Prayers Answered

Spray Foam Magazine – Late Summer 2022 – Thousands of miles from the United States, in Abuja, Nigeria, there was an issue with a leaking roof. This is not just any old roof; it’s a place of worship for many Muslims, the National Mosque.

During the regime of President Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, the Federal Government of Nigeria, moved from Lagos to the new Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. In 1981, prominent Muslims from all over the country suggested that the Muslim community should collect contributions from both domestic and foreign sources to erect a mosque. This would become the national mosque and serve as a national institution and a symbol of unity for the Nigerian Muslim Ummah.

The idea was embraced and supported by the Nigerian Muslims and soon a council, known as Abuja National Mosque Council, was inaugurated. Under the watchful eye of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, the construction of the Abuja National Mosque began. The design of the mosque was completed by architects AIM Consultants Limited, who made sure that the mosque has a magnificent view that can be seen from various parts of the City Center.

Fast forward roughly 40 years, ArmorThane, manufacturer and distributor of top-quality protective coatings, as well as the design and fabrication of commercial application equipment, was hired by the Federal Capital Development Agency to fix the domed roof of the National Mosque due to a failed membrane. The agency had worked with ArmorThane on numerous occasions and were aware of the benefits of polyurea being a perfect product for waterproofing. The failure had led to a serious leakage problem, which if left unfixed, would cause serious damage to the mosque.

Polyurea roof coatings are one of the best solutions when it comes to durability and impact resistance. Additionally, they are not as temperature-sensitive as acrylic chemistries and they offer the best-in-class tensile strength, and UV resistance. This made it the ideal application to fix the leaking problem under the hot Nigerian sun.

The crew of seven prepared for the job by gearing up with their full-face masks, fresh air system, suits, gloves, booties, and earplugs before getting started. Then, they began removing the failed membrane and preparing the concrete surface to receive ArmorThane’s, ArmorLiner polyurea spray coating.

The deck area is 4,000 sq. meters, and it is a tan color at 3mm thickness. The client has added new areas like a metal water tank, which will also be coated after ArmorThane completes the deck areas. The client is very happy with the areas the crew has covered so far, and even though the job is not yet complete, there are no further leaks due to the crew having progressed on almost 85 percent of this job.

The entire coating application will take three months to complete. After which Abuja’s National Mosque’s roof will be waterproofed and safe. Ensuring that the pillars of the surrounding society are strong once again.