Company News

Emecole Metro is now accepting registration inquiries for our 2025 training workshops, scheduled February 20-21 and November 6-7.

Our two-day block sessions cover a variety of field repairs and best practices for a variety of basement waterproofing repairs using the Emecole Metro product line. These hands-on trainings are taught by our sales and technical support personnel with years of expertise in helping contractors yield successful concrete and wet basement repairs.

Attended by service professionals from throughout the country, our trainings enable opportunity for networking and fun interaction in a relaxed, welcoming environment. Guests are also treated to a complimentary lunch on both days.

Whether due for a general brush-up or needing fast-track training for new hires, we will provide a productive experience well worth the time.

To learn more about class topics and details for registering, please visit our training workshop section. You may also inquire with a Emecole Metro team member over the phone at 815-372-2493.

By Martin Hawrysko

Emecole Metro has completed a 15,000-square-foot expansion of our company-owned manufacturing and production facility in Romeoville, Illinois. Construction commenced at the end of 2023 and was complete just ahead of summer 2024.

“The larger facility improves storage capacity, eases workflow challenges, and allows us to pursue new growth opportunities,” said John Kochan Jr., president of Metropolitan Industries, the parent company of Emecole. “With increased manufacturing and development from Emecole, we will better serve residential contractors and facility operation specialists with new innovations for successful waterproofing and concrete repair.”

“We experienced an accelerated product demand increase resulting from the rapid uptick of basement remodels during the pandemic’s home renovation boom,” said Joe Kochan, co-general manager of Emecole. “With one chance to correct potential water entry and structural vulnerabilities before finishing a basement, the Emecole product selection became an essential commodity for waterproofers with a backlog of available jobs.”

As the company increased inventory to keep up with rising demand and fend off the persistent threat of supply shortages, the facility eventually ran out of storage space. External containers were placed around the building for additional storage, though the increase in production and shipping highlighted additional building limitations – which additional containers would not solve. “The team worked tirelessly to out-maneuver varying bottlenecks, but it was apparent we had outgrown the facility,” Joe Kochan said.

“The building was purchased with the anticipation that we would eventually expand,” said John Kochan Jr. “The property’s open space adjacent to the building made it an attractive option at the time, knowing we could seamlessly add-on when needed, which occurred a few years earlier than we originally imagined.”

A significant constraint before the expansion was operating with only a single loading dock. The new addition was built with three loading docks, allowing the shipping department’s personnel to accommodate multiple trucks at once. “We’re moving more of our products out the door on peak days,” said Juan Medina, co-general manager of Emecole. “We’re making better use of space and our time to get more done each day, for the betterment of our customers.”

The company-owned property was purchased in 2017, and thoroughly renovated prior to commencing operation in mid-2018. Outfitted with a test lab and training classroom, the facility houses Emecole’s day-to-day production, customer service, sales, marketing, and accounting. Located down the street from Metropolitan, personnel can commute back and forth between the two businesses as needed.

“The business endured some unprecedented times thanks to the perseverance of our people,” said John Kochan Jr. “We were fortunate to have avoided the brunt of the supply shortages and that customer orders were consistently fulfilled.”

With Emecole’s facility now completed, Kochan Jr. is currently exploring plans to expand the facilities of Emmons Metro, our subsidiary in Albany, New York, serving the Northeastern U.S. This expansion is geared toward bolstering their ability to deliver state-of-the-art engineered solutions and the quality field service they are known for. Their focus spans pumps, equipment, and controls for municipal, commercial, and industrial applications. A future expansion ensures their facilities can meet the growing demands of their customers.

Did you know that exposure to cold weather temperatures can affect the epoxy and polyurethane injection materials used for repairing cracks in poured concrete? With the arrival of freezing temperatures throughout North America, the handling of materials during transport and storage over the next several months is enough to make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful repair.

To prevent damage to material, customers are advised to store their crack injection supplies in room temperature environments.

You may ask what the big deal is if concrete crack injection epoxies and polyurethanes are exposed to freezing temperatures. When an epoxy freezes, crystalized lumps develop in the product. Reheating the epoxy may be attempted to return it to its original state, though depending on the specific temperature and length of time of exposure, this may not work. Polyurethanes, on the other hand, typically fair better upon reheating prior to injection (i.e. use of hot water or car vents are a few possible ways).

Regardless, after such reheating efforts, a patch test should be performed before attempting to use on an actual repair. This can be done by dispensing a small amount of surface seal onto a disposable surface such as a paper/plastic plate. Injection material may be dispensed into a cup (for epoxy, simply stir; for polyurethane, add a small amount of water so that the material activates). If the patch test fails, you will need to reorder materials.

Customers should also be aware of the concrete temperature at the job site. Repairs should never be attempted when concrete temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In such scenarios, customers should hold off until temperatures warm up.

To ensure that our epoxy and polyurethane materials stay injection ready, we specifically avoid shipping such products at the end of the work week to prevent scenarios where they are left in an unheated semi-trailer or freight warehouse over the weekend. This includes both freight and ground shipments. A reminder of this shipping procedure is noted on our website at checkout.

For additional questions or help troubleshooting, we are always here to help. While such precautionary measures may seem a bit much, we make every effort to ensure that your crack injection project leads to a successful repair.

Progress has moved fast since breaking ground last fall.

By Martin Hawrysko

Emecole Metro has begun construction on a new 15,000-square-foot addition to our facility headquarters in Romeoville, Illinois. The completed expansion will allow for additional manufacturing and storage, enhancing our long-term efforts at servicing basement waterproofing and building construction professionals.

The company-owned facility has been Emecole Metro’s home since May 2018, following an extensive gutting and rehab of the office space. The facility houses our team of office and production personnel and regularly welcomes contractors from across the United States and Canada attending our product training workshops.

Post-construction rendering showing completed expansion.

As one of the nation’s leading basement waterproofing product suppliers, our footprint dates to the 1980s with the pioneering of low pressure crack injection for repairing poured foundation cracks. The simplified process lowered equipment costs and lessened repair times, making it more economically viable for contractors to service residential basement wall cracks.

Emecole Metro is an extension of Metropolitan Industries, which specializes in the design and prefabrication of packaged pumping and control systems. Also headquartered in Romeoville, with an additional facility in Albany, New York, Metropolitan Industries’ engineered solutions presently move and manage water through many prominent municipalities and commercial buildings across the United States.

The new addition carries on since breaking ground, and we are looking forward to its completion, expected this spring.

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Original post date January 6, 2023. Most recent photos from January 11 and 12.

The removal of loose wires and excess debris across the crawl space floor is one of the several measures that should be addressed prior to encapsulating a crawl space.

March 1, 2022
By Martin Hawrysko, Emecole Metro LLC

By now, there is a general understanding that excess moisture, the entry of soil gases (including radon), and mold growth compromises the air quality within a crawl space. Health experts and building scientists agree that as compromised crawl space air circulates upward, it will negatively impact the air quality throughout the entire home. The encapsulation of a crawl space, which involves the installation of a highly durable and moisture resistant wall and floor liner, is one of the most effective ways to protect against such consequences.

As a manufacturer of professional grade waterproofing products, Emecole Metro is a prominent supplier of encapsulation materials for contractors servicing wet and musty crawl spaces. Our selection of liners, seaming tapes, and installation accessories, as part of the EmeSeal System, are relied upon to transform wet and musty crawl spaces into dry and healthy spaces in homes throughout the United States and Canada. To ensure that a home experiences the full benefits of an encapsulated crawl space, there are some preliminary measures that should be completed to ensure no issues later compromise the sealed system. Such pre-measures generally are not included in a contractor’s quote for the encapsulation and instead are likely to be listed as separate line items.

Basic Measures to Complete Prior to Encapsulating the Crawl Space

Prior to encapsulating a crawl space, any debris or existing storage should be removed to ensure that movement around the crawl space is not restricted. This also includes any hanging hazards, such as dropped or loose wires or ductwork that otherwise may get in the way or potentially become a safety hazard. Loose wires or ductwork can be secured to floor joists using zip ties.

Crawl spaces with dirt or stone surfaces should be smoothed as flat as possible. Contractors may use a rake or a come-along to remove any dips or valleys that otherwise can collect water. Removing any differences in the surface level will make it easier to move around the crawl space during the installation as well as after.

It is recommended to inspect for any opening or gaps that may exist in the crawl space. These should be repaired to prevent unwanted entry from pests, water, soil gases, or hot/cold air (depending on outside temperature at the time).

Lingering Water & Moisture Issues to Address Prior to Encapsulating the Crawl Space

If standing water is a reoccurring problem in the crawl space, it might be necessary to consider adding a sump pit and sump pump – or to replace an existing sump pump if unable to keep up with the amount of incoming water. Any improvements to an existing sump pump or pit should also include the installation of a sealed sump pit cover that bolts to the floor, providing an additional stopgap against the entry of moisture and soil gases. An additional option for severe standing water problems may also be to install an internal drainage system.

Issues with standing water or excess moisture may eventually lead to mold growth. Crawl spaces are an ideal breeding spot for mold due to their low air flow and high humidity. Mold may be present even without being visible (musty smells are usually an indicator). Since mold has an immediate effect on air quality, it is vital to clean and disinfect any visible growth by spraying or fogging within a contained environment to effectively kill any spores circulating within the air.

While addressing standing water, contractors encapsulating crawl spaces using the EmeSeal System have the option to install EmeSeal Drain Fabric or Emecole Metro’s Dimple Board under the liner. Either option allows for water movement below the liner surface, eliminating pooling that otherwise may become problematic over time.

Any cracks that have developed in poured concrete walls should be addressed. The most effective way to repair these cracks is the low pressure crack injection process, which completely fills cracks to ensure they no longer allow in water or soil gases. For cracks in concrete block, contractors may consider tuckpointing or drain tile systems as a means to stop or minimize the entry of water.

Cracks may also have developed in crawl spaces with concrete floors. Just as with concrete walls, cracks in concrete floors should be properly filled to protect against water and soil gas entry. If water is regularly rising through concrete floor cracks, that may indicate a problem with water table drainage. This is another potential issue to be mindful of and addressed.

A Successful Dry and Healthy Environment

Regardless of what pre-encapsulation measures may be necessary for a particular crawl space, Emecole Metro’s concrete repair and waterproofing products provide contractors a one-stop shop to successfully address lingering issues involving concrete, water intrusion, and humidity. The selection of available liners, from 10 mil to 250 mil, within the EmeSeal System allow contractors to successfully encapsulate crawl spaces to meet each customer’s specific requirements.

Ensuring that the above measures are completely followed will ensure that the overall crawl space encapsulation job is a success, resulting in a dry and healthy environment throughout the entire home.

Emecole Metro’s Spanish-language website increases the accessibility of products for Spanish-speaking customers.

Emecole Metro has officially launched a dedicated Spanish-language website, EmecoleEspanol.com. This effort increases the accessibility of Emecole Metro’s concrete repair product offering to thousands of Spanish-speaking contractors and homeowners.

The dedicated Spanish website’s selection of products is rolling out in phases. Upon launch, the website featured the most popular offerings from their foundation crack repair and concrete slab repair selection of products, including their fully equipped starter kits. The phased rollout allows for the necessary instructions, labels, and data sheets to be properly translated into the Spanish language, ensuring that Spanish-speaking end users are fully accommodated from pre-sales web browsing to the final use of product.

Emecole Metro has been the concrete repair and basement waterproofing contractor’s trusted product supply partner for more than 30 years, with its extensive line of solutions for addressing water seepage and troubled foundations in basements and crawl spaces. The story of Emecole Metro starts with the pioneering of the low pressure crack injection process by company founder Lou Cole. His subsequent formulations of his two-component epoxies and the development of his dual cartridge spring-assisted manual dispensing gun made repairing cracks in poured foundations more time-efficient and cost-effective.

Compared to the drawn-out effort of servicing leaking foundation walls via drain tile, low pressure crack injection made the servicing of foundation cracks a one-person job that could also be accomplished in only a couple of hours. Contractors had the flexibility to complete more jobs each day to result in reduced man-hours and with less manpower. When compared to high pressure crack injection, contractors saved on equipment costs with low pressure crack injection’s modest component requirements.

Following its acquisition by Metropolitan Industries in 2016, Emecole Metro has maintained its commitment to supporting contractors servicing concrete and wet basement challenges. The new Emecole Metro Spanish-language website opens that opportunity to a wider audience while helping to grow the number of wet basements being transformed into dry and healthy environments.

121 Premium Epoxy, 555 Concrete Crack Repair Hybrid Polyurethane, and 322 Premium Surface Seal-n-Peel are just a few of the products being offered on the Emecole Metro Spanish-language website.

With Emecole Metro’s transition back to pre-COVID operations, training classes are ready to resume! At this time, we are offering custom trainings where businesses can select their choice of training topics and date. Attendees will receive up close and personal hands-on training by field experts. Whether you’re new to concrete repair and waterproofing or simply looking to enhance existing skill sets, our workshops are intended for contractors from all work backgrounds.

• Hands-on workshops for contractors
• Presentations by experts in the field
• Flexibility of subject and date
• Concrete repair, crawl space encapsulation, drainage systems, and more
• Ideal for small groups

To inquire, fill out the form below or call 815-372-2493 to get in touch with an Emecole Metro sales and technical consultant.

Be sure to let us know what subject you are interested in,  a few dates and time of day that you might be thinking of, and the likely number of attendees. Spacing is limited as dates fill up, so be sure to inquire early!

The Aprilaire 1820 (left) and the Aprilaire 1850 (right) dehumidifiers.

Contractors servicing wet basements and concrete issues can up their ticket by adding moisture control to their line of residential services. The proactive dehumidification of excess moisture protects the home’s air quality by minimizing the consequential growth of mold and mildew, in addition to musty smells.

Manufactured in the USA, Aprilaire dehumidifiers are equipped with high-quality components, including corrosion-resistant coils, resulting in a premium built product proven to average a life expectancy of 10 to 15 plus years. For when a problem situation does arise, Aprilaire’s customer support team is easily accessible to troubleshoot your end users within minutes, while also supported by their generous five year “bumper to bumper” warranty.

Emecole Metro’s selection of Aprilaire dehumidifiers are applicable for basements and crawl spaces, complementing our full line of basement waterproofing and crawl space encapsulation solutions.

• 2800 square feet
• Ideal for tight spaces, including crawl spaces
• 70 pints per day
• 15 year lifespan

• 5200 square feet
• For standalone use in basements or as part of a home’s HVAC system
• 95 pints per day
• 15 year lifespan

Our production staff working to ensure a large time-sensitive order is packaged and shipped by deadline in order to meet its overnight delivery timeline (photographed September 2019).

From day one, manufacturing has been a vital component to the business of Emecole Metro. With October recognized as Manufacturing Month, we take the opportunity to reflect how the role of manufacturing has and continues to be paramount to the success of our business.

As with most businesses, their stories often start with an idea – long before manufacturing takes place. The story of our company begins with the vision first imagined by Lou Cole in the 1980s. Following extensive conversations with his network of contractors within the Chicagoland market, Lou recognized an opportunity existed for a more economically viable means to repair poured concrete cracks, specifically in residential foundations. An accomplished chemist bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, Lou was determined to figure out a way to make his vision a reality.

After years of vigorous trial and error, Lou eventually demonstrated that cracked concrete in poured foundations could be bonded together via the use of epoxy injected at low pressures ranging from 20 to 40 PSI. Lou accomplished this by formulating two-component epoxies packaged in dual cartridge tube sets, which would allow him to sell his material in lesser quantities, which would be more cost-effective for contractors specializing in residential repairs.

The dispensing of Lou’s epoxy from its tube set and into the crack was accomplished with the development of his own specialized dual cartridge dispensing gun, today known as the Emecole Metro Jake 300. Equipped with a spring-loaded high performance trigger, the Emecole Metro Jake 300 allowed contractors to easily inject the two-component epoxy from its tube set directly into the crack with minimal add-on injection accessories.

In 1987, the first incarnation of our company, Emecole, Inc., was launched. Initially a “corner business” renting space and spare crew members inside a larger manufacturing facility, Lou had the flexibility to produce and package his epoxies in quantities small enough that allowed him to keep up with demand while minimizing material waste. This arrangement also allowed him to assemble his dual dispensing guns one at a time as demand warranted, further allowing him to minimize overhead.

As demand for his product increased throughout the Midwest and select areas throughout the East Coast, Lou moved the business into his own building and hired his own crew, allowing for the manufacturing and production of his product to be in-house. As crack injection caught on nationally, demand for his products grew nationally, requiring him to expand his office staff from single-digit to double-digits.

As instrumental as Lou’s initial vision was, the growth and sustained success of the business would not have been possible without the talent and tenacity of our manufacturing staff. While keeping up with the production demands that a national product yielded, our staff was also relied upon to test and perfect a vast array of product ideas and innovations that Lou regularly came up with throughout his tenure as president. Lou’s original set of injection epoxies eventually included polyurethane injections, epoxy surface seals, a sodium-silicate based concrete sealant, crawl space encapsulation liners, and foundation drainage systems.

Today, now aligned with Metropolitan Industries, we continue to become further entrenched with the manufacturing resources provided by our sister company. Together with Metropolitan, Emecole Metro is developing additional products that will expand our reach within the concrete repair and waterproofing business.

While the manufacturing process is a dynamic sector that drives the global economy, it also plays an integral role for each individual business from a micro level. Without the incremental attributes that make up a company’s ability to manufacture, even the world’s greatest idea would never stand a chance.

Over the last decade, carbon fiber has become more prevalent among contractors and engineers involved with various foundation repairs. Emecole Metro has been at the forefront of bringing the best in carbon fiber technology to basement repair contractors. Through that time, our carbon fiber products have continually evolved with the addition of our top and bottom anchoring wall systems to our Carbon Fiber-Kevlar Grid Strap exceeding stringent accreditation requirements with its ICC-ES certification.

Demonstrating our continued commitment to providing the best in carbon fiber crack repair products, now included in our selection is the Carbon Fiber Grid. These woven-like grids are engineered to protect and preserve low pressure crack injections in foundation walls susceptible to stress loads occurring from active ground movement, soil settlement and/or freeze/thaw cycles.

In such applications, the types of cracks that are most likely to occur will be structural (telltale signs include cracks that are horizontal, diagonal or stair-stepped). While the filling of such cracks via injection of our epoxy or structural polyurethane is usually enough to result in a permanent repair, foundations prone to excess stress will likely result in further crack development.

The added installation of Carbon Fiber Grids is a proactive measure to help avoid such unwanted callbacks. Carbon Fiber Grids easily install into saw-cut openings perpendicular to the crack and bond within each slot via Emecole Metro 4121 Carbon Fiber Epoxy. The high tensile strength of each pre-impregnated and bidirectional Carbon Fiber Grid offsets the stress load. Applicators can continue with the subsequent crack injection with full confidence that the repair will stay permanent while also protecting the surrounding area of the foundation.

Carbon Fiber Grids are available in the Emecole Metro Carbon Fiber Power Grid Kits, providing contractors everything needed for successful structural crack reinforcement. Each kit selection is equipped with the needed installation accessories, including Emecole Metro 4121 Carbon Fiber Epoxy, static mixing nozzles, retaining nuts, a trowel, safety glasses and gloves. The dispensing of epoxy requires the use of your own dual dispensing gun or a standard caulk gun, depending on the epoxy cartridge type (dual cartridge or universal cartridge).