The Royal Mills apartments were originally built in 1890 as hydro-powered cotton mill. Recently, the derelict buildings were converted into 250 trendy loft-style apartments, public spaces, retail spaces and a completely revised riverfront including a public walking path. The former dam on site was also renovated and is now used to produce hydropower.

The abandoned site was purchased in 2003 and the massive conversion project began. The buildings were extensively damaged from more than 100 years of industrial use, 10 years of neglect and the harsh effects of the river’s water. Along with extensive cosmetic work, significant waterproofing work was needed to bring the space to habitable levels.

The project exclusively used Kryton’s line of Krystol waterproofing products:

• 1,000 linear feet of cracks were sealed using the Krystol Crack Repair system.
• Krystol T1/T2 was applied on interior walls to waterproof below the river level.
• 250,000 sq. ft.of Hydrostop Sealer was used to seal the original stone exterior and reduce water absorption.
• To reduce permeability, Krystol Internal Membrane (KIM) was added to the mortar used to repair the historic stone veneer.
• Several slabs were poured using KIM to provide a permanent waterproofing solution and eliminate the need for an external membrane.

Our East Coast distributors New England Dry Concrete won the 2010 New England ICRI Project of the Year for their work on this project. Read the full case study here.

Because of the extensive waterproofing and repair work, the developer was able to revamp a number of additional units that were once deemed unsuitable for living. Royal Mills was added to the national historic registrar in 2004.  http://royalmillsliving.com/