Walls & Ceilings November 2011

GREEN BUILDING PRODUCTS ISSUE Solve Your Acoustics Problem With One Word Turn to page 13 for more info November 2011 ...

Author: Mark Fowler

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GREEN BUILDING PRODUCTS ISSUE

Solve Your Acoustics Problem With

One Word Turn to page 13 for more info

November 2011 | Volume 74, Issue 11 | The Voice of the Industry Since 1938™ | www.wconline.com

gate ways Sustainable Building Products | A Brave New BIM

WC08114CERTCEIL.indd 1

7/21/11 3:13 PM

Committed to cleaner air in healthcare facilities.

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YOU SHOULDN’T PUT IT IN YOUR

WALL UNLESS WE’VE PUT IT

T O T H E T E S T. STRONGER T H A N S T E E L.

SM

© 2011 ClarkDietrich Building Systems

P r o S T U D® D r y w a l l F r a m i n g S y s t e m

ProSTUD drywall framing system. Developed, tested and approved ®

by professionals in the field—and proven in the most extensive third-party evaluations around—ProSTUD will leave you with no questions on performance or compliance. Plus, backed by easy mobile access to technical data through iProSTUD.com, it’s but one of the many ways that ClarkDietrich, a proud member of SFIA (Steel Framing Industry Association), is taking your confidence to a whole new level. clarkdietrich.com Please Circle #154 On Reader Action Card

Interior Framing ∙ Exterior Framing ∙ Interior Finishing ∙ Clips/Connectors ∙ Metal Lath/Accessories∙ Engineering

16

20

november columns 06 Up Front by Mark Fowler 40 Finish Line

by Robert Thomas

42 All Things Gypsum by Michael Gardner 44 Straight Green by Chris Dixon 46 Adventures in Drywall by Kevin Bush

departments

features

VO L U M E 7 4 N U M B E R 1 1

16 A Towering Achievement Expert Drywall wins one of this year’s NWCB Outstanding Project awards by making steel, stone and stucco behave to create a monumental green building.

20 Green is Good The green building movement proves its upward trend not only is a responsible answer to sustainable building, but also an incentive for innovation.

28 Tools & Equipment to the Industry A round-up of some manufacturer and distributor’s recent products.

30 What’s BIM to You?

10 Trade News

Building information modeling is the way of the future and can be a real boon to everyone on the job site.

14 Product Focus

34 Get it Right

48 Looking Up 49 Classified Marketplace

By following a few guidelines, spray foam can improve energy efficiency without endangering the health of workers or occupants.

50 Advertiser Directory G R E E N

B U I L D I N G

P R O D U C T S

I S S U E

on the cover

T Bill and Melinda The Gates Foundation’s (the charitable organization ffounded by the creator of tthe Microsoft Corporation) Iris Campus in Seattle has more than a half-million ssquare feet of sustainable green architecture and a dramatic inclusion tto an already storied city skyline. Expert Drywall was honored with this year’s NWCB Interior-Commercial 2011 Outstanding Project of the Year Award.

November 2011 | Volume 74, Issue 11 | The Voice of the Industry Since 1938™ | www.wconline.com

gate ways Sustainable Building Products | A Brave New BIM

4

| Walls & Ceilings | November 2011

ON THE WEB www.wconline.com Breaking News W&C Blogs Web-only Features Special Sections W&C Architect

W&C Digital Edition Media Kit Facebook White Papers/ Case Studies

NWCB—May 10-12 The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Readers can download the mobile app to snap the mobile tag at http://gettag.mobi

FWCCA—July 18-22 Renaissance St. Augustine. St. Augustine, Fla.

Retrofit acoustical solutions made easy SoundScapes® Acoustical Canopies are just one of a family of ceiling solutions that allow you to solve tough noise problems with easy-to-install standard kits. They’re an excellent way to reduce noise with custom looks. Each kit includes the acoustical canopy, cloud, or panel, plus all the hardware you need to complete the installation quickly and easily. PRE-ASSEMBLED KITS Pre-engineered for easy installation, SoundScapes are ready to install right out of the box. Connect the cables while the canopy is still in the box. Then use the top of the box as your guide to locate the anchor points on the structure.

INSTALLATION

GRIPPER STRUCTURE ANCHOR To install canopies below an existing ceiling, mount the gripper structure anchor to a support. Attach threaded rod and diagonal bracing. Then use escutcheon to conceal gripper.

INSTALLATION PROTECTION Canopies ship with edge protectors and plastic film in place. Just lift the canopy to the desired height, cut off excess cable, and remove protectors and film. They’re adjustable up to 45 degrees in either direction, so installation is easy.

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Please Circle #103 On Reader Action Card

up

FRONT BY MARK FOWLER

Those

Bells and Whistles I was at a pre-construction meeting for a large, mixed-use building a few years ago with several other people. The architect, developer, general contractor, subcontractors, third party consultants and manufacturers were all present and all had input on how the stucco, windows and other penetrations should be done. Lots of ideas were t h row n a rou nd a nd some were very complex. I was arguing that a more complex design may not always be the way to go. I went on to explain that the more complex the design, the greater the potential for errors and likelihood of leaks and other problems. As others started to argue back and forth to support their position, the principal of the large architecture firm (who had not said a single word up to that point) suddenly spoke up. “Alright” he announced loudly, “I agree with Mr. Fowler. I have been around a long time and making things overly complicated does tend to lead to problems.”

WISE MAN I had heard of this architectural giant in my city but never met him until that day. Immediately after the meeting, he waved me over. “Let’s go for walk young man” he said as he led the way out of the room. I had a great afternoon as I walked and talked with this true master of architecture who had graced magazine covers and won design awards. Moments like these give me the inspiration to continue the good fight for reasonable construction practices. Do not believe I refuse any and all innovation, but I am very cautious. I am reminded of being a kid and going with my dad to purchase a car. He refused to buy a car with electric windows and other gadgets. He would say, “All those bells and

6


whistles cost extra and they always break down.” He had a point. Cars with those extras did seem to have a lot of problems back then. However, today that is not true. Cars have lots of bells and whistles with extra features and for the most part, they work quite well and for years. But is the same trend true with construction and if not, why not?

APPLES AND ORANGES? I believe it is hard to compare assembling cars to constructing buildings. Cars are mass-produced in a controlled factory setting; many even use computers to fabricate the various sections and are assembled under close and consistent supervision. The key to their success is repetition and quality control. Both of these factors are also much easier in a controlled factory environment. Construction does not have either luxury. Every detail is slightly different—windows are all different and varying conditions in the field force installers to adapt to these differences. We do not have the luxury of consistency or a controlled environment. If you think the assembly line is pressure packed for time and the construction site is not, you’d better think again. If you are perceived as holding up the schedule, you will be liable and find yourself in a no-win situation. Quality control is another issue where a subcontractor in construction is at a d isadvantage compared to the factory manager. A general contractor once told me

I had it made compared to him. He explained that he had to watch many trades, not just one and that I had it easy by only having plastering. I thought about it and replied that he had a point, but I had several projects under way and it was not physically possible to visit each project every day. All he had to do is walk out of his trailer and survey the entire site in a few minutes. While I am driving across town, I had no idea what my guys may be covering up or what problems just arose. To add to the mix, I had zero authority over the other trades that impact my work. The general contractor has the authority to control all the trades, which is why he is called the “general.” He did not like my statement but I also noted he had no comeback.

IT’S NOT THE SAME Another difference between manufacturing a car and subcontracting on a job site is the price. The auto manufacturer sets the price for his product and while it could be argued so does the subcontractor, it is not in the same realm. In subcontracting, it is typically the lowest bidder who wins. When a car is sold, price has a place, but most buyers have a list of criteria and shop for the vehicle that meets the criteria. If you believe it is all about price on a car, why do car manufacturers spend millions on ads? Why not save the advertising dollars and just reduce the price, like say, we subcontractors do? Building owners and architects want those bells and whistles and this just adds to the challenge of being a subcontractor. Keeping it as simple as possible will generally lead to fewer problems. Remember this is not a car you are building, selling or buying; it is construction and those bells and whistles that are so nice on that factory-made car, may be more trouble than they are worth.

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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Bob Drury — NWCB Michael Kwart — Executive Director, ICAA Michael Gardner — Executive Director, Gypsum Association Steve Pedracine — Executive Director, Minnesota Lath & Plaster Bureau Jon Mooney — President, Acoustics by J.W. Mooney Elizabeth Steiner — Executive Director, ICFA

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Audience Development Coordinator — Christina Roth Multimedia Specialist — Maggie Lee Corporate Audience Audit Manager — Catherine M. Ronan For subscription information or service, please contact Customer Service at: Tel. (847) 763-9534 or Fax (847) 763-9538 or e-mail [email protected]

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WALLS & CEILINGS (ISSN 0043-0161) is published 12 times annually, monthly, by BNP Media II, L.L.C., 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $115.00 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in Canada: $149.00 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $165.00 (int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by BNP Media II, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage Paid at Troy, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: WALLS & CEILINGS, P.O. Box 2147, Skokie, IL 60076. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. GST account: 131263923. Send returns (Canada) to Pitney Bowes, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to WALLS & CEILINGS, P.O. Box 2147, Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Ann Kalb at (248) 244-6499 or [email protected].

Please Circle #326 On Reader Action Card The Super Stud Building Products Family of Companies

Manufacturers of FROMAR STRUCTURAL STEEL PANEL SYSTEMS

DRAGONBOARD® US

TRADENEWS CALENDAR NOVEMBER 6-9 AWCI ANZ 66TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE Reef View Hotel Hamilton Island Queensland, Australia www.awci.org.au 13-15 STAFDA Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio www.stafda.org

JANUARY 24-27 WORLD OF CONCRETE Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas www.worldofconcrete.com

FEBRUARY 8-11 INTERNATIONAL BUILDERS’ SHOW Orange County Convention Center Orlando, FL www.buildersshow.com International Builder

APRIL 16-19 CISCA Charlotte, NC www.cisca.org 17-18 EIMA Charlotte, NC www.eima.com 18-19 INTEX EXPO Charlotte, NC www.intexconstructionexpo.com For additions or corrections to our Calendar, please call (248) 244-6404.

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PAREX LINE LISTED WITH ABAA Parex USA Inc. announced the WeatherSeal line has been listed by the Air Barrier Association of America. The line has successfully met or exceeded the multiple tests required to be evaluated and listed with the A BA A. These products include: WeatherSeal Spray and Roll-on and WeatherSeal Trowel-on. The ABAA represents credibility to the industry, as air and weather barrier solutions become an increasingly popular option for energy efficiency. This association also provides the opportunity to work with leaders in building envelope design to ensure the development of sound standards and best practices for quality application. “The ABAA has been extremely successful in promoting the virtues and benefits of air barriers,” said Jamie Makuuchi, Director of Marketing. “They are becoming very influential in our industry specifications and we believe our affi liation with the ABAA should prove to be added testimonial to the quality of our products.” Providing high-performance air and water barriers are a top priority for Parex USA to ensure that its materials contribute to: • Prov ide sust a i nable bu i ld i ng enclosure design • Long-term operation and maintenance performance • Maximum energy efficiency and more

CERTAINTEED MOLD PREVENTION SYSTEM OFFERED WITH 25-YEAR WARRANTY Through the introduction of the FortiCel Mold Prevention System, CertainTeed Corp. is providing building professionals and homeowners with long-term protection against mold growth. Backed by a 25-year warranty, FortiCel is a topical spray-on application that can be used on virtually all interior construction surfaces, including dimensional lumber, steel studs, concrete and floor joists.

“Protection against mold growth is paramount to healthy, long-lasting homes and buildings, and FortiCel offers the industry’s strongest defense against the degrading effects as well as costs associated with mold,” said Paul Valle, president of CertainTeed Insulation. “FortiCel helps to improve the indoor air quality of a home, provides peace of mind to builders with a mold-free warranty and equips contractors a value-added service they can offer to their customers.”

SIMPSON STRONG-TIE TO SUPPLY SOFTWARE Simpson Strong-Tie announced that it will supply software systems and truss plates to the U.S. component industry. Mike Bugbee, a 30-year veteran with the company, will be dedicated to developing and leading this business for Simpson Strong-Tie. The truss and component industry has been an important part of the Simpson Strong-Tie structural connector business for the past three decades. The company has developed many products that have helped expand the innovative use of trusses in light-frame design. Bugbee, who has helped create many truss-related products for the company said, “As software becomes increasingly integrated, it makes sense for us to help lead the development of high-integrity design tools. Working with the existing companies in this arena has become increasingly more difficult over the past several months, leading us to the realization that we need to jump into the market with total commitment.” “Our customers have been asking for these products for a long t i me ,” sa id Ter r y K i ngsfat her, president of Simpson Strong-Tie. “We know the complete Simpson Strong-Tie solution will take some months to pull together, but we are deeply committed to providing innovative products to this industry along with our engineering, testing, training and fi eld support.”

CUSTOM STUD CELEBRATES A DECADE IN BUSINESS Light gauge steel framing company Custom Stud Inc. is celebrating 10 years in business. Since 20 01, the company has evolved from a one roll former to a business announcing seven new lines of production. “We are all very proud of this accomplishment and grateful to our customers and employees who helped us get here,” said Missy Albachten, vice president of operations. Custom Stud was founded by Marty Kiehm. Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Kiehm brought his expertise of the steel construction industry to the manufacturing side of the business. “Developing a hard-working, loyal staff from sales through to production has been integral in our success,” he said. The company has been a longtime member of the Steel Stud Manufactures Association and Kiehm is currently serving on the board of directors as its treasurer.

SOBOTEC TO DISTRIBUTE SYNTHEON WALL SYSTEM IN CANADA Syntheon Inc. has announced a distribution agreement with Sobotec Ltd., one of Canada’s largest manufacturers and distributors of aluminum panel systems for commercial building exteriors. Under the agreement Sobotec will distribute and install the accel-E STEP system throughout eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. “By partnering with Sobotec, we have the opportunity for a major expansion into the Canadian commercial building market,” said Syntheon President Antonio Torres. “ “Our expertise is in metal and composite pa nel cladd i ng sys tems, which form the outer veneer of a building exterior,” explained Sobotec President Vladimir Sobot. “Our agreement … allows us to bring together for the fi rst time a full exterior wall system that also encompasses structural and insulation components. This means we can now provide owners, architects and contractors single source responsibilit y for t he complete building envelope.”

The new agreement was announced to coincide with this year’s Greenbuild event held in Toronto.

ARMSTRONG NAMES CONN ACOUSTICS RECYCLER OF YEAR Armstrong World Industries has named Conn Acoustics Inc. of Newington, Conn., as its 2010 “Ceiling Recycler of the Year.” During 2010, the acoustical contracting firm recycled over 1.3 million square feet of ceiling tiles rather than sending them to a landfill.

The Armstrong award recognizes companies and organizations that make significant environmental contributions through their recycling initiatives. Other recipients recognized for their outstanding recycling achievements have included General Motors, Nike, Pfi zer, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and the National Security Agency. Conn Acoustics began recycling ceiling tiles in 2005 as part of the Armstrong Ceiling Recycling Pro-

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Please Circle #102 On Reader Action Card November 2011 | www.wconline.com |

11

TRADENEWS PEOPLE Sto Corp has announced several new appointments to its staff. Sean Bresnan has been named Internet marketing specialist. Nisha George is the new marketing coordinator. John Chamberlin is responsible for managing the company’s StoPowerwall Stucco and StoQuick Silver Cement Board Stucco product lines under the title associate product manager. Rocío Rivera has been named media relations specialist. For its Canadian market, the company also names Philip Kingswood market manager and Brock Osborn is the new business development manager, restoration.

California Dr ywall Co. has appointed Bruce Faultner as senior estimator/project manager. Wolf-Gordon has named Harold Wolfson chief operating officer.

Wolfson

GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc. announced that Christopher Snow has been promoted to the position of associate principal. Snow

gram. The program enables commercial building owners to ship ceilings from renovation projects to an Armstrong ceiling plant as an alternative to landfi ll disposal. Armstrong re-uses the recycled ceiling tiles in the manufacture of new tiles. Since it began the program in 1999, Armstrong has recycled more than 100 million square feet of discarded ceiling tiles. This represents more than 14,000 dumpsters full of construction waste that would have normally been taken to landfi lls.

AISI TO DEVELOP NEW STANDARD FOR NONSTRUCTURAL MEMBERS The American Iron and Steel Institute Committee on Framing Standards is developing a new standard for nonstructural members. AISI S220, North American Standard for ColdFormed Steel Framing – Nonstructural Members, is targeted for completion at the end of 2011 and publication in 2012. AISI S220 will be applic able to com mon ly recognized nonstructural members such as wall studs used in interior partition walls. It will also be applicable to other members, as long as they meet the nonstructural definition and limitations. “Currently, the design and installation requirements for nonstructu ral members are found in a va r iet y of do c u ment s — i nclud i ng t he st a nda rds for structural members— which could cause confu-

sion among engineers and building offi cials,” Jay Larson, P.E., F. ASCE , Managing Director, Construction Technical Program, said. “Gathering this information into one standard will allow the steel industry to have a clear understanding of design requirements for members in the nonstructural category, while making it easier for design professionals to specify and building officials to approve steel for building projects.” AISI’s codes and standards work is conducted under the Construction Market Council of the Steel Market Development Institute, a business unit of AISI, which oversees the industry’s investment in advancing the competitive use of

SPACKLE BY DAVE COVERLY

12


steel by meeting the demands of the marketplace. For more information on SMDI’s Construction Market program, visit www.smdisteel.org.

OLD FEDERAL GYPSUM PLANT REOPENS Cabot Gypsum is launching production at a facility that has been in bankruptcy and boarded up for the past three years in Port Tupper, Nova Scotia, as reported in the Cape Breton Post. The company has revamped and modernized an existing facility that was once owned by Federal Gypsum before it shut down in 2008. Cabot Gypsum’s sales manager, Reg MacLeod, said the company acquired the plant’s assets earlier this year and is leasing the facility from the government of Nova Scotia. MacLeod said the company’s received no government funding in getting the facility up and running. “We’ve just obviously opened and started our production but we expect ... significant job growth in the future once we get going, probably 12 months down the road,” said MacLeod. “It depends on the economy and things like that but we expect it to be nothing compared to the NewPage plant, which was a disaster for the area but we expect job growth to be growing as the plant grows.” MacLeod said the facility is the province’s only gypsum wallboard plant. W&C

Solve Your Acoustics Problem

With One Word Environmental Acoustics

45 monitors beeping 24/7

+

70 doors constantly opening and closing

+

Ongoing conversations too many to count

=

Design Healthier Environments with Adagio® Ceilings. Add up all the distracting noise in the typical modern hospital. Factor in the proven harmful effects noise has on patients’ recovery time and staff’s stress levels. Your answer is Adagio Ceiling Systems from CertainTeed. Nobody takes environmental acoustics more seriously. Adagio has a NRC value of 0.80 and a CAC value of 42, the best in the industry. So for those spaces where enhancing the patients’ sense of privacy is vital, it’s Adagio. You’re not just solving a design problem. You’re helping make people healthy again.

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product

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on

Ceilings Ceiling and wall system PINTA ACOUSTIC INC. The SONEX AFS Ceiling and Wall System is an acoustic plaster finishing system that provides a seamless, monolithic look to walls and ceilings. The product offers strong sound absorption with a high noise reduction coefficient. The panels are directly applied to solid substrates and glued with trowelable waterbased adhesive with optional mechanical fasteners. Joints between the panels are taped and finished. Then, two coats of the company’s Phonstop PA85 acoustic plaster are trowel-applied to create a smooth, white and porous finish surface that has a slight texture from integral mineral aggregates. Custom color, nonbridging acoustical coating designed for this type of application can also be applied to the dry finish by certified applicators.

CHICAGO METALLIC CORP.

The Ecophon Master Solo S suspended ceiling offers a range of sustainable design options to building and design professionals. The product allows creative design in ceiling spaces, permits the easy integration of a variety of lighting systems and features a 75-percent recycled content, Class A sound absorption and painted edges for an aesthetically appealing appearance. The product features painted edges and no profiles around the panels, enabling it to be poised at a variety of angles for a floating ceiling effect with a very clean, minimalist appearance. The easily installed panels are hung by ceiling wires fastened to suspension wire. The panels are available in nominal sizes 48 inches by 48 inches and 48 inches by 96 inches.

The High Recycled Content Ceiling Grid Systems, HRCmax, feature 65 percent recycled steel in their suspension grid components. The HRCmax grid systems—the Premium Ultraline, the Professional Tempra 4000, and the Standard 1200 System—each currently have a LEED RC value of 58. In addition to providing the highest recycled steel content in the industry and being 100 percent recyclable, HRCmax systems feature double web construction for increased strength and durability. With a 9/16-inch wide profile, Ultraline grid systems provide a choice of reveals—1/4 and 1/8 inch— and crisp intersections to accent any ceiling. Tempra grid has an understated 9/16-inch wide profile, accepts square or revel edge lay-in panels, and is ideal for hospitals, retail locations, airports, transit stations, galleries and offices. Suspension systems meet all industry standards for codes compliance and compatibility with acoustical tile, light fixtures and air diffusers. Popular applications include healthcare, hospitality, retail locations, airports, transit stations, galleries and offices.

If you read this article, please circle number 252.



Adjustable wall molding bracket USG CORPORATION The company recently introduced an adjustable wall molding bracket for sloped ceilings. The new SB2 Adjustable Wall Molding Bracket will secure a standard wall molding at any angle to accommodate a sloped acoustical ceiling, eliminating the need for costly fabricated wall molding. The bracket also facilitates the use of a seismic clip in seismic applications. It can be used in all interior general use areas and with intermediate and heavy-duty USG DONN suspension systems. If you read this article, please circle number 251.

Sustainable ceiling panels CERTAINTEED CORP.

Binder for open plan ceilings ARMSTRONG CEILING & WALL SYSTEMS The company has announced that nine items in its Optima Open Plan family of ceilings are now available with a fiberglass substrate made with a plant-based binder. The ceilings with the binder are available in both lay-in and tegular 2-feet-by-2-feet,

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Recycled content grid systems


2-feet-by-4-feet and 4-feet-by-4-feet panels for installation in 15/16-inch grid, and in tegular same-size panels for installation in 9/16-inch grid. A high-performing acoustical environment also contributes to indoor environmental quality. Optima Open Plan ceilings offer outstanding sound absorption with a NRC of 0.95 and Articulation Class of 190. The ceilings also feature a high Light Reflectance value of 0.90. If you read this article, please circle number 254.

U.S.A.

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A Towering

Achievement E

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Expert Drywall wins one of this year’s NWCB Outstanding Project awards by making steel, stone and stucco behave to create a monumental green building. By Alex Lundberg

xper t Dr y wall of Red mond, Wash., is one of this year’s Northwest Wall & Ceiling Bureau’s award winners for its work on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (the charitable organization fou nded by t he cre ator of t he Microsoft Corporation) Iris Campus in Seattle. The campus is more than a half-million square feet of sustainable green architecture and a dramatic inclusion to an already storied city skyline. The new Iris Campus of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is actually two buildings, twin “boomerang” shapes t u rned inward towards each other. The exterior of the buildings is made up of several different materials: metal panels, glass curtain wall, stone and stucco. The mixture of so many different construction materials called on project managers to come up with new ways of addressing the job.

In the event of an earthquake, one floor shifts to the right and the floors above and below are likely to shift to the left and vice-versa. Everything the stack joints in the curtain walls were called on to do, the framing had to be able to do the same. “It’s uncommon for metal stud framing to be constructed in this manner,” Leavitt says. “There is a lot of heavy stone paneling over the framing and we had to maintain the moving stack joints. We had to coordinate our work with the stone cladding and account for the various different kinds of sheathing we were using. It made the job significantly more complex.”

OUT OF MANY, ONE

CURB APPEAL

“There are double-framed exterior chase walls that had to align with stone and various other exterior finishes,” Expert Drywall On-Site Project Manager Mark Leavitt says. “There was copper cladding on the exterior soffit and some of those were 80 feet in the air. We had to do a significant amount of welding to support the heavy stone paneling and copper cladding systems. The enormity of the project, the difficulty in gaining access mandated by the building design and the details were all things we had to attempt to capture. “The design also called for the cowled walls to replicate the curtainwalls” Leavitt says. “The building has stack joints which were constructed to allow the building to drift.”

Leavitt says Expert Drywall hired structural engineering consultants Anderson-Peyton to provide light gauge framing engineering and details to work with the architects’ design. A detail Leavitt called the “peel wall,” a section of wall that protrudes from the outer, convex angles of the building, were a challenge. “We had to have a special track made as these exterior wall segments were tapered and also incorporated stack joints,” he said. “It went from 4- to 8-inches thick framed and sheathed and provided a unique aesthetic feature.” The new campus buildings are comprised of more than 600 reinforced gypsum column covers—a prodigious amount for any build-


ing. Expert Drywall President Jim McDade says that was a significant number, considering that most of the jobs the company has done in the past seldom utilize any GRG column covers as architectural finishes. “It turned out to be a valuable learning experience for the company,” McDade says. The learning experience, in this case, was logistical. McDade says he and his team needed to come up with a way to get that many column covers installed in a single go. The people at Expert Drywall came up with a game plan to get the job done. “We developed a good process for getting the columns installed and finished now,” he says. “In the atrium areas, there are four towering column covers, 55 feet tall (four stories) that terminated into the underside of the suspended finished wood ceiling. Installation of the columns was made extremely difficult as the columns had to be installed through a massive scaffold system being used by all trades in the atrium area.” A par t of the job McDade p a r t i c u l a rly l i ke d , t h e bu i ld ings’ commissary area, which had a n el l iptica l d r y wa l l cei l i ng with many different radius/elliptical shaped reveals throughout. “It’s a unique feature,” he says. “It was very labor intensive, it took a lot of work, but the results were exceptional and award winning.” Overall, the entire project was extremely challenging for Expert Dry-

November 2011 | www.wconline.com |

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building in the world, according to the Gates Foundation website. Finished just this spring, the Gates campus buildings share a neighborhood with the internationally-recognizable Seattle Space Needle.

MORE?

wall, but both McDade and Leavitt say the company was very fortunate to be a part of this landmark project.

BIG GREEN According to the Gates Foundation, “The project started seven years ago with the initial target of LEED Silver, in support of the City of Seattle’s green building mandate,” says Principal and Lead Sustainable Designer at NBBJ Margaret Montgomery. “Our main goal was to design the right building for the foundation staff and surrounding community. It just so happened that the best solutions were also the greenest.” Water conservation was a big goal for the project to protect the local watershed from further depletion and pollution. A 1 million-gallon rainwater storage tank underneath the campus is responsible for the majority of the water conservation. The two-acres of living roofs absorb a significant amount of the rainwater runoff and the remaining roof and hardscape runoff is collected in the rainwater storage tank, cleaned of pollutants and filtered back into

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the campus for reflecting pools, irrigation and toilets. These systems, plus efficient plumbing fixtures reduced the campus’ potable water use by nearly 80 percent and eliminated all polluted rainwater runoff. The campus also includes a variety of energy efficient strategies, such as a roof-mounted solar energy system which provides energy for more than a third of the hot water use. Below the surface is a 750-thousand gallon water storage system that minimizes energy used to cool buildings by chilling stored water at night for recirculation during the day. The overall energy use has been reduced by nearly 40 percent and the upfront investment the foundation made in a 100-year, energy-efficient building will pay for itself in less than 30 years. The new Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation campus has been awarded LEED-NC (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction) Platinum certification from the United States Green Building Council—making it the largest, non-profit LEED-NC Platinum

Dealing with many different products and materials, combined with the uniquely shaped buildings made the the work at the Iris Campus very labor-intensive. McDade says Expert Drywall worked on the exterior of the building for about a year and were about 20 months on the job site altogether. Leavitt calls the work the company did on the Gates Foundation site a “once in a lifetime project” but that they’re hoping to have a second opportunity as plans for a next phase at the Iris Campus are being drawn up. The Gates Foundation’s mandate is global and its pockets are (famously) deep. According to Melinda Gates, “the campus will be a hub for advocates and experts from all over the world who are driving innovation to help find solutions to global issues.” McDade says the Fou ndation plans to put up another building on the Iris Campus. Plans for that third building are in the design phase now and construction will depend on the foundation’s growth and space needs. W&C

INDUSTRY PLAYERS: Manufacturers: • Armstrong World Ind. • Award Metals • BMI Products of Northern California • ClarkWestern Building Systems (now ClarkDietrich) • Fry Reglet Architectural Metals • GC Products • Georgia-Pacific • Grabber Construction Products • Hilti • Parex USA • SCAFCO Steel Stud Mfg • USG Suppliers: • Commencement Bay Construction Products • Gypsum Wallboard Supply If you read this article, please circle number 205.

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Green is Good T

he green building movement proves its upward trend not only as a responsible answer to sustainable building, but also as an incentive for innovation. Ten years ago, the term “green” was considered a precious ambition with high hopes of changing the way builders looked at approaching construction. In short, the building community—along with opinions of some of the trade media— didn’t look at the movement as anything more than a fad. Collectively, those that doubted its thesis—that building more responsibly with “alternative” construction methods—couldn’t have been more wrong. The introduction of association and trade groups such as the USGBC and trade events like Greenbuild have not only proved doubters wrong but have challenged builders to find a more responsible solut io n w it h bu i ld i n g materials and building philosophies. The 2012 National Model Building Energy Code will require increased energy efficient standa rds for newly constructed homes and businesses by 30 percent. The need for better energy standards will move the country forward environmentally and responsibly. This article features some of the newest green building products in the wall and ceiling community. It is a natural evolution of our industry that we follow the trends and this is a good thing: it benefits in how we build houses and businesses, and it encourages a more sustainable building paradigm.

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What once was a fad is now the foundation for a revolution in responsible, sustainable construction. By John Wyatt

GREEN EIFS According to the folks at Parex USA, its product line has always been focused on seeking environmentally sound solutions. Its Dry-Tex product is a dry acrylic-based finish designed to provide equal quality in handling, application and flexibility as standard wet acrylic finishes but in a dry form. This technology provides many environmental advantages, including recyclable packaging, VOC-free raw materials and a lower energy cost to ship. Its green attributes include: • Less packaging; less impact on landfills— Dry-Tex is packaged in paper bags (vs. traditional plastic pails) which can be recycled and will easily and quickly biodegrade therefore, reducing the impact on landfills. • Less VOCs; less air contamination—as a dry product, the product is VOC free. It does not require the raw materials containing VOCs found in traditional acrylic finishes. • Less weight; less fuel—the weight of Dry-Tex has been reduced by 40 percent, which means it requires less fuel/energy to transport. • Regionally available — Dry-Tex is available in numerous markets across the United States. When asked about the importance of the green building movement, the company answers in the positive.

“It is an excellent question, of course it is important,” says Parex’s Jim Whitfield, FCSI, CCPR, LEED AP. “How can we continue to ignore the wasting of our natural resources? Waste of any kind needs to be addressed and must be reduced in the construction industry. The USGBC web site states that 40 percent of the primary energy is used in buildings. That is substantial. Green building practices whether LEED or just a well specified green project, have potential to reduce the energy demand by 24 to 50 percent.” W hitfield says that one of the biggest challenges for E I FS and st ucco applicators on L E E D or “g reen” projects is understanding the submittal paperwork and requirements—reporting distance from manufacturing to the job site, VOC content of the materials and recycled content of products. As a manufacturer of EIFS and stucco products, their job, he says, is a responsibility to teach and assist in the submittals. The company has automated the submittal process for LEED or green projects on its web site. It also has an expert technical team available to help with LEED submittals. “The green movement is here,” says Whitfield. “The green movement on construction sites offers environmental, human health and most important, economic benefits. Building manufacturers are continually developing and formulating new products to support green building initiatives. These types of innovations are becoming more commonplace.”

Armourcoat Sculptural is a range of seamless sculptural wall surface designs. Sculptural walls are constructed from a series of pre-cast panels that are bonded to the substrate. The panel joints are then filled and sanded and a final decoration is applied to the surface.

Green is Good CAVITY WALL SOLUTION Atlanta-based Sto Corp. is marketing its StoEnergy Guard as a product that reduces energy use in hot and cold climates and is comprised of Class A building materials tested for low flame spread and smoke development. Designed to protect the entire building, it offers improved air quality and thermal comfort as well as resistance to mold and mildew. Its StoGuard component provides a continuous, fluid-applied air barrier membrane that bonds directly to sheathing to resist air and water penetration as well as a waterproof moisture barrier that protects against the damaging effects of incidental water damage. The Sto DrainScreen mat facilitates moisture escape between the protected substrate and cladding by allowing water that reaches the back of the cladding to drain to the outside and speeds the drying of moistureladen air. It incorporates approved continuous insulation that enhances energy efficiency and eliminates thermal bridging while significantly

improving the effective R value of the wall assembly. StoEnergy Guard uses proven components and is compliant with numerous codes and standards including the International Building Code 2012, IECC 2012, IGCC 2012, NBC 2010, ASHRAE 90.1 and ASHRAE 189.1 as well as state and local codes. StoEnergy Guard is an integrated cavity wall solution that is used for protection under multiple cladding types including stone, siding, stucco and more. With StoEnergy Guard, the company leverages cavity wall design and rainscreen technology to provide energy efficiency and durability in a simple yet effective solution. StoEnergy Guard integrates a fluid applied waterproof air barrier, sheathing joint and rough opening protection, proven drainage technology and approved continuous insulation into a flexible system that can be designed to meet individual climate zone and building code requirements. “The green building movement is very important,” says Rocio Rivera,

Please Circle #104 On Reader Action Card 22


APR, media specialist at Sto. “Lowering energy costs and our environmental footprint is becoming not just a trend, but a way of life. The good use of our natural resources in the building industry represents a new way of doing business that may just have unlimited capabilities that can help us live a better life.” The company’s products have been used on several LEED certified projects, such as Joint Base Lewis-McChord Air Force Base in Washington state. Crews used 650 gallons (50,000 square feet) of StoGuard fluid-applied air barrier for the exterior and some of the interior of the 35,000-square-foot SOF Aviation Battalion Education Center. The project exceeded the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers air barrier standard requirement for air tightness, and is in the process of obtaining its LEED Silver certification.

OUTSIDE IS “IN” Dryvit’s Outsulation Systems are engineered, rigorously tested, code

compliant exterior claddings that provide protection for the vertical wall surfaces of the building envelope. Most impor tantly, as the name suggests, they are highly energy efficient insulated cladding systems that place insulation on the outside of the wall where building scientists say it is most effective. Literally, the systems function as a vapor permeable blanket for the building. Ideal for both new construction and renovation, the cladding is used on all types of buildings in the non-residential and residential markets. Outsulation provides continuous insulation for the exterior of buildings, making it a very energy efficient cladding. According to Oak Ridge National Laboratories, Outsulation can save up to 35 percent on energy use, year after year. The cladding also has an air/water-resistive barrier and liquid flashing for openings built right into the system, eliminating air leakage and further reducing energy consumption.

Dryvit’s Outsulation product is an energy efficient insulated cladding system.

The Rhode Island-based company is a member of both USGBC and ASHRAE. Both organizations recognize Outsulation as an energyefficient system. Dryvit Outsulation helps to accumulate LEED points in various categories. “Dryvit is committed to producing products and systems that help to conserve energy,” says Dryvit Director of Marketing Communications Barbara Catlow. “According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, buildings account for 39 percent of total energy use and

38 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions. Outsulation systems are highly energy efficient, and, when incorporated into a well designed building envelope, can contribute to reducing both energy use and subsequent GHG release of a building by up to 40 percent.” Notable LEED certified projects using this system are Orange County Choppers headquarters in Newburgh, N.Y.; Tremco Headquarters, Beachwood, Ohio (pending Gold certification), and; Metro Career Academy, Oklahoma City (pending Gold certification). “This country has a huge inventory of buildings leaking energy. It also has a high unemployment rate. Dryvit Outsulation offers a light weight, low cost, extremely energy-efficient cladding that is available now, with a trained labor force,” says Catlow.

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Green is Good

SIPs products are a panelized building system composed of insulating foam sandwiched between two structural facings, typically oriented strand board.

els. These products are a panelized building system composed of insulating foam sandwiched between two structural facings, typically oriented strand board. SIPs can be prefabricated to the exact design of a home or commercial building using automated fabrication equipment. Installing SIPs takes a fraction of the time of conventional framing and saves energy throughout the building’s life cycle. The green attributes of SIPs include: • Saves energy and reduces carbon footprint. • Generates less waste than site fabricated building systems. • Allows for better control over indoor air quality. • Uses fewer natural resources than wood framing. “The resource efficiency benefits of panelized construction are recognized in both the LEED for Homes rating system and the National Green Building Standard,” says Bill Wachtler, executive director of the Structural Insulated Panel Association. “SIPs also help builders earn points for energy efficiency and indoor air quality under these rating systems and other energy efficiency standards. “The building sector is responsible for close to 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S., making green building one of the biggest opportunities to combat global climate change,” says Wachtler. “Unlike

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This restaurant, in Gaylord, Texas, utilizes Armourcoat’s Duturo line. The product has hygiene properties to prevent mold, mildew and bacteria.

other major carbon producing industries like transportation and manufacturing, the technology to greatly reduce building carbon emissions is readily available and not significantly more expensive than current construction methods. When designed using a cost-benefit model, building owners will receive a return on their investment in green construction.”

NATURAL MATERIALS From luxurious polished (Venetian stucco) and textured plaster wall finishes, high performance architectural coatings and stone-effect cast products to stunning seamless wall systems, Armourcoat is a global provider in decorative surface finishes. T he Britai n-based compa ny’s product lines are made from natural minerals, predominately pre-consumer recycled marble. “This can account for up to 60 percent of the recipe, as for example in Duturo,” says the company’s Chief Marketing Officer Daniel Nevitt, who runs the company’s Las Vegas office. “Our Sculptural range includes up to 30 percent postconsumer recycled glass. Most Armourcoat products are low or zero VOC. ArmourColor coatings additionally have hygiene properties to prevent the build-up of mold, mildew and bacteria.” “The green building movement is critical to global sustainable development, ensuring best practice pro-

cess and consideration for the broader impact of our actions over the long term,” says Nevitt. “Armourcoat is committed to reducing its environmental impact. We recognize our obligation to manufacture green products. From our initial research and development , and ongoing enhancements, we consider the conservation of natural resources, reduction of our impact through a product’s lifecycle and the respect of our wider environment.”

MINERAL FIBER CEILING PANELS CertainTeed Ceiling’s Fine Fissured High N RC mineral fiber ceiling panels are a low-emitting product with no added formaldehyde, high sound absorption, recycled content (74 percent total, 4 percent postconsumer, 70 percent pre-consumer) and light reflectance. Fine Fissured High NRC is one of a handful of products within the CertainTeed Ceilings product family that can be recycled as part of the company’s Recycling Program. In addition, an Environmental Product Declaration has been developed and published by The Green Standard, a third party organization which uses independent verification of sustainability claims in accordance with ISO 14025. This includes evaluating critical environmental issues such as production process impact, usage of raw materials and recycled con-

tent, packaging, health aspects and end of life impact, enabling architects and designers to make the most informed decisions when selecting ceiling products. The FFH NRC is a commercial mineral fiber ceiling lay-in panel featuring high sound absorption and a 100 percent non-directional fissure pattern with a choice of reveal or trim edging. The panel resists sagging, includes a Bioshield treatment for added mold and mildew protection and has a Class A flame spread classification. When asked if the company views green building movement as important, the company says a strong “yes.” “In fact, due to the increase in green building, CertainTeed has enhanced emphasis on corporate responsibility and being a good steward,” says BethAnn Jordan, communications manager with CertainTeed Ceilings. “In monitoring the trend towards sustainability, CertainTeed has been even more motivated to establish programs and procedures to develop eco-friendly products and to reduce the company’s environmental footprint. This includes sharing relevant data and transparent sustainable information with customers. It also makes economic sense to reuse materials if possible to increase or maintain quality standards and keep production costs down.”

is a solution for long-term, sustainable and affordable construction in areas prone to seismic activity, hurricanes and tornadoes. T he system has achieved the Miami-Dade County Building Code Compliance (NOA #08-1219.02) approval rating for sustained 150mph, category 5 construction. Manufactured from structural grade, millprime, hot-dipped galvanized steel sheets, FRO MAR is available in a variety of sizes and thicknesses for a multitude of design applications. “Conserving our natural resources is critical for long-term sustainability,” says Vice President of Marketing and Business Development of Super Stud Curt Kinney. “The new green building codes, which will become more broadly adopted starting in 2012, will further recognize and enhance steel’s contribution to sustainable construction, and we fully support that agenda.”

DUST OFF National Gypsum’s ProForm XP All Purpose Ready Mix Joint Compound

Super Stud’s FRO MAR Structural Steel Panel System is an environmentally friendly product that is manufactured using steel that contains a high percentage of recycled content.

with Dust-Tech is GreenGuard Children and Schools Certified, has low VOC (less than 2 grams/liter), 60 percent less airborne dust particles and also boasts mold resistance among it’s green attributes. The product is an all-purpose vinyl based joint compound formulated to reduce airborne dust while sanding and save time with quick

“Allows air in; keeps bugs out.”

ENVIRONMENTALLY STEEL PANEL SYSTEM The FRO MAR Structural Steel Panel System, from Super Stud Building Products, is an environmentally friendly product that is manufactured using steel that contains a high percentage of recycled content. In fact, as much as 89 percent depending on where the material is sourced. In today’s world, the need to conserve our natural resources for future generations is critical. The steel panel system addresses many of these issues with regard to LEED certification being mandated in most states. A steel structural panel system for load-bearing residential and mid-rise commercial construction, it offers a very cost-effective solution for curtainwall and spandrel panel applications. The system’s interlocking steel structural panel

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Green is Good and easy clean-up. With Dust-Tech, the joint compound reduces airborne dust by 60 percent reducing its impact on IAQ. “ T h e g r e e n b u i l d i n g m ov e ment has raised awareness among builders, owners and architects to design, build and maintain buildings that offer greater energy efficiency, cleaner and safer dwellings and responsible sourcing of materials and construction practices,” says Mu nd ise Mor t i mer, m a nager of technical marketing with National Gypsum. “This has positive impacts in local communities and throughout the building and construction industry.” “As the standards and measures associated with sustainable design continue to evolve, so too w ill building products and processes,” says Mor timer. “National Gypsum is committed to being part of that evolution and will continue to develop new products that posit ively cont ribute to i ndoor air quality, durability, fire safety, acoustics, energy efficiency and

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National Gypsum’s ProForm XP All Purpose Ready Mix Joint Compound with Dust-Tech is an all-purpose vinyl-based joint compound formulated to reduce airborne dust while sanding.

other environ mental effor ts. I n addition, we look forward to continuing to work with the building community to find new ways ou r produc ts can work in wall and ceiling assemblies to achieve broader sustainability goals.”

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Please Circle #108 On Reader Action Card | Walls & Ceilings | November 2011

OF WATER Quality System’s PermaCrete is a sustainable product in its ingredients, uses and finished applications. All its products are either waterbased or waterborne; all are environmentally safe and friendly to use; and all are sustainably manufactured with renewable resources. Longevity, low-cost, low-maintenance without harsh chemicals and easy surface repair are inherent features in the product installations. This is desirable by those seeking L E E D cer tification on projec ts because they can contribute up to at least eight different LEED points, most of which are eligible for exemplary performance points, the company says. A PermaCrete surface is a threepart, acrylic polymer cementitious resurfacing system of more than 6,0 0 0 PSI compressive streng th t hat prov ides a n a rch itec t u ra l, load-bearing surface. It’s sealed and non-porous; resists chemicals and withstands freeze-thaw cycles as well as intense heat and ultraviolet sun rays. It can be applied over such existing surfaces as concrete, aggregate, masonry, steel and foam, and can also be used for decorative applications. PermaCrete surfaces can also be maintained with com mon household detergents. PermaCrete surfaces exceed FTC slip-resistant surface requirements by 50 percent.

CALCULATE CEILING RECYCLING As of last year, Armstrong Ceilings has now diverted more than 100 million square feet of old acoustical ceiling tiles from landfills. The Ceiling Recycling Program, which began in 1999, enables building owners to ship mineral fiber and fiberglass ceilings from renovation projects to an Armstrong ceiling plant as an alternative to landfill disposal. Under the program, the manufacturer pays the freight costs for shipping the old ceilings, which it uses as raw materials in the manufacture of new ceilings. A new program called Ceiling-2-Ceiling offers ceiling tiles made from the reclaimed material. Armstrong, working in conjunction with its customers, has recycled more than 50,000 tons of discarded ceiling tiles. This represents more than 14,000 dumpsters full of construction waste that would have normally been taken to landfills. To demonstrate the difference recycling ceiling tiles can make, Armstrong has created an interactive Environmental Impact Calculator on its Web site. By entering the number of square feet of ceilings to be recycled, visitors are able to view the impact they will have on the environment. To access the calculator, visit armstrong.com / impactcalculator.

PermaCrete’s products are either waterbased or waterborne that are environmentally safe and sustainably manufactured with renewable resources.

“The Ceiling Recycling Program is designed to help our customers reduce their impact on the environment by redirecting used ceiling tiles from landfills back to Armstrong, thereby creating a closed loop manufacturing process and

offering a valuable end to what typically would have been discarded,” says Armstrong’s Vice President of Marketing for Commercial Ceilings Joann Davis Brayman. W&C If you read this article, please circle number 206.

Flex-C Trac - Fast, Easy, Effective - Flex-C Trac FLEX-C ANGLE FLEX-C TRAC

“The need for green and sustainable buildings can be debated, argued and dredged up numerous times,” says George Henderson, CEO and president of Quality Systems. “The facts can be created, construed and confirmed. The green building movement still remains an important opportunity for society to look at the long term impact of its actions. We spend a great deal of time in created and built environments. If we can improve the ecological bottom line, while still creating a better environment for the citizens using the building, and disturb less natural resources, why not? Should we argue about the small impact one building will have? Yes, because it has a lot of impact to those financing the project and the end users that will experience the environment everyday.”

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TOOLS &

EQUIPMENT TO THE INDUSTRY Welcome to Walls & Ceilings’ Tools & Equipment to the Industry, a showcase of product availability from companies catering to contractors in North America. The information was company-supplied. For more information on suppliers, manufacturers and distributors, visit W&C’s 2011/2012 Industry Blue Book online at www.wconline.com/bluebook.

AEROSMITH FASTENING SYSTEMS 5621 Dividend Road Indianapolis, IN 46241 (800) 528-8183 [email protected] www.AerosmithFastening.com Aerosmith’s popular VersaPin tools are faster than screws to help you shorten job time and increase profi ts. Aerosmith’s VersaPin tools are lightweight and feature depth of drive adjustment with active centering. Whether you are attaching plywood, fiber cement siding, Gypsum or lath, VersaPin will help you get it done fast.


DEMAND PRODUCTS, INC. Demand Foam Systems 1055 Nine North Drive Alpharetta, GA 30004 USA (800) 325-7540 www.demandproducts.com Demand Products is a manufacturer and distributor of tools and fasteners for EIFS, foam cutting and coating equipment including manual & CNC hot wire and robotic fabricating equipment for construction and related areas. The company has 28 years of experience in serving contractors worldwide. Demand Products offers same day shipping, a Web site and free catalogs.


BOSCH TOOLS

DEWALT INDUSTRIAL TOOL CO.

(877) BOSCH-99 www.boschtools.com

701 E. Joppa Road, TW425 Baltimore, MD 21286 (888) 433-9258 www.dewalt.com/12VMAX

The Bosch GLL3-80 the first 360-degree three-plane line laser in North America. The GLL3-80 provides precise 360-degree coverage in two horizontal planes and one vertical plane which projects constant 360-degree lines. With the three planes, the GLL3-80 also provides six 90-degree reference points—the most on the market. Cone-mirror technology allows the GLL3-80 to be less expensive and more compact than a rotary laser and does not have moving parts that are found in rotary lasers. The GLL3-80 is an all-in-one tool that will cover numerous amounts of applications by combining the functions of a cross-line laser and a point laser—eliminating the need for additional tools or accessories. Its three-planes give the user the ability to set-up the laser once and line up an entire room.

DeWALT’s 12 Volt MA X* Lithium Ion system combines compact design with the power and features contractors need. Each tool incorporates features to improve performance. Three LED lights on the screwdriver, impact driver and impact wrench provide visibility without shadows. A new 1/4-inch one-hand loading hex chuck on the impact driver and screwdriver allows users to simply push the bit in with one hand to lock it in place and it accepts a 1-inch bit tip to fit into the tight spaces. *Maximum initial battery pack voltage (measured without a workload) is 12 volts. Measured under a workload, nominal voltage is 10.8.

If you read this article, please circle number 123. If you read this article, please circle number 121.

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JESCRAFT

QUIKSPRAY, INC.

201 W. Fort Lee Rd., Bogota, NJ 07603 (800) 524-1142, Fax: (201) 488-7359 [email protected] www.jescraft.com

P.O. Box 327 Port Clinton, OH 43545 (419) 732-2611 Fax: (419) 734-2628 www.quikspray.com

Jescraft’s new self-dumping Hopper model# DH-20BR fits on forklifts and telescopic forklifts, which makes material removal from the job site easy and effi cient. The Hopper is secured to the forklift blades, raised from its loading position on the ground and dumps refuse into a larger debris box. Once unlatched the Hopper automatically rolls forward to dump, returning to its upright locked position when empty. A key feature is the front release bumper, which by coming into contact against the receiving debris container, automatically releases the spring loaded latch and dumps the debris. Additional features include safety chain, 50-inch long release pull cable allowing the operator to manually dump loads from the seated position. Optional caster sets can also be ordered making it perfect for indoor use, as well. Its capacity is 4,000 pounds or two cubic yards with other sizes also available.

The Fireproofing Carrousel Pump and U-Blend Mixer were designed for high production fireproofing in tight areas. The 110VAC powered Carrousel is also available with a compressor mounted on top for ease of mobility. The globally accepted Quikspray pump and mixer can also be used for cement or plaster textures and finishes. Simple design and low/no maintenance allows this Carrousel Pump and U-Blend to be used by unskilled labor everywhere.



MARSHALLTOWN CO.

RODENHOUSE INC.

104 South 8th Avenue Marshalltown, IA 50158 (800) 888-0127 Fax: (800) 477-6341 www.marshalltown.com

974 Front NW #100 Grand Rapids, MI 49504 (616) 454-3100 www.rodenhouse-inc.com.

The Premier Line of Automatic Taping Tools has arrived. Marshalltown by Columbia Taping Tools is precision engineered and designed to run at peak performance. Tough and durable, these tools are built to withstand the toughest of working conditions.

The Plasti-Grip CBW washers fasten commercial building wrap over exterior gypsum and steel studs. Plasti-Grip CBW are fastened using auto-feed screw guns for EPS (EIFS), rigid foam or building wrap for rapid installation. The cup around the washer’s center hole is designed to seal the screw’s penetration from water intrusion.



TRIANGLE FASTENER CORPORATION

ONEIDA AIR SYSTEMS 1001 W. Fayette St. Syracuse, NY 13204 (800) 732-4065 [email protected] www.oneida-air.com The Dust Deputy Deluxe attaches easily to your shop vacuum and captures 99 percent of the material before it reaches your vac. It practically eliminates filter clogging and the easy-to-empty bucket collects the waste instead of your vacuum. The Deluxe comes with cyclone, two buckets, hose, casters and hardware.

1925 Preble Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15233 (800) 486-1832 Fax: (412) 321-7838 www.trianglefastener.com Triangle Fastener Corporation supplies a full line of tools and accessories for drilling, driving, cutting and sawing. We carry all major brands of standard and specialty tools that are designed for the professional contractor. Jobsite support and training programs are available from all of our 23 locations to assure proper tool use.



TRIM-TEX POWERS FASTENERS, INC. 2 Powers Lane Brewster, N.Y. 10509 (914) 235-6300 Fax: (914) 576-6483 www.powers.com Whether you are anchoring to concrete, steel or the middle of an I-Beam, Powers Fasteners’ new C.S.I. Pins and ceiling clips have all your applications covered! When you investigate the features and benefits that these C.S.I. products offer, you’ll be sold. Let us count the ways.


3700 W Pratt Ave. Lincolnwood, IL 60626 (800) 874-2333 www.trim-tex.com [email protected] Trim-Tex adds a new spin to mixing drywall compound with the new Auto Mixer. Simply snap the Auto Mixer onto any standard 5-gallon bucket, press the trigger lock on the heavy duty variable speed drill and you’re free to work on other things while the Auto Mixer rapidly mixes the drywall compound. The Auto Mixer also leaves your hands free to add water to your compound. It works with all compounds and can even be used to mix powdered compounds. Included are a heavy duty drill, Auto Mixer snap over assembly and a Trim-Tex mixing bucket.



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30


What’s BIM to You? W

all and ceiling contractors are fix-up specialists. If they are first on the job site, their walls get punched full of holes as one by one the electricians, plumbers and other trades arrive and make fresh penetrations. The framing contractor must return each time to repair the breaches and bring the walls back up to UL codes— driving up job costs and eroding profit margins. How much? 30 to 35 percent is an acceptable industry value for the overhead cost due to rework. Alternatively, sometimes the framer is the last one on the job, in which case he must cut each stud to fit, an expensive process that wastes a lot of material. This is the way it has always been done and humans are by nature resistant to change. But sometimes the benefits of changing the way you do something are so powerful that, a few months after making that change, you can’t imagine going back to the old way.

Building information modeling is the way of the future and can be a real boon to everyone on the job site. By George Ajami Building information modeling is changing the way buildings are designed and constructed. It facilitates two-way collaboration and communication between architects and the trades, resolving details and potential conflicts before the concrete slab is poured. It also requires that you change your work processes. BIM is like a train hurtling down the tracks—you can stand aside and watch it pass or treat it as a ticket to new business opportunities.

WHY DOES BIM MATTER? The single most important reason is: It’s where the A/E/C industry is heading. It is rapidly becoming the standard in the industry. If you want to keep getting meaningful projects,

you must look seriously at BIM. Your future livelihood may depend on it. It is the equivalent of when electronic drafting/CAD was introduced; within a few years, if you couldn’t hand over electronic deliverables, you were unemployed. The second reason is that, in these tough economic times, BIM is a means to gain an advantage over your competitors and grow your business. The more interesting and profitable jobs— government and healthcare for example—mandate the use of BIM. Third, BIM actually works! It allows you to meet tight project schedules and detect and solve construction issues before they require costly fixes in the field. As project


31

What’s BIM to You?

Naval hospital modeled with the ClarkDietrich BIM Wall Creator.

schedules become more compressed, the need for close collaboration with other trades and disciplines becomes acute. Through BIM, multiple wall penetrations from all of the trades can be modeled in such a way as to eliminate clashes while maintaining structural, STC and fire stop ratings. Fourth, there are now walls and ceilings-specific software tools that will allow you to be BIM-compliant without a lot of training. The majority of these tools work with Autodesk Revit, the most widely used BIM platform in the A/E/C industry.

BIM TOOLS FOR MAKING CONSTRUCTION EASIER, FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENT BIM Framing: One of the beauties of creating framing within the BIM model is that you no longer have to generate one-off wall types for a specific project. You can create your

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own libraries, document when certain conditions must be met and then replicate (or make global changes to) that wall type/condition throughout the model. KHS&S Contractors of Anaheim, Calif., has created its own BIM framing and rating systems using MWF (metal/wood/framing) Professional (http://www.strucsoftsolutions.com/ mwf.asp), an automated framing plug-in tool for Revit that allows you to build templates and Revit families of objects that can be re-used. “You have to invest the time to build your wall library, but you can get tremendous time savings by being able to populate framing on large projects without having to place each individual stud,” says KHS&S Contractors’ Director of Construction Rob Walter. “T he ability to fill out ‘type’ properties when creating wall templates can

help you address a number of things the Revit model should include, such as fire stopping.” “One of the things we found using MWF Professional was that we were able to get a better idea of what our framing conditions were,” says KHS&S Technical Design Coordinator David Lim. “It also makes it much easier to coordinate with MEP scopes, resulting in a smoother installation of all systems. As we look to price our BIM efforts at KHS&S, one of the large unknowns is how complex is the building? With BIM, you can use factors like deck height. Is it a wide open ceiling, is it compact, is it a hospital, does it include trades that you might not see otherwise? Coordination with other teams can have a big impact on the duration of the coordination effort and can be a black hole of time. Setting up an efficient process agreed

upon by all holders is critical, and BIM really facilitates this process.” Clash detection, as well as the ability to create and specify wall penetration openings, is another BIM advantage. “This capability is critical to being able to handle the kinds of projects we do,” says Walter. “We bring the other trade files into the BIM model and build our wall openings and penetrations around them. This is particularly useful for MEP assemblies.” You can perform clash detection even if you are using a variety of systems. DPR Construction uses different systems for designing ductwork, piping and framing, and then pulls the model into NavisWorks, where they can overlay the model and run clash detection.

MEP clash detection with MWF Professional.

MORE EXAMPLES OF BENEFITS AND TECHNOLOGIES WITH BIM Firestop management is another reason to adopt BIM as part of your work process. Walls, doors, windows and MEP openings change continually in a project’s pre-construction phase, which can be very costly if you have to solve firestop situations in the field. By working in the same modeling environment as the architect and other trades, you can identify situations that need special attention and arrive prepared at the job site. In MW F Professional, you can quantify firestopping UL requirements. The software will group openings automatically based on wall type and wall properties such as size, fire rating and by the property and characteristics of what is penetrating the wall. Based on these, it will make the process of selecting the proper firestop product easier. It will automatically insert place holders into the BIM model with PDF links to assembly. This can be used by both framers and the MEP contractor.

DESIGNING WITH MANUFACTURER’S COMPONENT LIBRARIES Do you use ClarkDietrich components? You can now create information-rich interior walls and steel framing using ClarkDietrich components with the BIM Wall Creator (http:// w w w.clarkdietrich.com /supporttools/bim), a free add-on tool for

Revit. You can design walls with a result in mind, such as height, fire or sound rating. The wall type will be created to reflect the proper assembly of materials necessary for wall construction, including manufacturer and product information, types of sheathing, overall wall width, UL and STC data, wall height design, LEED information and product SubmittalPro data sheet links. By changing different components in your wall assembly (wall board types, lateral loads, studs, etc.) the corresponding ClarkDietrich component will be pulled up (i.e., you can make choices based on your design criteria). The ClarkDietrich component specifications are imported into the Revit model.

OTHER TOOLS—TAKING BIM TO THE FIELD Another example of the integration that BIM provides on the construction side is the technology offered by Get the Point. Total Station from Get The Point (www.gogtp.com) gives your field crew the layout of your 3D-coordinated drawings and BIM information on the jobsite. The

GTP software provides routines for putting points in Revit drawings for wall contractors. These utilities can record the precise radius of a wall, the exact location of a penetration, or the beginning and ending location of track. It will add points to families within Revit or mark wall points and face points. These X,Y,Z coordinates are then exported from the Revit BIM model and transferred directly to the total station equipment in the field. The total station is an auto-pointing robot, with on-demand target reacquisition. One person can do the layout in the field shooting hundreds of points per day in the dirt, deck or on the floor. Hop aboard the BI M train— opportunity awaits. W&C George Ajami is president and founder of StrucSoft Solutions, developers of BIM software tools for the residential and commercial construction industry. He holds a structural engineering degree from McGill University. For more information, contact Ajami at [email protected]. If you read this article, please circle number 207.


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Get it Rig I

n the North American construction market, spray polyurethane foam is gaining wide recognition for a number of reasons. First, it provides strong insulating properties. Second, spray foam allows builders to create a tight building envelope around the entire building. This not only saves in energy costs by helping to prevent air leakage, but also facilitates improved air quality within the building. Achieving a tight building envelope is the foundation for an energy-efficient building. A significant portion of a building’s energy costs are lost due to heating or cooling outside air that infiltrates through gaps, cracks and transitions. According to the

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By following a few guidelines, spray foam can improve energy efficiency without endangering the health of workers or occupants. By Monica Karamagi

D epa r t ment of E nerg y, a t ig ht building, well insulated with spray foam, can help save a building owner 30 to 50 percent on his energy bills. However, before spray foam can be applied to a building, stringent safety requirements and industry best practices must be followed. These include selecting a reputable spray foam applicator, ensuring proper work site safety and working with sub-trades to create a safe work environment.

CHOOSING AN APPLICATOR By follow i ng a few g u ideli nes , builders and general contractors can be assured that the spray foam material being applied into a wall and ceiling assembly, attic, floor or crawl space, will meet all of the needed building code requirements and be installed safely. R ig ht now, t he con s t r uc t ion market is seeing a rise in startup spray foam companies who are stepping up to meet the increase in market demand. So, how does

• Does the spray foam applicator have qualified references and can the applicator cite multiple spray foam experiences with buildings? • At the job site, are the employees using the correct personal protective equipment?

ght a builder know whether or not the t applicator will make the grade? grad The builder needs to start with the basic questions: • Is the spray foam applicator experienced in installing spray foam in a specific market? Is spray foam the main part of the company’s business? Is the company’s main business fibrous insulation, air conditioning and heating equipment installation, painting or remodeling, etc.? • Does the spray foam applicator specialize in a particular type of spray foam job, i.e., residential, commercial, roofs, etc.? • Does the spray foam applicator have the proper insurance?

APPLICATOR TRAINING PROGRAMS Many spray foam material distributors and manufacturers host spray foam schools desig ned to share industry best practices with applicators. Schools often include b ot h cl a s sro om e du c at ion a nd hands-on application and troubleshooting training. Topics covered typically include: • Health and safety • Material handling • Equipment maintenance and operation • Job site preparation and spray application • Troubleshooting • Product storage • Building science • Application techniques Additional courses and spray foam accreditations are also available via the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (www.sprayfoam.org) and the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (www.polyurethane.org). These trade associations provide educational and technical resources for the spray foam industry.

BUSINESS CONSIDERATIONS W hen it comes to a spray foam job, the price of the bid cannot be the only consideration. Even after an applicator has been selected, it is crucial to maintain oversight of the project. It is also recommended that from time-to-time, the project manager stops by the job site unannounced. This will help verify that the applicator is upholding industry-mandated standards and OSHA safety practices. These safety practices include applying the spray foam to the recommended thicknesses and making sure the applicators are wearing the appropriate PPE during all phases of the application—the preparation, spraying and scarfing. Once a safe job site has been established, workmanship becomes the top priority.

BEFORE THE JOB Job Scope and Product Specification Prior to starting the project, the entire job needs to be scoped and products need to be selected. The products selected should meet the requirements of the International Building Code and International Residential Code, particularly in the area of fire performance. Acceptance criteria AC-337 has been developed by the industry to allow for the creation of evaluation service reports and the simplification of code compliance. When used in non-combustible construction, spray


35

foam products and the wall assemblies specified should be checked for compliance with the requirements found within the IBC. In addition, the scope should include the use of the ignition and

thermal barriers, as required by the code. Foam adjacent to occupied space that will not be covered by gypsum board, including plenum spaces, needs to be covered with a 15-minute thermal barrier. Some thermal bar-

riers, such as certain types of sprayapplied cementitious coatings, sprayapplied cellulosic materials and sprayapplied rockwool, have met the criteria of NFPA 275. These products can be applied over all foamed plastics.

Don’t compromise your stucco or stone project! 3PECIFY#ODE#OMPLIANT,ATHFROM!-)#/ > !-)#/-ETAL,ATHMEETSOREXCEEDS!34-# ANDCARRIESAN )## %32 > "EWAREOFh./-).!,vORh54),)49vLATHTHATDOESNOTMEET!34-STANDARDS > 3TANDARDSINCLUDEPROPERWEIGHT WIDTHAND,%.'4(nNOWvVSTHEOLDv > 7EBANDLABELEVERY PIECEBUNDLEOFANDFORYOURASSURANCE

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Other thermal barriers that may be used will have passed a large scale fire test (e.g., modified NFPA 286 or UL 1715). Additionally, they will be outlined in the foam’s evaluation services report or in a valid test report. In attics and crawl spaces, a less stringent ignition barrier criterion is applicable. Again, a large scale test determines which intumescent coating can be used in conjunction with the specified foam. Many closed cell foams and some open cell foams also meet this standard in the large scale test without a coating at all.


Lastly, it’s important to ensure that the building as a system is going to work properly together. In particular, it should be ensured t h at t he a s s e mbly d e sig n s a re appropriate for the climate and application. For spray foam applications on the outside of the wall assembly, flashing may be required at transitions, seams and joints. Also, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems need to be right-sized for the tight building. This will help ensure excellent indoor air quality, including

ventilation, combustion safety and moisture control considerations. Mock up For commercial applications, a mock up is advised to check compatibility with other materials, define the order of work and ensure that all the trades that will be working on the wall will work well together. Site Preparation Prior to spraying, all surfaces must be clean and dry. A few surfaces, such as some metals, may require a primer.


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Windows, doors and HVAC openings should be masked off to prevent overspray. Consideration should also be given to proper handling of items, such as recessed lights, furnaces or other potentially hot surfaces. For exterior applications, precautions should be taken to avoid overspray on adjacent buildings, cars, etc.

DAY OF THE JOB Required PPE On the day of the job, the SPF contractor should be wearing the proper PPE. For interior applications of high-pressure spray foam, the OSHA requires the following PPE: Gloves: To avoid direct skin contact, fabric gloves fully coated with nitrile, neoprene, butyl rubber or PVC must be worn while applying spray foam. Tape may be used to seal arm and feet openings as needed. Work Boots: To avoid foot injury, steel-toed work boots covered by disposable over-boots, should be worn in most work areas. In cases where over-boots may present a slip/ fall hazard, they may be eliminated. Respirator/ Eye Protection: To avoid inhalation and eye injury caused by foam aerosol or mist, a NIOSHapproved, full-face or hood-type supplied air respirator (SAR) oper-

38


ated in positive pressure or continuous flow mode must be used. Protective Clothing: To avoid direct skin contact, disposable coveralls with an attached hood and disposable over-boots with skid-resistant soles must be worn. In cases where heat stress may be of concern, a light-weight, disposable coverall should be considered. Hard Hat (outdoors, when needed): To avoid head injury, an approved hard hat must be worn in areas where there is a risk of falling objects. Coordination of Trades/Re-entry Time During the application of spray foam, other trades should not be present in the vicinity of the spray area. For residential construction and small commercial jobs, this would mean no other trades on the site during the spray without the proper PPE. During application, the spray area should be roped off and clearly marked with no entry signs. Safe re-entry time is typically 24 hours from the end of the spraying. Retrofit Considerations Retrofits have a number of special considerations. First, no one should be at home during the spraying. Occupants should not return until after completion of the job. Twenty-

four hours is typical, however this will vary by manufacturer. The HVAC system should be shut off to minimize the distribution in the immediate vicinity of the spray area to the rest of the building. If feasible, the spray area should be ventilated with fans drawing air from the space and ejecting it from the building. Quality Control To meet industry standards, spray foam should be applied at the specified thickness and density with any necessary flashings. The applicator should always wear the proper PPE and adhere to proper processing parameters. These include maintaining the spray foam’s proper chemical temperature and pressure during installation. On the day of the job, the SPF cont rac tor shou ld b e conduc ting basic quality control measures. These include: • Logging foam lot numbers • Logging ambient temperature and humidity • Ensuring proper temperature set points and equipment performance • Visually inspecting foam for off-ratio foam • Checking thickness and density • Ensuring adhesion Ideally, the results of these inspections should be logged into a daily

work log to reinforce quality and provide data if a problem were to arise at a later date.

AFTER THE JOB Quality Assurance Programs Builders and contractors may also choose have a third party verify that the product being applied is in accordance with a quality assurance program. The QAP verifies that the spray foam has been installed correctly and that it meets industry and manufacturer guidelines. In most QA P engagements, the manufacturer agrees to only sell products to accredited and licensed applicators that employ trained, certified and licensed installers. The manufacturer also has input into the requirements and agrees beforehand that the requirements are acceptable. In many cases, the manufacturer then relies on the applicator to provide proof that it is meeting installation requirements. However, a third party may be used for inspection and compliance with QAP programs. These third parties may be hired by the manufacturer. An independent organization, such as the Air Barrier Association of America, also provides quality assurance in the form of training, certification and on-the-job inspections.

LONG-TERM IMPACT All of the above mentioned safety measures and recommended industry practices are designed to mitigate the risks present during the actual application of spray foam and ensure that it is installed properly. Once properly applied and cured, spray foam poses no risks to consumers, holding the same safety record as the polyurethane used in car seats, mattresses and athletic sneakers for years. Spray foam insulation has the potential to impact a building owner’s heating and cooling costs and indoor air quality. Safe, proper application ensures that the initial investment in spray foam will be returned quickly and provide energy savings for years to come. W&C Monica Karamagi is the regional marketing and industry affairs manager for Huntsman Polyurethanes. For additional safe handling guide lin e s an d r e c o m -

Blower Door Testing Blower door testing can be used to ensure the foam was installed completely. When done prior to drywalling, the testing can identify any problem areas and air leakage points that may have been missed during the spray.


mended application practices, visit www.huntsman.com/sprayfoam. If you read this article, please circle number 208.

the

FINISH LINE BY ROBERT THOMAS

This sprawling luxury hotel is down the street from my office in Florida. It is on the ocean. The building structure is metal stud and sheathing with EIFS. It is more than 30 years old and looks brand new.

ICF foam may be of a density of grade that is incompatible with EIFS. The forms need to fit tightly together—without gaps—to avoid cracking of the EIFS coating. The forms need to stand out in the weather for weeks while the concrete cures. This will degrade the surface of the EPS form. The form will need to be sanded so the EIFS coatings will adhere. The whole wall will need to be sanded.

Right Solutions for the Right Problems EIFS is like any other building material in the sense that it is well-suited for some uses and not for others. This column is a compilation of my thoughts about where EIFS works well and where it does not, including some unusual specialty uses. LOCAL AESTHETIC ORDINANCES In some towns, local laws only permit the use of certain materials for exterior claddings. This is especially true in historic districts. Local laws may require that a certain percentage of the cladding on the street side be a material like brick. In some cases, materials like EIFS and stucco are not allowed. The local building department, contractors, developers and architects can advise if such laws are in effect and how you might go about getting a variance (if that’s a possibility).

DIRTY ENVIRONMENTS Places where there is a lot of soot, smoke or exhaust fumes can pose a problem with EIFS. The dirt can get embedded in the EIFS finish and very difficult to remove. Examples of this type of situation include bus stops and areas with a lot of vehicle traffic. One way to reduce this

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problem is to coat the EIFS finish with a sealer to make it shed the dirt more easily. In cases where the dirt is already there, the EIFS finish can be painted but will also need to be carefully cleaned first. The use of hard cleaners can ruin the EIFS finish. There are specialty cleaners commercially available for use with EIFS and some of them are advertised in this magazine.

ICFS E I F S c a n b e u s e d a s t he f i n ish for insulated concrete forms. W hether or not a specific EI FS coating system can be used on a given ICF (there are a number of designs) depends on whether they work together. Some EIFS producers endorse the use of only certain products with ICFs; check with them for details. There are several aspects of ICFs that are different than normal EIFS.

ADDING EXTRA STORIES The exceptionally light weight of EIFS can make a difference when adding extra floors above the existing roof. This can help get around the problem of having to reinforce the existing building structural systems. This can save a lot of time and money, and get around the problem of disruption of on-going use of the building.

BLOW-OFF PANELS An unusual application that EIFS is well-suited for is in walls that are designed to release from the building frame at a predetermined force. Usually, these are metal stud panels with EIFS cladding. Examples of this include buildings used for industrial processes that may explode and those where the base is subject to flooding. The latter allows the walls to come loose, thereby letting the water surge under the building. The building I am sitting in now is on a beach where hurricanes have landed. The building is on stilts and a parking garage on the ground floor. It has these types of panels.

EARTHQUAKES The light weight and flexibility of EIFS can be an advantage in areas where buildings might rock and roll. The “give” of an EIFS structure allows it to not crack and fall off. The light weight of EIFS—especially on upper stories—helps limit the amount

of weight that is being thrown around by the movement of the building.

SECURITY If physical security of a wall is important, such as in the construction of a bank building, EIFS is not the answer. The light weight nature of the EIFS coatings provides virtually no resistance to penetration—you can ram a screwdriver through it. The penetration resistance must come from a robust substrate such as concrete or block. One example of this came in an odd request I once was asked about using a metal stud and gypsum board wall with EIFS as the cladding for the exterior walls of a prison.

AGGRESSIVE ENVIRONMENTS If the air around an EIFS-clad building is full of chemicals, EIFS is not a good solution. The styrene foam core of EIFS is not highly resistant to attack by solvents. Thus, the use of EIFS around refineries and chemical plants is a bad idea. People sometimes ask me if EIFS will work in extreme cold or hot climates. The answer is that this has been done lots of times. The key is to design the EIFS properly. Probably the most aggressive common environment is humid, hot, salty seaside areas. Even then, EIFS can hold

An ICF project that is intended to receive EIFS as its finish.

If physical security of a wall is an issue, such as a bank building, EIFS is not the answer.

up well. The key is to do routine maintenance, including surveying the face to look for leaks and cracks.

enough to become detached from the EIFS. This happens mostly on the south and west façades of buildings in areas with bright sunshine. EIFS producers can advise what the maximum acceptable darkness of the finish coating is for a given geographic location.

IMPACT RESISTANCE If EIFS is in an area where it can get beat up by normal use, the system will get damaged. Common examples include street level walkways on strip malls and areas next to sidewalks in a city, like a bus stop. Although the EIFS coatings can be beefed up considerably to avoid impact damage, there are limits. One solution for areas that are subject to high traffic is to use stucco in those areas and regular EIFS on upper floors. The stucco area is then coated with the EIFS finish so it matches the upper floors.

DARK COLORS The EPS foam used in EIFS has a low maximum service temperature. It is possible for the EIFS coatings (if they are done in a dark color) to get hot

THE FINISH LINE The above list of specialty uses of EIFS may help you extend your sales. On top of all this is EIFS’ obvious benefits of good looks/good value for the dollar and high energy efficiency. It is no wonder this product is used so often. W&C Robert Thomas is a nationally recognized EIFS consultant, based in Jacksonville, Fla. He was the manager of technical services for a major EIFS producer, is the author of several books about EIFS and chairs the ASTM committee on EIFS. If you read this article, please circle number 209.


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all things

GYPSUM BY MICHAEL GARDNER

Gypsum by the

Numbers If you want or need data, call Uncle Sam. No entity tracks and quantifies everything we produce, consume, import, export and use in everyday life better than the U.S. Government. As evidence of the claim, I would offer the annual Mineral Commodity Summaries report produced by the National Minerals Information Center of the U.S. Geological Survey, a bureau of the Department of the Interior. The MCS report provides information on “events, trends and issues” for approximately 90 individual non-fuel commodity minerals. The report is produced under an ongoing congressional mandate. The information in the report is used, in part, to establish tariffs and regulations for commodity minerals. The supplemental maps in the report alone are worth reviewing for they provide an interesting means of identifying where the minerals we mine and quarry in the U.S. are extracted. The 2011 edition of the report was just released by USGS (it’s available in both print and electronic format) and it is chock full of tidbits of information about every conceivable commodity mineral imported into, mined or used in the U.S. Who knew that 38 percent of the salt consumed in the U.S. during 2010 was used as a road deicing material or that the world’s largest reserves of peat are held in Finland, also the world’s largest exporter of peat in that year?

GYPSUM DATA One of t he m i nerals add ressed in the MC S repor ts is g ypsum. USGS publishes data on gypsum use dating back to the 1930s and, based on references contained on

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the USGS website, likely has been collecting specific data since the beginning of the 20th Century. The Gypsum Association supplies USGS with most of the current gypsum data under an information-forwarding agreement that has existed since the 1980s. Because roughly 90 percent of the gypsum extracted in the U.S. is used to manufacture wallboard or gypsum plaster, the information that comes from the Association provides a very good snapshot of the total use pattern for the commodity mineral. The bureau sur veys the ore producers who are not affiliated with the association to complete its information search process. Approximately one year after the release of the specific commodity MCS report, USGS produces a final annual report for the specific mineral. The annual reports for each mineral contain significantly more detail than the MCS reports. The MCS reports tend to focus on the import and export characteristics of a specific mineral. Each creates a global snapshot of a mineral. The annual reports use the foundation established in a MCS report and supplement it with additional information about domestic extraction and manufacturing use. In addition, USGS produces monthly or quarterly reports for some commodity minerals, gypsum being an example. When taken in tandem and compared to historic information, the 2010 data in the just issued gypsum

MCS and the 2009 annual report for gypsum (contained in the USGS Mineral Yearbook) paint an intriguing picture of a mineral in global transition. Consider the following: • In 1999, approximately 18 percent of all the gypsum mined worldwide was extracted from facilities in the U.S. No other country accounted for more than 9 percent of global production. In 2010, the U.S. mined about 6 percent of the world’s gypsum and three countries—China, Iran, and Spain— mined more than the U.S. China now produces approximately onethird of the mined gypsum that is extracted world-wide. • Synthetic gypsum now accounts for approximately 40 percent of the total gypsum used in the U.S. for all purposes. While total gypsum use in the U.S. has declined since 2006 and the total tonnage quantity of synthetic gypsum used has decreased, the percentage of total gypsum used that is synthetic gypsum has increased by approximately 75 percent during the same time. Compared to 2000, synthetic gypsum use has increased approximately 250 percent. • Taken as a whole, global production of mined gypsum has increased about 30 percent since 2000. However, if production in China is removed from the analysis, global mined gypsum production was about the same in 2010 as in 2000. • Based on the best estimate that USGS can provide, total world production of gypsum increased almost 40 percent between 2000 and 2009.

GLOBAL GYPSUM FORECAST Total world use of gypsum likely is increasing as wallboard and its derivative products gain greater acceptance globally. Manufacturing plants are being constructed in locations where wallboard use was virtually inconceivable twenty years ago. It also is growing because g loba l c em e nt pro du c t ion h a s increased in the past decade—pro-

duction has doubled according to USGS—and gypsum is an additive in cement. It is likely that much of the gypsum mined in China is being used in cement production as Chinese cement production has tripled since 2000. Imports of gypsum into the U.S. as a percentage of total gypsum used are also declining. In 2000, imported gypsum accounted for more than 25 percent of all the gypsum consumed in the U.S. By the end of the decade, only about 17 percent of the gypsum used in the U. S. was imported; virtually all of it from Canada, Mexico, and Spain. Most of the decrease ca n l i kely be at t ributed to t he increased use of sy nthetic g yp sum in U.S. wallboard and other manufacturing processes. W hile approximately 40 percent of the total gypsum used for all purposes in the U.S. is synthetic, the percentage of synthetic gypsum used to manufacture wallboard currently runs at about 50 percent of total ore used. The same trend would also explain part of the decrease in domestic mining production. Admittedly, it’s a dense lot of numbers, and one can get a bit giddy trying to make sense of it all, but it does point out how a simple mineral is being used globally in ways that reflect the changing demands of the construction indust r y a nd c on su m er s .

USGS sums it up quite well: “As more cultures recognize the economy and efficiency of wallboard use, worldwide production of gypsum is expected to increase.” W&C Michael Gardner is the executive director of the Gypsum Association, an international trade association representing gypsum board manufacturers in the United States and Canada. If you read this article, please circle number 210.


straight

GREEN BY CHRIS DIXON

Low-energy

Laboratories Building designers are faced with a dizzying array of options when shopping for materials and systems marketed as energy efficient. Many things must be taken into consideration when designing buildings to be energy efficient including surface reflectivity, glazing properties, lighting efficiency, plug loads and H VAC equipment. References to standards, energy modeling calculations and technical data are provided as proof of energy effi ciency for each material, product or system, but how would anyone know the net effect of multiple materials, products and systems existing side-by-side and operating together? Do some have negative impact on the others? If so, how and under what ci rcu mst a nces? L aw rence Berkeley National Laboratory is embarking on an exciting and ambitious project to answer these questions by building what it calls the User Test Bed Facility for Low-Energy Integrated Building Systems. LBL received $15.9 million in funding from the Department of Energy to design and build a facility consisting of “a set of test beds and simulation platforms for research, development and demonstration of low-energy building technology, control systems and building systems integration” to “address key technical challenges for low-energy buildings” and to “serve a national need to support the aggressive pursuit of energy effi ciency strategies established by the Department of Energy for existing and new buildings.” LBL envisions the testing facility as a place where companies, government agencies and research groups collaborate and experiment with low-energy materials, products and systems to find out not only how different systems interact

44


with one another but their impact on occupants.

GIANT ERECTOR SET The UTBF has been designed as a series of side-by-side spaces on an east/west axis (for maximum southern exposure) capable of systems replacement and interchangeability. Tests will include one space serving as the control with adjacent—and separately operated—spaces with a slightly different set of materials and/or systems. The test beds can be fi tted with different walls, different glazing systems, shading devices, interior partitions, furniture, fi xtures and different HVAC systems to suit the requirements of the experiments that will be conducted. The goal is to isolate variables that make the most difference in energy efficiency. A hypothetical example of a “use case” scenario on the LBL UTBF website involves the study of integrated control solutions for HVAC, lighting and motorized window shading systems that demonstrate and quantify the efficacy of integrated control strategies. The use case would be set up with sensors and equipment to continuously monitor and record energy consumption and human comfort levels. There are many examples of energy efficient strategies that prove out on paper, but have also proven to be nightmarish for building occupants. What good is a super energy efficient building that people can’t stand to occupy? According to Oren Schetrit, an LBL staffer overseeing the

implementation of the project, human occupant guinea pigs are provided in the form of LBL staffers that typically work in an office/lab building just next to the test lab facility. For any meaningful data to be collected, tests will need to last anywhere from several weeks to several months and require occupants be present for the duration. Occupant feedback may prove to be the most important data source for the experiments conducted. LBL is seeking feedback from potential partners, both public and private, including product developers, innovators, research institutions, utilities and manufacturers on experiments that will be conducted at the test bed facility. LBL envisions that the fee to use the facility for the testing will vary depending on whether or not the data will be made publicly available and whether or not LBL will be a partner for the experiment. According to Schetrit, long lists of interested parties and proposed experiments have already been submitted for consideration—interest in the facility is high. To get your product or material or system on the list, go to the UTBF website (and follow the instructions for submitting a feedback request or get in touch with Oren Schetrit via email: oschetrit@ lbl.gov or telephone: (510) 486-5649.

GOING BIG The entire LBL test bed facility is a mere 7,000 square feet and the individual test spaces within are 20- by 30-foot, single-story boxes. One concern I have about this is that the data generated using such small spaces may not transfer all that well to large, multistory buildings. Schetrit was confident, however, that with available computer software, the data will be applicable and transferable to larger buildings. For skeptics like me, there is another test facility (of sorts) currently being planned in the New Mexico desert. Measuring a staggering 20 square miles, a company called Pegasus Global Holdings plans to build an uninhabited, experimental city for the purpose of developing and

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exploring new green technologies. In a release on the company’s website, CEO Robert H. Brumley says: “The idea for the center was born out of our own company’s challenges in trying to test new and emerging technologies beyond the confines of a sterile lab environment.” The only occupants will be a skeleton crew of workers in charge of maintaining and operating the facility, which is being called The Center for Innovation, Testing and Evaluation (“The Center”). The Center will be designed to represent a mix of old and new infrastructure found in most modern U.S. cities and will be complete with homes, roads, office buildings, traffic lights, power generation, utilities and telecommunications systems. Pegasus Global Holdings will spend an estimated $200 million to construct The Center and plans to have it done by 2014. Like LBL, Pegasus Global Holdings will be looking for partners to share in the development of the experiments and cost of the testing once the facility is operational. Brumley explains: “The Center will allow private companies, not-for-profits, educational institutions and government agencies to test in a unique facility with real world infrastructure, allowing them to better understand the cost and potential limitations of new technologies prior to introduction.” Both the LBL and Pegasus Global Holdings facilities will include spaces/buildings constructed to older code requirements, recognizing that the majority of existing building stock in the U.S. will need to be updated for energy efficiency over the next several years. The ability to simultaneously test buildings from the 70s, 80s, 90s and through the 2000s will provide the data needed to tackle this problem, according to both LBL and Pegasus Global Holdings.

FICIENT

Inspiration comes in many forms. Expanding inspiration? That’s where we come in. Eco-ficient™ insulated metal panels provide beauty, integration and efficiency. Not only do these panels come in a variety of profiles, colors and textures, but they also integrate well with other exterior finish systems and offer sustainability attributes significant for improving a building’s energy efficiency. Look to Eco-ficient™ insulated panels from MBCI for your inspiration. Visit us at www.mbci.com/expandwalls to learn more.

CONCLUSION The test facilities being developed by LBL and Pegasus Global Holdings promise a unique opportunity to test energy efficient building systems against the modeled predictions to ensure that they work prior to implementation. The working assumption is that building designers often incorporate energy efficient materials, systems and strategies without being entirely confident that they will actually save energy. There are numerous examples of “green” buildings complete with “green” building certifications that have failed to live up to promises of energy efficiency, some falling well below the energy savings predictions. I cannot see a downside to the experiments and testing that will be done at these facilities, in this case more is almost always better. Hopefully, the data that is generated is useful (and available to the public) and will help close the gap between theoretical and actual energy savings in buildings. W&C Chris Dixon is a registered architect, Certified Construction Specifier, and LEED AP. He serves on GBI’s Green Globes Technical Committee and is a former USGBC Materials and Resources Technical Advisory Group member.

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45

adventures in

DRYWALL BY KEVIN BUSH

You Know You’re a

Drywaller if … As some of you know, I grew up in a little town in northwestern Nebraska. Chadron was your stereotypical Andyof-Mayberry town with only one stoplight and still only has one to this day. Frankly, it was a great place for a kid to grow up. Our mothers did not have to worry when we left on our bikes to pedal to the state park nine miles away for a day of swimming and fishing. It was a really carefree existence that we who are parents today have never had the freedom to enjoy. Recently, someone from Chadron started a group on Facebook entitled, “You know you are from Chadron if …” and I gotta tell you, for a two- or three-week period I was totally addicted. The first thing I did when I came home from work was to check to see what new postings there were that day. In just over three weeks, there were more than a thousand members—pretty impressive for a town that has fewer than 6,000 residents. The memories this group brought back to mind was astounding. The stories of teachers both good and bad, the tales surrounding the best band to ever come out of the area, Crazy Louie, and tales about everyone’s favorite Chief of Police Jerry Crews—let’s just say I needed a seat belt to stay in my chair while reading some of the posts! The one thing that was strangely apparent while reading all of these collected memories is that they were all funny. A comedian once noted that tragedy plus time equals comedy and I think he’s right. So even though every single student who had to endure one of Mr. B’s sadistic detentions can look back on it now and laugh (but at the time they were pretty uncomfortable). Since I had so much fun reliving my some of my younger years

46


s crol l i ng t h roug h page s of t he a forement ioned site , I t houg ht you a l l m ay f i nd s om e s ol ac e and a grin or two if we did the same thing here. I put out feelers to some of my pals, the “Drywall Dogs,” asking for their input on the story you are now reading, “You know you are a Drywaller if …” I hope you enjoy.

… the first time you look at a print the first thing you look for is 1/2 inch or 5/8 inch followed by that universal adjective expressed with joy or grief. … you know that porta-buckets came before Porta-Johns. … you know that an old door and four buckets is called a coffee table and that an old door and 12 buckets is a dining room table with seating for four. … you know what the capacity of a 5 gallon bucket is—14 beers and one 10-pound bag of ice. … you are from North Carolina if you know that four buckets and two boards are tar heel hanging bucks and two buckets with lids are hillbilly stilts.

… your shoulder is shot well before you turn 50.

… you know that a station wagon or an open pickup bed can double as portable scaffold.[Editor’s note: Don’t try this kids!]

… your beer of choice after work is a Foster’s oil can cause it takes one of that size to wash down all the dust.

… you use 1/4-inch screws to fix anything broken in your house and hang pictures.

… you look back at your career and think, “If I had kept all those empty buckets and sold ‘em now I’d have enough to retire.”

... when today (Friday) you fi nished hanging 380 boards and the super tells you, “I need to have it spackled by Monday because I have the painter scheduled.”

You know you’re a drywaller if ...

… you have hung and fi nished more tubs/showers in your career than you’ve taken showers in your life. … the 1/8 [inch] scale marks on your tape were unreadable years ago. Now the 1/4 [inch] marks have begun to blur. … you remember back to the good old days when you first started hanging and the electrical layout for each room was the same. One switch, one light fixture and one outlet per wall. … you have made more money since retiring.

... the builder says “I’ll pay you Monday” and it’s a month before your bill is settled. … you know you are a drywaller whe n t he dr y wall i s re a dy fo r paint and the painter has a week left on another job or is getting over a drunk and tells the contractor that the drywall isn’t ready to paint and then uses a 20 0 - watt bulb and puts marks all over your rock. Grrrrrr! … once the kids are grown, the wife quits making supper, because she never knows when you’ll be home.

… you have to bang your hand against the headboard to stop the tingling and get the blood fl owing to your fi ngers at night. … you ever cooked a three course meal on the job on top of a high hat or in front of a salamander. … you ever conducted a funeral service and buried your favorite 6-inch knife because you were a bonehead and tried to open a bucket with it and it snapped right at the edge of the handle! ... you can remember back to when houses had more boards in them than sticks of bead. … you ever worked for a drywall contractor who would fi ght to the death over paying you an extra $25 for high work but would willingly lay $100 on the bar that night and buy drinks for everyone! … you knew a fi nisher who would burn a hole through the front of his mask so he could smoke while sanding (RIP Fritz!). … you ever heard the following statement, “I realize you are going to lose $200 a unit but there are 1,200 of them lined up, you’ll make it up in volume.” … you have had that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach when you hear the crack while standing on a 2x10 in the middle of an open foyer and have to

ride it all the way to the ground while holding a full pan of mud!

… the wall art at your partner’s house was made from tape roll centers.

… you have ever used puddle water to mix your mud!

… you ever used the pack strip to tie back your ponytail.

… you blew out your L5 disc while carrying a 100-pound propane tank though a snowdrift.

… you have ever “borrowed” milk crates from a convenience store to use on the job.

… you buy Cornhuskers lotion by the gross and the cracks on the ends of your fingers never quite heal all the way.

… you know that the proper name for a bucket with a stick attached is a “steppy.”

… you coat bead in your sleep.

… you ever used quickset to Bondo your Jeep!

… the fi rst thing you do when you go to someone’s home is to check out their fi nish job! … you ever knew a rocker who would yell out measurements to his partner using football player’s names. “A Jerome Brown plus 5 inches would of course be 99⅝ inches.” … you remember when mud came in a cardboard box and you had to have a trash can to mix it in but you always saved the box and plastic liner for that special use! … you know better than to tip over a glue tube sitting in the corner! … you e ver fell of f your stilts because you stepped on the cut off tip of a glue tube. … you have scars on the bottom of your feet from stepping on drywall nails.

I hoped you enjoyed these odes to the job! Life as a drywaller is a thankless, dirty job—why hasn’t Mike Rowe done a show on us yet? But, as in nature, that which does not kill me makes me stronger and that applies here. Drywallers are a tough bunch and have had to adapt to their environment. Breathing seven metric tons of dust would kill the average Joe, but we just laugh it off—between coughs. I would like to thank Mike G, Don C, Jason L, Steve H, Robert D, Clyde F, and the numerous other nameless Dogs who helped contribute to this compilation. Remember: Life is like an empty box of mud, you never know what you’ll fi nd inside! W&C Kevin Bush travels the country for the betterment of drywall. If you read this article, please circle number 212.

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47

Project: Bradley Central High School Fine Arts Center, Cleveland, Tenn. Architect: KBJM Architects, Knoxville, Tenn. Installer: Wallace Tile, Chattanooga, Tenn. General Contractor: TRI-CON, Cleveland, Tenn. Company: Chicago-Metallic Products: CurvGrid Two-Directional Aluminum Grid Suspension System with Solid Aluminum Panels, 1200 Standard Suspension System, Infinity Perimeter Trim

48



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366

47, 49

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AMICO

110

36

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Armstrong World Industries

103

5

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(877) ARMSTRONG

CertainTeed Ceilings

308

13

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(800) 233-8990

CertainTeed Gypsum

153

7

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ClarkDietrich Building Systems

154

3

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(800) 543-7140

Demand Products

108

26

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Energex Wall Systems

326

9

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(888) 343-7462

Flex-Ability Concepts

109

27

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(866) 443-3539

Hy-Flex Corp.

113

41

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(866) 849-6246

Johnson Level & Tool

104

22

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(262) 242-1161

Lafarge North America/Gypsum

106

BC

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(800) 237-5505

Larsen Products Corp.

105

23

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(301) 776-4595

MBCI

114

45

www.mbci.com

(877) 713-6224

IFC

www.nationalgypsum.com

(800) NATIONAL

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National Gypsum On Center Software

244, 245

39, 43

www.oncenter.com/WallsAndCeilings

(866) 627-6246

PDquipment

355

49

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Peters & Sons

112

37

www.ldpeters.com

(800) 221-9933

SPEC MIX, Inc.

342

15

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(888) SPECMIX

Stockton Products

107

25

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Strait-Flex International

111

37

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Structus Building Technologies

102

11

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Total Wall, Inc.

198

IBC

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(888) 702-9915

Trim-Tex, Inc.

101

8

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(800) 874-2333

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8/10/11 2:49 PM


PLATINUM EXTERIOR SHEATHING

Platinum Protection for serious professionals

Jeanne McGrath, President Holmes Drywall Supply, Inc. One of the Midwest’s largest drywall distributors

“ We are very serious about meeting the needs of today’s construction professional, and for our customers nothing but the best will do.” – Jeanne McGrath Introducing Weather Defense Platinum™, Lafarge’s newest exterior gypsum sheathing offering superior mold and mildew resistance backed by a 12-month exposure warranty. Weather Defense Platinum is easier to handle and cut than traditional fiberglass-faced boards and has the industry’s highest percentage of recycled content (over 90%) for higher LEED® credit contributions.* Get covered with Platinum Performance. *For specific LEED credit information visit certguide.lafarge-na.com

www.lafargenorthamerica.com s 1-800-237-5505 Please Circle #106 On Reader Action Card

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