Jet Noise No Match For uPVC Windows

Amerimax window-system solution allows a hotel to continue operation during installation.

Renovations at the Crowne Plaza hotel near San Francisco International Airport saw more than 1,000 windows replaced without the hotel closing to travelers. L ocated between San Francisco International Airport and the 101 freeway is a Crowne Plaza hotel, a 325-room facility built in the 1970s. With aging windows contributing to problems including high noise levels, moisture leaks, and low energy efficiency, hotel owners searched for a cost-effective fenestration system that could be factory built and lifted into place for installation. The existing look and structural integrity of the building needed to be preserved.

General contractor, Amerail Systems Inc., Erie,

PA, looked to Amerimax Windows and Doors, a division of Euramax International Inc., Norcross, GA, and its 4500-series steel-reinforced uPVC window system. The window system provided a solution to the moisture and noise problems and also could be installed in sections while maintaining 97% building occupancy.

REPLACE AND RENOVATE Hotel management launched the multi-million-dollar renovation project with the design and replacement of 335 punched openings with an average size of 12 x 8 ft. The project included the installation of 1,736 sealed, glazed insulated-glass units. Architectural Fenestration and Restoration, San Anselmo, CA, a longtime customer of Amerimax, was chosen to manage the installation with its expertise in large-scale projects with minimal distraction in occupied buildings.

The 4500-series windows were chosen to provide the best combination of high acoustical properties (STC 43), structural durability, environmental consciousness, longevity, and price. The windows arrive fully framed and assembled, with a fully welded joint system that is moisture resistant. Glazed onsite, the installation team from AFR completed as many as eight hotel rooms a day between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Amerimax Series 4500 uPVC window units were installed to reduce noise and provide energy effi ciency.

This process allows a hotel to run at 100% occupancy without disruption to guestrooms.

The uPVC windows are used extensively in Europe and offer several benefits, when compared with similar-sized aluminum windows, including: • Fusion-welded, steel-reinforced frames • Use of uPVC as a natural insulator • Able to be installed as large, common-frame windows • No degradation or fading over time • STC 43 • Wide variety of colors.

UNEXPECTED BENEFITS The effects of the massive replacement project gave hotel guests a quiet space that seems miles away from the constant stream of jet engines and cars that are literally right outside the hotel walls. Completed rooms are as much as 20% more energy effi cient, helping this Crowne Plaza location take part in the brand’s Green Engage program that aims to help its worldwide hotel portfolio reduce energy usage while managing waste and water production and consumption.

“A renovation of this size is no small feat for a hospitality space because we’re a 24/7 operation so there is no down time. Additionally, our revenue is based on occupancy so any room taken out of operation, even for one night, is a significant loss to our top-line,” said Brendan Dixon-Beckett, Crowne Plaza general manager.

A key issue was dealing with interior detailing and adapting the new window fixtures to the existing interior trim. Amerimax fabricates a 6-in.-wide, 1/2-in.- tall flat casing that could be quickly sized to dress the window interior and add to the rooms’ ambiance.

A useful benefit is that the window glass can be completely removed for cleaning in as little as 10 min. This gives the maintenance team unlimited access to the entire perimeter of the window opening for spot cleaning or sealant touch up should there ever be a failure.

Said Dixon-Beckett, “I continue to be amazed by the fact that I am able to install these windows in the morning and sell those same rooms later that same day.” CBP

DATA CACHE

Want more information? The resources below are linked in our digital magazine at cbpmagazine.com/digital/janfeb2015.

Circle 5 on the Reader Service Card.

Download a brochure on the 4500 series.

Watch a video about the beginning of the project.

Watch a video about the conclusion of the project.

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