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Collaboration helps concrete/masonry professionals protect VB 1224 Lofts.
In a large city like Chicago, it's easy to assume that masonry and concrete repair professionals just go their own separate ways. But, when it came to a sizable coating and restoration project for the VB 1224 Lofts in the city's West Loop neighborhood, teamwork was one of the major keys to success.
"In this market, there's actually a great level of collaboration among people in our business,” says Tom Laird, president of LS Contracting Group, a construction firm specializing in masonry and concrete exterior work. "I think that really shows in this project, largely because we know all the players are committed to high-quality work.”
Team tools.
Results matter in any restoration and coating project. But the ante goes even higher when the final job will be seen each day by more than a hundred thousand commuters passing on a major urban expressway. That’s why Sherwin-Williams was selected as a trusted partner on the VB 1224 Lofts restoration.
“We included Sherwin-Williams early in the design phase because we knew some factors — such as adhesion on previously coated surfaces — were going to be critical,” says Alex Szatanek of Thornton Tomasetti. “That’s why we invited them to recommend what coatings should be applied on the substrates in this project.”
Sean Meracle, an architectural account executive with Sherwin-Williams, says Loxon XP® Waterproofing Masonry Coating was the obvious choice for a protective solution that could meet this project’s requirements.
“Our coating recommendation was based on the environmental conditions in Chicago, as well as on the need for a product that could work on a building that had been coated several times,” Meracle says. “While adhesion was important, the coating also had to provide permeability, and Loxon XP delivers on both of those counts.”
How the team formed
As a former six-story paper mill building with high ceilings and expansive views, VB 1224 Lofts offered developers a great structure for converting the space to residential condominiums. However, when the interior transformation was complete, an exterior inspection found significant deterioration on the now eight-story brick and concrete structure. Engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti, Inc. was awarded the project to design and oversee repair work, and the chain of collaboration began.
To handle the most immediate structural needs, the firm privately bid the work to several façade repair contractors. LS Contracting Group was awarded the project — not just because they were the lowest bid, says Thornton Tomasetti Associate Alex Szatanek, but also due to their proven track record on prior projects. When the work moved to a new round of repairs that required the application of protective coatings, Laird included Andy Hart of National Decorating Service on his team of subcontractors, based on previously completed successful projects.
An ease of collaboration also extended to local Sherwin-Williams professionals Sean Meracle and Mike Usterbowski, who were invited to make coating recommendations for the building's highly visible south elevation, a haphazard mix of original red brick capped by a gray two-story curtain wall addition at the upper two stories. Szatanek and Meracle each have been actively involved on the local International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) chapter board and currently serve as officers, while LS Contracting is active in the chapter as well.
Testing and tactics coordination
"This elevation faces the Eisenhower Expressway, so it's seen by over a hundred thousand commuters every day,” says Rachel Michelin, a senior project architect at Thornton Tomasetti. Due to extensive localized repairs, it was a priority to coat the façade to provide a uniform appearance and make the façade look "new.” "Since the building had been previously coated, one of the first things we asked Sherwin-Williams to do was adhesion testing, so we would know early on how well the coatings would adhere to the existing substrate,” Michelin says.
But adhesion tests were just one of the tasks that needed to be coordinated — these concrete professionals needed to collaboratively navigate the various trades that were needed to perform the façade work. So, as teams from LS Contracting Group started grinding, tuckpointing and replacing deteriorated brick at the shelf angles, crews from National Decorating Service began applying custom-tinted Sherwin-Williams Loxon XP® Waterproofing Masonry Coating to seal and protect areas not undergoing repair. This required close routine communication, since both companies had to complete initial repair or coating tasks and allow time for curing — all while remaining on schedule.
"We clearly had to take a phased approach, which did make for a tight schedule,” Hart says. "In fact, we completed coating work down to ground level just before the winter weather would have shut us down.”
Coordination was also required as the crews worked to access several tiers of cantilevered balconies, which had been installed on the building's façade during its conversion to residential condominiums. While the elevated walk-out spaces were an attractive selling point to prospective tenants, the balconies made exterior repair work more difficult. When LS Contracting Group brought in a combination of 125-foot hydraulic man lifts and extensive pipe scaffolding to help teams access hard-to-reach areas, Laird worked with building manager Samantha Ahto of Lieberman Management Services, Inc., to minimize entry, exit and parking issues for building residents.
The high level of collaboration was not limited to the property manager, contractors, subcontractors and engineers. In fact, the condominium board at VB 1224 Lofts selected the final exterior color ("Foggy Day” SW 6235 by Sherwin-Williams), a choice that helped distinguish the property in the eyes of both prospects and passing drivers.
"That color selection was a bold statement that took a vintage building and helped it look modern,” Szatanek says. "It helped blend the original six stories with the new two-level addition, giving the building a clean look all the way to the ground.”