor:

Lexel

Competitive Product

Next, Cole took us to the roof of his barn and showed us where he had sealed some skylights with clear Lexel. During installation, Cole bolted down the skylights, but also knew he wanted to seal them up tight for multiple reasons. First, he wanted to avoid water from seeping underneath the cracks where the skylight was bolted down, and second, he wanted to protect the interior of the barn from dust that gets stirred up by significant south winds which are common in Iowa. Cole showed us how the Lexel prevented any rain that hit the roof from seeping through cracks between the bolts. As we stood on his barn roof (on a non-windy day, of course), Cole physically pressed down with his fingers onto the skylight to also demonstrate where the dust would have entered the barn underneath the skylight seal had he not ensured a continuous seal using Lexel. He also noted, as he pressed with his finger, that even years after application the seal remained pliable and elastomeric underneath. He pointed and had us look closely as he showed us that we could quite literally see where the dust had blown up against the Lexel seal and stopped before getting under the window and into the barn. Pride of ownership was very apparent as Cole explained that sweeping out a dusty barn prevents him from doing other more important things on his busy homestead.

It was such a privilege to visit Cole’s homestead and see a few of the application spots where he had used Sashco products to ensure superior waterproofing and air-sealing. Not everyone is as gracious when guests invite themselves to visit, but Cole was very welcoming, and we are humbled by his hospitality.

Need more Lexel inspo? Let’s go.