Don’t tell the people of Lavergne, Tennessee, that the general population isn’t reading books as much as it used to. In Lavergne, more than 27,000 people have library cards which enable them to check out any of the 63,000-plus items the library catalogs and make use of the services and programs available at the six-year-old facility.

The building itself is of modern design and was constructed using stucco, an inexpensive option in comparison to brick. Because of the area’s freeze/thaw weather pattern, project architects wanted to make sure that a coating system with elastomeric properties was used to protect the library’s exterior surface. Tnemec coating consultant Tiffany Goulet recommended a coating system that would perform perfectly on the library.

Following surface preparation in accordance with SSPC-SP13/NACE No. 6 Surface Preparation of Concrete, Series 151-1051 Elasto-Grip FC, a flexible waterborne epoxy, was brush- and roller-applied as a primer to the exterior surface. Two coats of Series 156 Enviro-Crete, a premium acrylate coating that can bridge minor hairline cracks in concrete and masonry substrates, was then brush- and roller-applied to the surface. Series 156 is a widely used durable coating for exterior masonry substrates due to its excellent ability to withstand thermal cycling.

“Series 156 was the perfect coating for this project with its moisture intrusion resistance and breathability characteristics,” said Goulet. “The library turned out nicely for the residents of Lavergne.”