Putting a Stop to a Leaking Gymnasium Wall
Roof Maintenance: Metal Wall and Roof Panel System Installation — Pennsylvania
Overview
James Buchanan Middle School in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania was experiencing ongoing issues with a wall around their gymnasium. They have worked with Houck Specialty Contractors over the years to address miscellaneous roof repairs and leaks. Facility Manager, Stan Morgan, knew that he could trust the Houck team to diagnose the problem and recommend the right solution.
Details
Finding the right solution
Project Manager, Jason Harris, inspected the building and found that the masonry was deteriorating and allowing water to enter the building. Together Harris and Morgan worked together reviewing their options and settled on the Tremco 26-gauge TremLock R Panel, a multi-use, exposed fastener wall and roof panel system as the best solution for the building.
TremLock metal wall panels were appealing to the school for their long-term, high performance with minimal maintenance required. An added benefit is that the ash gray color chosen aligned nicely with some additional metal buildings at the school, adding to the curb appeal of the building.
The Installation Process
Houck used its own crane to load material onsite and set up a scaffolding to access the higher areas of the project. Harris explained that safety is a top priority on every project saying, “We follow much stricter safety standards than those that are required. This project didn’t present a lot of risk, but we made sure that our crews would be using the proper safety restraints.”
Once the crews were ready to begin the installation, they started with preparation work that involved examining the existing wall, making needed repairs and clearing items that were in the way, including some old electrical work.
When prep work was finished, they attached a corrosion-resistant hat channel to the existing wall that would serve as the support that would hold the 3,000 square feet of metal wall panels in place.
Attention to the Details
Houck is known in the industry for its proficiency in many areas, but especially so in metal installations. Houck’s full-service sheet metal shop was able to bend all the trim from measurements provided by Harris and the job foreman. “The standard trim details are custom-made as we go for each specific job,” explained Harris. “Our crews are experienced in working with metal and do a lot of meticulous hand snipping bending in the field on site. This is a trade learned by experience in the field and can’t be learned in school.”
A two- to four-man crew worked on the project over a time period of about one month. James Buchanan Middle School is no longer experiencing issues with leaks in their gymnasium and will be protected by a Houck workmanship warranty.
HONOR HUMILITY HUMOR
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