Innovative access strategy saves stucco building from being punctured like a pincushion
Centria
Milpitas
Centria is a large apartment complex in Milpitas. The scope of work was to prime the previously uncoated stucco walls, then apply two coats of Dunn Edwards Enduralastic elastomeric coatings. Metal surfaces were coated with Enduracoat industrial metal coating. The key to this project was the access plan to reach all the work areas. The easy solution would be to simply scaffold the entire complex, but with the main scope of work being coating, we didn’t need to be in any place very long; it would take longer to erect and dismantle the scaffold than to do the actual coating. Thanks to the skills of our production team, we were able to devise a plan to access the entire complex using a combination of boom lifts, ladders, and a swing stage. This saved the customer money and spared residents the noise of the scaffold’s installation and removal outside their windows.
Figuring out the best, most efficient way to access large buildings takes careful planning and coordination with the estimator, production team, and rigging specialists. Every swing stage needs safety tieback points; locating those and making sure they meet OSHA requirements is a mix of art and science. At the end of the day, it is truly a team effort to devise access plans like this, making sure at every point all safety boxes are checked.
What We Did
Coated over 140,000 square feet of stucco
Accessed the building using nearly 65 individual swingstage drops
Coated over 1,000 running feet of metal rails and fencing
Coated wood pergolas in the common area courtyard and individual balconies
Project Details
At the beginning of each swing stage “drop” all surfaces to receive coating are pressure washed or hand-cleaned to make sure nothing on the surface interferes with the bond of the new coating. Metal areas to receive coating receive a “scuff-sanding” to provide a good bond for the new coating. When all is paint ready, areas not scheduled for painting are asked, or drop cloths are placed to protect surfaces. Landscapes and cars are covered with lightweight covers to protect these elements but not damage them.
Since it was previously uncoated stucco, the walls had to be primed first to prevent the chemicals from the masonry from negatively reacting with the new coating and to ensure even coverage of the new coating. After the full prime, two coats of Dunn Edwards Eunduralatic were applied, taking extra care not to get paint in the aluminum reveals that are part of the building’s design.
With walls coated, balcony rails and metal eyebrows received two coats of EnduraCoat, a premium-quality industrial metal coating.
While the coating was curing on the swing stage drops, work proceeded on the roof levels, where thousands of running feet of parapet wall and AC unit pads were coated.
Credit goes to the production team, especially the foreman, for keeping his large crew productive (and safe!) at all times and the residents and construction management team happy.
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