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Drytek Sets Legal Precedent in Nation's Capitol

Washington, DC
It is often said that attorneys are among the most meticulous groups of professionals in the world. I guess it is their job to be this way. If they weren't, they wouldn't stay in practice for very long, right?

And this demanding trait is not normally limited to just the successful representation of valued clients but is often projected out into all things having to do with this endeavor, including the space in which they spend so much time; the all important office.

After all, when you practically live at your workplace, you tend to take an interest in how it is set up. You have a right to be picky. You work hard. Harder and longer than most. The office has to be right.

The attorneys at DLA Piper at 10 th and E Street in Washington DC also work hard and long. And they're meticulous. Both, about work and their work environment. It has to be right.

That's where Drytek comes in.

When DLA Piper decided to renovate their DC offices, they wanted a space that perfectly suited their needs. In order to achieve this, the entire office had to be torn up and made new again. This would prove to be quite the challenge.

Once demolition had taken place and walls and floor coverings were removed, it became apparent that there was no way to move forward without straightened out a substrate issue. Elevation differences where walls once stood were to be found throughout and slab surface was very uneven. A new surface had to be created which was level and consistent.

Metro Commercial Floors, a respected DC contractor, was called in to make things right. After all, this is a lawyer's office. And things just have to be right.

Drytek 7000 and 7200 Low Alkali leveling cement was applied throughout the 200,000 square foot area, essentially creating a brand new surface which was monolithic, level and ready for floor goods. Special attention was also paid to tolerances, as glass partitions requiring level floors were to be installed in many places.

Drytek consists of a propriety formulation which not only provides a leveling course but also creates an alkali barrier when applied over concrete. This barrier effectively stops naturally occurring alkalis from rising to the surface and aggressively attacking adhesives, which serve to hold down floor goods. When adhesives are protected, they are able to do their job and keep flooring locked down to the substrate. They are literally protected by the active layer of Drytek below them.

Well, the 200,000 square feet of slab was made level, the renovation was completed and the attorneys got what they wanted, a work environment that is right.