Gaillard Center's Big Year

The Gaillard Center Renovation is bound to be the talk of 2014.  It has many Charleston residents awestruck with the elaborate design, detail and planning involved in the $150 million makeover.  Robert Behre wrote in the Post and Courier, "It may be the most expensive building ever built in Charleston that is not technically speaking, a building."  One of the most important factors in this project is going to be time.  They have already estimated that set backs could cost the city up to $2 million in extra costs.  The amount of time that the BAR spent in the review stage set back many of the timelines from the start.  The city has faced other obstacles since then, finding human remains dating back over 250 years, delaying the project for several weeks.  A new turn of events in the weather is not going to help the cause.  The Granite on the base course of the building is being produced by a company in Quebec, Canada where the temperature is hovering around -5 degrees.  The overall building's facade is a mixture of limestone and stucco.  The limestone is being fabricated by a company just outside of Bloomington, Indiana called Bybee Stone that has faced blizzard conditions for over a week and struggled to work.  Bybee Stone Company has been contracted to furnish over 26,400 cubic feet of Indiana Limestone.  That is approx. 2000 tons of natural stone that all has to be hand crafted material.  Bybee has half a dozen of its 71 employees working on the project.  These stonecutters are operating lathes, air hammers, chisels and finishing tools to crave the intricate design elements seen in the image above.  They are currently working on a piece of stone at the main entrance that weighs over 12,000lbs.  I have included some pictures of the limestone fabrication in my blog.  Hopefully, a break in weather will assist in their progress.  I will continue to blog about the Gaillard Center Renovation as the timeline continues to unfold.

What's behind those lintels?

What's behind the pained stucco window sills on a typical historic Charleston building?  Probably stone.  It could be marble, limestone, brownstone or granite.  These buildings were built to stand the test of time, so they used a timeless building material.  So why does it appear that these sills or lintels have cracks in them?  This question is a little more complex.  Sometimes the cracks are in the paint and stucco that has been applied to cover up the stone.  

Other times the stone may be eroding over time.  If stone is a timeless building material then why would it be erroding?  Let's use Brownstone has an example in our discussion because it is prevalent in our downtown structures.

  

Brownstone is a very soft sandstone product.  One of the reasons it is used in building is becasue of its soft characteristics.  It can be easily manipulated by hammer and chisel or saw immediately after extracting it from the ground.  Over time the material will harden when exposed to the elements.  However, it does have some flaws.  It is a sedimentary stone that is formed in horizontal bedding layers.  The way brownstone was formed makes it inherently prone to erosion.  Over time these beautifully carved lintels separate just slightly along the bedding lines to form small cracks in the stone.  This allows moisture to enter, freeze, thaw and split them apart.  

Also prevalent in the material are tiny clay pockets where the material never hardened fully and erodes slowly over time.  So what do we do about this stone material that was installed in the 1800's and is slowly eroding?  

The major concern is to determine whether this erosion is causing any damage to the structure of the building.  In most cases there is no reciprocal damage to the structure.  This is why you generally see the sills painted over or stuccoed to hide the cracks.  

In 2012 a structural engineering firm was hired to investigate the structural cracks on the house front porticoes at Drayton Hall.  The house at Drayton Hall was completed in the mid-1700's around 1742. Over the years this plantation house has undergone several large reconstructive renovations.  The structural engineering firm 4SE was concerned that the cracks in the portico were indicative of cracks in the brownstone lintels behind it.  

After chiseling away the stucco to expose the brownstone the structural engineers were pleasantly surprised to find the lintels in great condition.  These stones have been installed for over 250 years are still in good shape.  

Although brownstone has flaws in its original formation often times this material has been proven to stand the test of time.  We have had to replace material on recent downtown renovations but usually it is initial improper installation practices or for aesthetic reasons.    

ASLA CEU on Permeable Pavers

 

 

 

Thanks to all who came out in the rain to learn about Permeable Paver systems.  We were privileged to have a representative of Belgard Hardscapes come and speak at our office on December 12th. Ashley Snead has been with Belgard Hardscapes for over 12 years.   In his discussion Ashley addressed design and construction of projects as well as features and benefits of permeable pavement systems. Below I have included some bullet points highlighting the advantages of permeable pavers. 

 

 

 

Advantages of Permeable Pavers      Managing runoff Permeable paving surfaces have been demonstrated as effective in managing runoff from paved surfaces.  Large volumes of urban runoff causes serious errosion and siltation in nearby streams and waterways. Controlling pollutants Permeable paving surfaces keep the pollutants in place in the soil or other material underlying the pavers, and allow water seepage to groundwater while preventing the stream erosion problems. They capture the heavy metals that fall on them, preventing them from washing downstream and accumulating inadvertently in the environment. In the void spaces, naturally occurring micro-organisms digest car oils, leaving little but carbon dioxide water. Rainwater infiltration is usually less than that of an impervious pavement with a separate stormwater management facility somewhere downstream. Trees Permeable pavements may give urban trees the rooting space they need to grow to full size. A "structural-soil" pavement base combines structural aggregate with soil; a porous surface admits vital air and water to the rooting zone. This integrates healthy ecology and thriving cities, with the living tree canopy above, the city's traffic on the ground, and living tree roots below.

The Trouble with Brick

There is a serious debate going on in historic cities like ours about the code compliance of historic paving materials. Elizabeth Padjen addresses the problem in the June issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine. The article says that in historic cities like Boston, brick pavers are under siege. Stating, “ The dominance of the venerable paving material has been challenged by the decidedly more pedestrian concrete and asphalt.”

The commission for the Persons with Disabilities (CPD) does not think that brick pavers are code compliant with the ADA. “Bricks heave, sink, buckle and go missing,” says John Kelly the chair of the CPD. Landscape architects interested in historic preservation have challenged these arguments stating that “the brick sidewalks can meet the intentions of the ADA and can be designed to avoid problems such as vibration.” The article goes into detail about the proper installation of sidewalk paving materials being important. Stephen Sears of the Brick Industry Association (BIA) says, “It’s all about the base, brick is getting a bad rap for an entirely different issue, which is installation.” It is going to become more important for installers to follow proper installation techniques in order to preserve the paving products in historic cities. He bigger question I have is what about the bluestone sidewalks in Charleston. The article does not address other building materials than brick. Is bluestone more ADA compliant than clay brick? How do we ensure that the CPD does not challenge the materials used in the Holy City?

Belgard’s New Television Commercial

Behold the Power of the Paver: Behind the scenes                       I wanted to take you behind the scenes of the new commercial.  The shoot location was at a residence near our office in Atlanta, Ga. The homeowners were incredibly gracious in opening their home to Belgard. Chosen because of the pool deck and patio, it featured Belgard Cambridge pavers, one of our best sellers. Take a look at the behind the scenes interview with Chip Wade. The shoot took one full day plus an advance walk-through to plan accordingly, but it did come with a few challenges. What you won’t see (or hear) in the finished spot: the barking dog next door, thanks to carefully timed shoots and helpful neighbors; and the dormant, yellow Zoysia winter grass, thanks to grass paint that give the grass its lush summer look in the midst of winter. Chip Wade’s professional experience was invaluable on-set. He made what could have been a long, tired day smooth and with few retakes. Chip was definitely on his A-game! One of the most amazing parts of the shoot was seeing the reveal in-person of all of the garden art across the backyard.

Certified Isokern Installers

                  Isokern prides itself on ease of installation and design.  The custom molded modular fireplaces pieces are lightweight and fit together tightly and correctly every time.  That is why Isokern Fireplaces come with a lifetime warranty.  Please review here the advantages of the Isokern brand.  Also, I have listed below the contractors in the Charleston area that install the Isokern fireplaces.  Please contact them directly with questions on installation cost and timing. 

William Smith Fireplaces
Steve Smith 843-200-5728


M&M Oil and Propane
Grey Minshew 843-402-7790


Fireplaces Plus
Richard Burns 843-514-1911


Fieldstone Center of Charleston, Inc.
Matt Henderson 843-297-3253

What's in a guarantee?

Have you ever received a price from a contractor or even a friend and signed and paid without reading the fine print. The guarantee is in the fine print. In the construction world the fine print is how the project is going to be constructed from the ground up. I am a firm believer that the process of how the product is going to be installed and what is expected by the homeowner should be in the fine print as well. That is essentially what comes with Begard pavers. Fieldstone Center of Charleston stands behind the products that we sell and we expect the same out of our suppliers. Belgard has a list of certified paver installers CLICK HERE. Pavers installed by the contractors listed on their website come with a guarantee of his workmanship for a period of 5 years. If you are not sure how the product is supposed to be installed, "Ask Us." We will help walk you through the process step by step. These guys do not get certified overnight. They spend many hours in the classroom recieving an ICPI certification as well as periodic jobsite inspections by Belgard employees to verify that the correct steps have been taken. Take a look at the diagram below for a proper ICPI installation method. You installer should be following these guidelines. If he is not that may be why is price was lower?