The Trowel June / July 2015

STEAL ME

Serving the wall & ceiling industry since 1953 • www.wallandceiling.ca • June / July 2015

In this issue:

Publications Mail / Agreement # 40719512

Project of the Year Awards BCWCA Competes at Skills Canada-BC The Artistry of Bernie Mitchell Restoration Engineering

I-STUD

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• Elevator Shafts • Duct Shafts • Stairwells

• Air Return Shafts

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• Mechanical Shafts

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STEAL ME

Serving the wall & ceiling industry since 1953 • www.wallandceiling.ca • June / July 2015

In this issue:

Publications Mail / Agreement # 40719512

Project of the Year Awards BCWCA Competes at Skills Canada-BC The Artistry of Bernie Mitchell Restoration Engineering

The Trowel team Lara Perraton, Group Publisher lperraton@pointonemedia.com Jessica Kirby, Editor 877.755.2762• jessica.kirby@pointonemedia.com Lara Perraton, Advertising Sales 877.755.2762• lperraton@pointonemedia.com Christina Tranberg, Advertising Sales 877.755.2762• ctranberg@pointonemedia.com

contributing writers Amelia Cline Andew Delmonico Jessica Kirby

cover photo

photo courtesy of NWCB

Published bi-monthly by Point One Media, Inc. The Trowel P.O. Box 11, Station A Nanaimo, BC V9R 5K4 t: 877.755.2762 • www.wallandceiling.ca While information contained in this publication has been compiled from sources deemed to be reliable, the publisher may not be held liable for omissions or errors.

Bernie Mitchell - Trim Tex Drywall Artist of the Year - 2014. Photo courtesy of Bernie Mitchell.

CONTENTS • june / july 2015 06 Project of the Year Awards

Contractors earned accolades at the NWCB Project of the Year Awards in April.

17 BCWCA Competes at Skills Canada-BC

The BCWCA drew crowds for the second year in a row at the Skills Canada - BC trade competition.

20 The Artistry of Bernie Mitchell

Bernie Mitchell - Drywaller by trade, artist by passion.

23 Renovating for the Future

Energy codes and building codes call for ingenuity in building envelope engineering.

Contents ©2015 by Point One Media Inc.

Departments & Columns

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or duplicated without prior written permission from the publisher.

04 editorial

Printed in Canada. Postage paid at Vancouver, BC.

04 calendar of events

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25 feature focus

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: The Trowel Circulation Department

27 ask the expert

P.O. Box 11, Station A Nanaimo, BC V9R 5K4 e: circulations@pointonemedia.com

28 building science

Journal of Record for

29 around the world 30 it’s the law Simply scan the QRCode with your smartphone to be taken directly to

The Trowel is a registered trademark of the BC Wall & Ceiling Association.

The Trowel is published six times per year expressly for members of the wall and ceiling industry.

the wallandceiling.ca website.

31 industry news 31 advertiser index

In the next issue: Insulation • Weatherproofing • Exterior Finishing

By Leesa Mattwick, BCWCA Executive Director

Changes Ahead Bob Dylan sang it best when he said “Times they are a changin’”…

More than 65 years ago, a group of committed individuals from Seattle, Portland and Vancouver, BC came together to explore how the creation of an association could benefit them and their plaster industry. From these discussions, the Northwest Plaster Bureau Inc. was established in December, 1950, and from that time until 1984, a few more changes occurred to allow a more inclusive membership that represented the growing scope of work of the contractors in the trade. It was in 1984 that the Northwest Wall & Ceiling Bureau (NWCB) became an industry-wide association and established its name. Recognizing the need for a focus on industry concerns and interests north of the border, the British Columbia Wall & Ceiling Association (BCWCA) was established in 1996 and included as members BC contractors, manufacturers, and dealers.

In maintaining the relationship, a membership with the BCWCA traditionally included membership with the NWCB, headquartered in Seattle, WA. NWCB has,

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due to internal policy changes regarding association memberships, advised the BCWCA board of directors that effective October 31, 2014, the BCWCA will no longer be considered or recognized as a member organization. Rather, we will be affiliated associations with shared interests.

What does this mean? BCWCA no longer pays dues to NWCB. Consequently, membership in BCWCA no longer includes membership in the NWCB. The NWCB has personally invited all BCWCA members to continue their membership by joining as individual, remote members. BC companies will examine the value of this relationship and, based on individual company determination, join the NWCB if they so choose. Participation at the NWCB Convention can continue regardless of membership, as it has always been open to both members and non-members alike.

The BCWCA board of directors is disappointed by this change in membership status, considering our lengthy history and shared relationship with the NWCB.

We ask and encourage our members to contact us at the BC Wall & Ceiling Association office with any questions about this change. In no way does this affect your membership with the BC Wall & Ceiling Association, nor your membership within your individual regional chapters. At the BCWCA, we will continue our focus on training apprentices for our industry in BC, on providing technical assistance and peer reviews, and on networking opportunities through our regional association-sponsored events.

Your membership to the BC Wall & Ceiling Association is valued and we look forward to the opportunities this change has encouraged us to consider. Perhaps a Western Canadian Wall & Ceiling Association? Our own Canadian wall & ceiling convention? Western Canadian wall & ceiling project of the year awards? ... The possibilities are very exciting indeed. ■

Calendar of Events Lower Mainland Wall & Ceiling Association October 1 - December 19, 2015 Wall & Ceiling Installer Course Module A & B (Part-Time)

Southern Interior Wall & Ceiling Association

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SI Chapter Dinner Meetings - Thursday June 18, 2015 at the Best Western Hotel

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Vancouver Island Wall & Ceiling Association

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2015 VIWCA Annual Golf Tournament June 12, 2015 at the Highland Pacific Golf, Victoria

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4 » The Trowel

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Project of the Year Awards Award Winners: Canada

Exterior – Commercial (British Columbia)

Suspended Ceiling (British Columbia)

Carleton Lodge Location: Whistler, B.C. Contractor: Mainland Exterior Stucco Restorations, Inc. Architect: Rositch Hemphill Architects Team: Dryvit Systems, Inc., Winroc

Blueshore Financial Location: Vancouver Contractor: Benton & Overbury Ltd. Architect: Atelier Pacific Architecture Inc. Team: BC Ceiling Systems Ltd., CGC Inc.

Carleton Lodge is one of the oldest and most iconic structures in Whistler Village. The project team was tasked with giving the structure a complete facelift. Some of the project’s unique features included replacement of all original exterior walls, given most of the exterior studs were only 25-gauge material and badly eroded. The hotel was kept open during the complete renovation, which had its challenges, but scaffolding and temporary fencing (hoarding) accommodated customer access. The Lodge renovation started in May and had to be completed in time for the start of ski season in Fall 2014—all work was completed on time and on schedule.

The project was an empty shell ready for tenant improvement.

The challenges were a raised floor section on the main floor due to the property’s drastic elevation change and a threefloor atrium, which needed a Level-5 finish to the ceiling. All corridor ceilings were exposed to the atrium and consisted of curved drywall bulkheads and drywall ceilings framed and capped with trim to hide LED lighting. Co-ordination of the bulkheads and trims was a challenge because shop drawings had to match the unique curves in the building.

Framing for the Discovery Room and the waiting area was also challenging because steel-stud, heavy-gauge framing was needed to support multi-level ceilings.

6 » The Trowel

Interior – Residential (British Columbia) Remy Project Location: Richmond Contractor: Showtime Contracting, Inc. Architect: Cotter Architects Inc. Team: Bailey Metal Products Ltd., CertainTeed Gypsum, CGC Inc., Dryco Building Supplies Inc., Hilti

The three-story, concrete-and-steel Songhees Wellness Centre in Victoria, B.C has been designated LEED Silver and includes a 300-person gymnasium, industrial kitchen, administrative offices, boardrooms, and a health center focusing on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

It also serves as a post-disaster gathering place for the band.

The Remy is a master-planned urban village and the first six-story, wood-framed residential development permitted in British Columbia. It consists of three buildings with 81 affordable and 178 market-rate apartments for low-income seniors, singles, and families.

The Built-Green design focuses on energy-efficient geothermal heating/cooling, co-op cars, green roofing, and maximum soundproofing.

The project was challenged by a massive fire destroying two entire buildings. Fire separation walls between the two buildings were nearly completed but did not withstand the severity of the heat. The gypsum firewall system was designed to allow for collapse of the wood frame on one side during a fire without causing collapse of the firewall.

The firewalls now consist of two layers of 1-inch Densglass Gold Shaftliner board assembled with 2-inch track and H-stud and fastened with custom-made aluminum burn clips slotted for deflection purposes. The daycare center was framed with high-strength steel and sheathed with 5/8-inch Densglass Gold.

Interior – Commercial (British Columbia) Songhees Wellness Centre Location: Victoria Contractor: Gordon ‘N’ Gordon Interiors Ltd. Architect: Chang Holovsky Architects Inc. Team: Bailey Metal Products, Ltd., CertainTeed Gypsum, Georgia-Pacific, Hilti, Slegg Lumber, Steeler Construction Supply, Winroc

The Songhees First Nation was involved in every aspect of the project from design to local band society members being hired and trained in skilled trades.

Among the project’s challenges was the 65-foot height of the upper exterior bulkhead at the front of the building over uneven ground. To overcome the challenges of framing and applying exterior gypsum, Gordon ‘N’ Gordon used a combination of 85-foot boom lifts and brave tradesmen.

Also, the drywall was constantly blending into differentshaped surfaces. For example, many of the drywall ceilings finished into concrete block with a rounded edge. Overcoming such obstacles took ingenious solutions such as heating tearaway bead with a heat gun and molding it to the desired finished shape.

Light-Gauge Steel Framing (British Columbia) Vancouver International Airport A-B Connector Location: Vancouver Contractor: Gallagher Bros. Contractors Ltd. Architect: Stantec Team: Bailey West, Inc., Brock White, Cascadia Design Products, CGC Inc., Decoustics Saint-Gobain, Kenroc, Plasterform, Winroc Built at a cost of $213 million, Vancouver International Airport’s new A-B Connector upgrades and expands the 1968 terminal with 10 new shops, restaurants, and services.

The design features B.C.’s Interior Region: the Fraser River/ Canyon, orchards, and a First Nations art piece titled “The Rivers Monument.”

wallandceiling.ca » June / July 2015 » 7

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Project of the Year Awards The A-B Connector features seismic upgrades and an expanded gate capacity to accommodate Boeing 787 Dreamliners. An expedited baggage system to move luggage between international and domestic flights will be operational by spring 2016.

The scope of work for this $9 million contract by Gallagher Bros. included interior and exterior steel-stud framing and drywall, acoustic tile ceilings, metal-panel exterior soffit assembly, and thematics features. The company also completed acoustic fabric-panel ceilings, specialty insulation, expansion joints, GRO columns, light-gauge steel formatting, and suspended ceiling.

Award Winners: USA Renovation / Restoration (Alaska) Fort Wainwright Building, 3415 & 3417 Location: Fairbanks Contractor: Bradshaw and Associates, Inc. Architect: CCI Solutions, LLC. Team: Alaska Industrial Hardware, Inc., Alaska Traffic, Insulfoam, Parex USA, Safway Services, Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel Co.

At 35,000 square feet, this was a sizeable job consisting of two layers of foam: a layer of 2-inch mechanical and a layer of 3-inch adhered. All selfperformed work included flashings, extended plumbing, blocking for ladders and signage, and below-grade excavation and insulation.

Close management of shipping schedules was critical to ensure on-time delivery of materials from the Lower 48. An existing small labour pool required additional manpower from all over the United States. Housing and transportation were provided for all 16 workers. Another obstacle was Alaska’s wettest summer on record.

Interior - Commercial (Alaska) The plastering division of Bradshaw and Associates took on this demanding project: two World War II-era concrete and CMU buildings located in Fairbanks, AK, 350 miles north of Anchorage.

With an already busy summer scheduled, this project proved to be a logistical challenge. Notification of project, walk-through, bid, and start of project all occurred within two weeks, with a finish deadline of 90 days.

8 » The Trowel

The Glenn Massay Theater Location: Mat-Su Campus, University of Alaska, Palmer Contractor: Bradshaw and Associates, Inc. Architect: Kumin Associates Inc. Team: Alaska Industrial Hardware, Alaska Traffic, Safway Services, Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel Co., Vero-Rialto The Glenn Massy Theater is located on the Mat­Su Campus of the University of Alaska, about 50 miles north of Anchorage. From the 20-foot-high windows mirroring the countryside to

state-of-the-art acoustics, orchestra pit, and stage, The Glenn Massay Theater is a work of art.

Bradshaw and Associates applied Venetian plaster to the 20-foottall walls according to architect’s specifications. Colour changes posed special challenges, considering the costly pigments flown in from Italy and other parts of the world.

Lisa Mulligan of Vero flew to Alaska to train local plasterers, using local samples on specific techniques including modelling, depth of colour, and movement. Consistency of colour and texture were crucial in achieving the desired effect with the stormy blue pigment applied to walls. Variations in texture and colour play off the theater lighting, and the result resembles brushed suede or lush velvet.

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Project of the Year Awards

“The open atrium ceiling required specialty axiom openings for structural steel penetrations set 80 feet above the finished floor...”

Interior - Commercial (Oregon) Collaborative Life Science Building Location: Portland Contractor: Performance Contracting, Inc. Architect: SERA Team: Armstrong World Industries, BlazeFrame Industries, CertainTeed Gypsum, Georgia-Pacific, GTS Interior Supply, Hamilton Drywall Products, Hilti, SCAFCO Steel Stud Company, Spears Construction Supply

specialty axiom openings for structural steel penetrations set 80 feet above the finished floor, requiring crews to use boom lifts to manoeuver around catwalks and bridges. The auditoriums required custom dimension sloped axiom clouds with 2x8 Optima tegular tile cut around the lighting.

Exterior - Commercial (Oregon) Public Utilities Commission Building Location: Salem Contractor: Billings & Cronn Co. Architect: Studio 3 Architecture Team: BMI Products, Fortifiber, Fry Reglet, Georgia-Pacific, Knez Building Material Co., R-Factor/Service Partners, Steeler Construction Supply, Structa Wire Corp.

with variances of almost five inches.

The structural engineer designed a special zee-furring system with adjustable clips to gain flat and plumb walls. All faces of the structural zees and studs were covered with DensGlass Gold and a weather barrier was applied before the final level of zee furring.

Radius walls presented a special challenge solved with curved horizontal Fry Channel Screed moldings. The finished stucco system was covered with an elastomeric coating. The end result aesthetically resembled the former façade and is designed to keep water out of the building.

Exterior Residential (Oregon) The Andy Student Housing Location: Eugene Contractor: Western Partitions, Inc. Architect: 2 Form Architecture Team: BMI Products, R-Factor/Service Partners, Sto Corp., Structa Wire Corp., Western Materials

Sustainable features of the 652,510-square-foot Collaborative Life Science Building (CLSB) and Skourtes Tower include storm water collection, green roofs, climate control, and energyefficient lighting, which contributed to its LEED Platinum certification.

Performance Contracting Inc.’s scope included insulation, interior metalstud framing, gypsum wallboard, taping, specialty acoustical ceilings, raised-access flooring, fireproofing, soffit details on catwalks and bridges connecting the two towers, and all door and hardware installation.

In the lab spaces, sloped ceilings were cut to specific widths to fit the venting hood systems. The contractor used prefabricated drywall shapes manufactured, precut, and painted offsite. The open atrium ceiling required 10 » The Trowel

Renovation of the Public Utility Commission Building included a new exterior envelope, full roof replacement, improved roof insulation, energy-efficient windows, and flashing replacement.

One half of the existing 31,150-squarefoot structure consisted of concrete walls of EIFS and stucco. The other half had existing stud framing with gypsum sheathing, EIFS, and stucco.

The entire facade was removed down to the concrete and stud framing. The existing concrete walls were crooked

The Andy is a five-story, U-shaped complex covering 43,000 square feet, constructed of wood-stick framing and DensGlass sheathing. The building was finished with exterior plaster, textured Hardie-Board siding, and metal panel accents.

The unevenness and inconsistencies of the framing and sheathing required substantial lathing depth corrections to create a suitable level surface before installing stucco. Several areas could not be sheathed while waiting on detail

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Project of the Year Awards clarification, and these areas had to be worked around without leaving gaps in the finish system. A new control-joint system was created, which allowed the contractor to complete these areas with no visible evidence.

Western Partitions Inc. applied a complete DuPont Tyvek commercial wrap system over sheathing while rough openings were wrapped with DuPont self-adhesive membrane. Installation of the stucco system included metal lath, casings, corners, and control joints followed by BMI 690 premixed plaster applied at 7/8-inch and Sto acrylic finish.

Suspended Ceiling (Oregon) Madras High School Performing Arts Center Location: Madras Contractor: Performance Contracting, Inc. Architect: BBT Architects, Inc. Team: Armstrong World Industries, Georgia-Pacific, GTS Interior supply, Hamilton Drywall Products, Knez Building Materials Co., USG Building Systems

The Madras High School Performing Arts Center is a $11.3 million, 34,000-square-foot facility using a combination of energy-efficient lighting, heating, and cooling to reduce the energy footprint.

Armstrong acoustical ceilings and axiom trims were installed in a cloudlike fashion over the main atrium. The design cascades overhead in multiple 12 Âť The Trowel

ceiling panels made from metal-stud framing, drywall, and finished wood trim to complement the wood acoustical wall panels. Diligent co-ordination between multiple trades including carpenters, drywall finishers, sprinkler fitters, electricians, and painters was required to achieve the results. The finished ceiling product gives the space added acoustical performance with a timeless design.

The most challenging obstacle the project team faced was the auditorium.

With cramped workspace overhead, co-ordination between the trades for installation of lighting, sprinklers, and ceiling panels was crucial.

Because of extreme settling of the entire foundation, the interior perimeter walls were engineered and framed as a seismic upgrade to the insubstantial CMU and brick exterior and to cosmetically level all the uneven interior windows.

The entire interior slab­ -on-grade and underground electrical and plumbing had to be replaced.

It was discovered that the roof decking had to be replaced from corrosion. The fully erected walls terminated into thin

air and had to be supported and braced to nearby trusses.

Interior - Residential (Washington) Premiere on Pine Location: Seattle Contractor: Anning-Johnson Company Architect: Weber Thompson Team: AMES Taping Tools, Award Metals, BASF Wall Systems, CEMCO, Drywall Distributors, Inc., GeorgiaPacific, Hamilton Drywall Products, Hilti, R-Factor/Service Partners, USG Building Systems

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Renovation/Restoration (Oregon) PGE Rose City Location: Portland Contractor: The Harver Company Architect: VLMK Engineering + Design Team: AMES Taping Tools, Armstrong World Industries, Georgia-Pacific, GTS Interior Supply, SCAFCO Steel Stud Company, USG Building Systems

An “Acoustiblok” barrier installed near noisy motor resulted in significant reduction of noise pollution

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Portland General Electric decided to salvage the 50s building for new office space, and it was an obvious challenge from the onset. A large amount of engineering was required for the metalstud framing alone. The brittle state of the roof decking meant the abundant curtain walls and soffits needed to be supported from existing trusses. Heavy-gauge steel-stud framing was added between parallel and perpendicular trusses for support while still looking aesthetically pleasing in the open structure.

FABRI-LOK / FABRITRAK Stretch Fabric Systems, Panels, Baffles, Diffusers BARRISOL® Decorative and Acoustic Stretch Vinyl Ceiling Systems ShimmerScreen ® Beaded Chain Curtains, Walls, Partitions Daisycake ® Decorative Aluminum Chain-Link Screens, Murals, Partitions ® Rulon International Acoustic Wood Walls and Ceilings ® Richter Veneer Natural Stone Veneer Acoustic Panels ® Tavapan SA Acoustic Wood Products Chenel ® Specialized Cellulose “Construction Paper” Decor Transformit ® Tensioned Fabric Structures Acoustiblok ® Sound Blocking & Absorbing Technology Bruag ® Laser Cut Decorative, Acoustic Wood Partitions ® Soundseal Acoustic - Wood, Panels, Barriers, Floor Systems Window Treatment: Solar Shades and Blinds Architectural and Engineered Wood: Glulam, Beams and Wood Structures Phone: 403.255.3550 Fax: 403.686.2592 Toll free: 1.877.829.2550 Website: www.wallworks.com Email: info@wallworks.com

wallandceiling.ca »June / July 2015 » 13

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Project of the Year Awards

Premiere on Pine is a 40-storey apartment tower, making it one of Seattle’s tallest residential towers. It is marked by a bold design with a playful curtain wall facade in rich rust, gray, and bronze tones. Two massive LED backlit glass walls light up at night.

Anning-­ Johnson’s scope included interior and exterior metal-stud framing, drywall, finishes, spray-applied fireresistive materials and intumescent fire-resistive materials, liquid-applied weather-air barrier, sound-and-fire sealants, slab-edge fire containment, and thermal and sound insulation. It also included various types of hardware including doorframes, access panels, fire-extinguisher cabinets as well as some all-thread and unistrut support systems. The project required 493,000 pounds of light-gauge metal framing and nearly two million square feet of drywall.

Due to the small footprint and vertical nature of the tower, there was minimal laydown area, and material was bundled into five-day custom packages with well-co-ordinated delivery times.

Interior – Commercial (Washington) Pokémon Tenant Improvements Location: Bellevue Contractor: Firstline Systems, Inc. Architect: JPC Architects, PLLC. Team: CEMCO, CertainTeed Gypsum, Drywall Distributors, Inc., Kilroy Realty Corp., USG Building Systems The Pokémon tenant improvement project consisted of a total build-out 14 » The Trowel

of the 16th and 17th floors of the Key Center in Bellevue, Wash.

The ceiling on the 17th floor was referred to as the “poke-ball” because of the off-angled walls, soffits, ceilings, and an unusual hard-lid ceiling. The framing, drywall, and finishing of this ceiling was critical because of the special lighting. Both elevators had angled hard-lid ceilings and soffits.

When peering from the outside in, all of the offices look like floating pods. The new stairwell has precise off-angled framework at the wing walls.

The biggest challenge was the radius hard-lid ceiling over the stairwell on the 17th floor. All the work had to be done on scaffolding, which was set up over the new staircase on the 16th floor.

The wing walls around the stairwell were challenging because each one was a different size and angle.

Exterior - Commercial (Washington) Block 44 Location: Seattle Contractor: Anning-Johnson Company Architect: ZGF Architects LLP Team: Award Metals, Building Specialties, Inc., CEMCO, CertainTeed Gypsum, Fry Reglet, Georgia-Pacific, Grabber Construction Products, Hamilton Drywall Products, Hilti, Parex USA, USG Building Systems Block 44 was a complete shell-andcore project including tenant build-out of a five- and six-storey office building.

Exterior metal-stud-framed spandrel

panels were prefabricated onsite and flown into place with tower cranes.

Sheathing and fluid-applied weather barrier were installed on the panels in the shop, virtually eliminating the need to access the exterior face of the wall.

The BIM team modelled the exterior and created full-shop drawings for the exterior panel scope—these were used exclusively to lay out, fabricate, and construct exterior panels as well as for placing in-panel, heavy-steel backing plates for future mounting of exterior decorative sun-shade elements.

The project also had complex lowerlevel exterior soffits circumnavigating each building, which created a hidden exterior air plenum around the building.

Variable ground-floor elevations, building construction sequence, and public safety structures made physical access to these soffits extremely difficult and dangerous.

Exterior – Residential (Washington) Magnolia Residence Location: Seattle Contractor: Joseph J. Jefferson & Son, Inc. Architect: Mucci/Trucksess Architecture Team: BASF Wall Systems, Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel Co. The Magnolia Residence is a new, single-family residence. Originally the home was designed for stucco, but the owners’ desire for continuous insulation required a changeover to an EIFS system.

“It was crucial for the design team to balance functionality with beauty.”

Suspended Ceiling (Washington)

Without detailed drawings, J.J. Jefferson’s project team worked with the homeowner and general contractor to incorporate all the necessary manufacturer’s details for a complete water-drainage EIFS system. Senergy’s channeled adhesive system with a fluidapplied weather barrier was chosen.

Senershield weather barrier was applied to the home’s entire plywood substrate to ensure the siding transitions had a continuous barrier. Using notched trowels, an EPS adhesive was applied to form the drainage plane and coordinated with proper sheet-metal flashings and a drainage track to direct moisture out of the building. Specialty EPS shapes at the cornice, siding transitions, and windowsills were designed and mocked-up on the job for design approval.

UW Sound Transit Link Light Rail Location: Seattle Contractor: Performance Contracting, Inc. Architect: LMN Architects Team: Armstrong World Industries, Creative Design Concepts/Mork Assoc., GTS Interior Supply, Hilti The Sound Transit Link Light Rail Station design offers six sets of escalators to transport pedestrians 65 feet down to the underground train platform. Since the escalators play a major part in the transportation process, it was crucial for the design team to balance functionality with beauty.

Performance Contracting Inc. encased the escalators in an aluminum shell with Ceilings Plus Illusion aluminum ceiling panels at the bottoms. The ceiling panels are held in place with a torsionspring suspension system, allowing for easy access for maintenance.

The center of the station is called “The Chamber,” where local artist

and UW graduate Leo Saul Berk designed hatch-like patterns simulating geological layers onto custom metal panels surrounding the chamber walls and aligning with the escalator siding.

About 30 feet below grade, a pedestrian bridge spans across the chamber where perforated metal panels enclose the bottom and sides of the bridge into the chamber walls. At the entrance and on the mezzanine floor, the crews applied custom powder-coated, metalmesh panels with steel-wrapped edging. Enough open panel was left in the ceiling grid for sprinklers to be installed.

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wallandceiling.ca »June / July 2015 » 15

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Project of the Year Awards

Light-Gauge Steel Framing (Washington) Microsoft Buildings 16 & 17 Location: Redmond Contractor: Performance Contracting, Inc. Architect: Gensler Team: Armstrong World Industries, Award Metals, CEMCO, Drywall Distributors, Inc., Georgia-Pacific, GTS Interior Supply, USG Building Systems

To minimize scheduling conflicts, coordination with the general contractor, mechanical, electrical and plumbing trades, and architects was on an hourly basis. In one instance, the contractor was issued Building 17 construction documents Thursday night. On Friday, dimension drawings were created by the CAD team, printed, and delivered to the site. The crews worked the weekend and had three floors laid out before Monday morning. Over 7,000 sheets of gypsum wallboard were installed within nine days. A total of 17,000 sheets of gypsum board were installed.

“The greatest obstacles were the continuous curved-light troughs embedded in the curved ceilings coupled with endless reveals”

Renovation / Restoration (Washington)

The design of Microsoft Buildings 16 and 17 involved countless slopes, angles, and canted features in the walls and ceilings. The buildings contain over 1,200 linear feet of light coves. Both lobby entrances exhibit a fascinating “cube,” a 26-foot enclosed metal-framed soffit containing a motion-sensing Microsoft Kinect to create an interactive environment between employees and content on a 34-foot-high video wall. The cubes are wrapped in Barrisol, a translucent stretched fabric that creates diffused lighting for a calming effect in the busy work environment.

The Container Store Location: Tukwila Contractor: Performance Contracting, Inc. Architect: Good Fulton & Farrell, Inc. Team: Armstrong World Industries, Award Metals, CEMCO, CertainTeed Gypsum, GTS Interior Supply, Hamilton Drywall Products, Hilti The perimeter of The Container Store features a continuous radius soffit drop with glazing beneath. When customers enter the store, they are greeted by a soft curved ceiling. The project features 20,000 square feet of drywall hard lid with over 1,400 linear feet of recessed light troughs, 1,200 linear feet of Titus Flow tape-in diffusers, and over 850 control joints.

embedded in the curved ceilings coupled with endless reveals.

Glass-fiber-reinforced gypsum shapes were chosen based on strength, knowing that numerous openings would be cut for pendants, threaded rods, and light fixtures. Custom finishing of the drywall curvatures eliminated mud build-up associated with traditional methods, creating a seamless finish. ■

The greatest obstacles were the continuous curved-light troughs

Did you know?

• Construction is Canada’s largest private-sector industry.

• Construction accounts for 14 percent of Canada’s GDP. • The industry supports more than 260,000 businesses.

• More than a million Canadians are employed in construction.

• Every job in construction job produces seven spin-off jobs in other sectors of the economy.

• Construction workers install, repair, and renovate more than $150 billion worth of infrastructure every year.

Source: Canada’s Building Trade Union • www.buildingtrades.ca/where-we-stand/industry-facts

16 » The Trowel

by

Photo courtesy of Skills Canada.

BCWCA Competes at SKILLS CANADA-BC Photo courtesy of Skills Canada.

F

OR THE SECOND TIME, the BC Wall & Ceiling Association (BCWCA), in partnership with the Finishing Trades Institute (FTI), participated in the Skills Canada – BC provincial trade competition, held for its 21st year, on Wednesday, April 15, 2015.

More than 6,000 spectators, 560 competitors, and hundreds of volunteers amassed at the Tradex in Abbotsford to participate in the event, allowing students from all over BC to explore in trade-career programs and activities.

Students in grades 8 through 12 were bussed in from a number of school districts in BC to participate in the event. In addition, many young adults and families came out to see BC trades showcased. Many hands-on activities were available for the students to try out, including the BCWCA’s booth where students used cordless screw guns to drive drywall screws into gypsum board.

At various points several brave students challenged BCWCA volunteers to a ‘screw off’ competition to see who could get the highest number of screws into the board in a set amount of time. This added to the excitement as others gathered around to watch the competition and learn more about the wall and ceiling trade.

wallandceiling.ca » June / July 2015 » 17

Photo courtesy of Skills Canada.

“As a result, teamwork was almost as important as using the tools to build the mock ups. Fortunately, everyone got along just fine and both teams did a great job.”

Rene Regatli, director of operations at Skills Canada, said, he was very glad BCWCA’s executive director Leesa Matwick, lead instructor and training co-ordinator for the training centre Drew Smith, and the rest of Team BCWCA were at the provincial event.

“It certainly enhances the experience for visitors and we look forward to having you there next year,” he said.

The competition component of the event saw two 4th level BCWCA wall and ceiling apprentices paired with two FTI 3rd year apprentices. Jennifer Lowen from FTI and Ryan McFarlane from BCWCA were paired together and made up the white team, while FTI’s Eric Fong and BCWCA’s Chris Brocking were paired to comprise the yellow team.

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Competitors did not meet their teammates in advance, simulating real-world, jobsite scenarios where people don’t always get to work with people they know or get along with.

As a result, teamwork, was almost as important as using the tools to build the mock ups. Fortunately, everyone got along just fine and both teams did a great job.

In the end, it the White Team won the competition. It was a long day for the dedicated crew and competitors, many of them arriving at 7:00 a.m. and concluding after the awards presentation at 7:00 p.m.

Matwick would like to congratulation the competitors in achieving gold and silver medals. “We’d like to especially thank their employers for encouraging and supporting their apprentices’ participation in the event,” she said.

Putting together the display, booth, and competition mock up to fully showcase the wall and ceiling trade is no easy task, said Matwick.

“It starts with a group of dedicated volunteers, led by our BCWCA instructor and Skills technical committee chair,

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18 » The Trowel

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Photo courtesy of BCWCA.

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Photo courtesy of Skills Canada.

Drew Smith, to design the competition mock-up, Try-ATrade, and information booth,” she said. “Drew and his brother John spent all day Tuesday building the display areas and receiving the materials for the competition.”

FTI and the staff at BCWCA were also out, building the information booth that highlighted both schools’ training programs. Brochures were available for students and educators and the volunteers were there to encourage students and educators to consider the wall and ceiling trade as future career option.

“None of this would have been possible without the support of our members,” said Matwick. “Thank you to our generous sponsors, including BC Ceilings (especially John Warrington), Titan, CGC, Grabber, Winroc, and Bailey for the materials and transportation.

“Another huge thank you to the many volunteers from our contractor companies, manufacturers, and dealers for running the booths, interacting with the students, and bringing attention and excitement to our activities and displays.”

A meeting was held May 28 at the BCWCA office in Cloverdale for those interested in being on the 2016 SkillsBC committee, but ideas and feedback are still welcome.

“We’re looking for new ideas and innovative ways to reach out to our student population in encouraging them to consider the wall and ceiling trade as an exciting career opportunity,” said Matwick. “Please call the office at 604.575.0511 and let us know that you’d like to be a part of this important team that will help ensure we see qualified and skilled individuals join our trade.

“The future of the wall and ceiling trade depends on your involvement.” ■

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wallandceiling.ca » June / July 2015 » 19

The artistry of

Bernie Mitchell

by / Jessica Kirby photos courtesy of Bernie Mitchell

B

ERNIE MITCHELL IS A DRYWALLER BY TRADE, and an artist by passion. His intricate, dynamic sculptures already grace the walls of custom homes and commercial spaces in Alberta and Ontario, and way forward promises to be bright as he shifts focus to full-time art.

Walking away with TrimTex’s 2014 Drywall Artist of the Year Award was only the latest in Mitchell’s public accomplishments.

He says his craft evolved from a lengthy career as a commercial and residential drywaller where flat ideas eventually began to take three-dimensional shape.

“I was doing raised panels and relief form on walls,” he said.

“From there it kind of evolved and became something new.”

Mitchell’s pieces, most popular in custom, lakeshore homes, seem to breathe out of the wall become part of the room’s ambiance that changes with the passing light.

“That is the thing about this for me,” says Mitchell. “It has to be part of the surroundings, and when you paint it with the wall colour it is just a piece of character in the home.”

In this way the forms are not contained—he basically chooses a wall and spreads the picture out on it. Almost all of his work is done this way, though a few in the past have been separated out onto a single piece of wallboard so they could be shipped.

It can take up to three months to complete a project, which essentially reflects the home owners’ interests and wishes. “It is their sculpture,” he says. “I just put it together. “Whether it is osprey, blue herons, otters, and whatever they are interested in, we kind of work on it together.

“I can’t say enough about it,” he said. “You just don’t get bored of it. It isn’t like a painting on your wall. You can’t walk by it without looking at it.”

Although the art is intricate and precise, his tool repertoire is small, comprising mainly of a four-inch drywall knife and a regular tablespoon.

The spoon is for modelling the mud which, when misted with water, moves well on the board and allows for impeccable definition that remains crisp once the surface is dry. Other tools and materials are impromptu.

“I’ve used a plastic bag rolled up in a ball to texture the hair on animals,” he said. “When it comes to dogs and their varieties, for example, you have to be able to identify them

“Although the art is intricate and precise, his tool repertoire is small, comprising mainly of a four-inch drywall knife and a regular tablespoon ...” without colour. That means you have to dress the textures around that.”

Crucial to the work are perspective and depth perception, achieved by Mitchell’s creative and specific use of light.

“I use a 300 watt lightbulb or the lighting already situated, which is the best way because then I am sculpting in the light that will be there in the end result. That way I know where I am taking it for the light shadow.”

Mitchell swears by Sheetrock 90, with some top secret additives including a setting compound that allows the mud to retain a specific, workable consistency that will stick to the wall, but not run or sag while working.

wallandceiling.ca » June / July 2015 » 21

■

Bernie Mitchell

His artistic tendencies go back farther than his drywall career, having experimented with paint and leatherwork as far back as high school. He draws some inspiration from this early work, understanding form and perspective from leatherwork, in particular.

Though he is still busily working away at his successful drywall business near Peterborough, Ontario, his ambitions will eventually take him into full-time art. He is currently working on a series of instructional videos that will be available on his website and is taking orders for wall murals across Canada and the US. Word of Bernie’s craftsmanship spread like wildfire after he released one instructional video in January and the San Francisco Globe wrote about it in the Arts section.

“It went to a million views in a week,” said Mitchell. “It is just in the past few months it has really taken off and I am just going with it.”

In future, instructional videos will be for sale on his website.

“I spent a long time learning and have given away a lot of information just answering questions in the past few years,” he says. “So I am starting off with three really basic lessons and then will release more advanced work, too.”

Typical inquiries for help come from drywallers and artists, and he receives a great deal of feedback on the information he has shared and what people are doing and where.

A little known secret Mitchell will launch with his more focused art direction is that he can also put his talent to use on exterior walls.

“I do the acrylic stucco on the exterior, but that is a whole direction I haven’t pursued yet because I have been busy with [interior art],” he says.

22 » The Trowel

Exterior art on the gable ends of homes and highlighted by potlamps in the soffiting can light up a wall, said Mitchell. “I have done one—a blue heron on a raised panel, completely with Durarock basecoat and finish.

“You really end up with a nice image in the evening.”

Mitchell loves the work and feels grateful to contribute in such a lasting meaningful way to people’s homes. He also likes to choose his jobs, and will follow that tenet moving forward and into new projects.

The work has sparked attention from product manufacturers who have approached Mitchell to try out their wares. “There is a guy from New York who runs a company that is bringing in a plaster from Japan,” he said. “He wants me to give it a try on some sculptures.

“You can do a lot with drywall and really get creative with it,” he said. ‘It can completely change a home or commercial space.”

Learn more about Bernie Mitchell’s art and instructional videos at www.berniemitchell.ca■

Renovating for the

Future

By / Jessica Kirby Photo by ericnvrtr.

Caption: RJC completed a facade restoration project at Pacific Central Station in Vancouver back in 2011, in consultation with Donald Luxton and Associates heritage consultant.

BUILDING RESTORATION is an ever-growing market in Canada that tends to fair well regardless of the greater economy. When it comes to building envelope, restoration can be a tricky job. It requires complex engineering strategies, especially in light of changing energy and building codes, and in a region like the Lower Mainland with a great number of heritage buildings in need of attention.

“When we talk about restoration engineering, we do everything from repair of damage to outer structures, right down to structural refits and upgrades to accommodate new equipment or finishes,” said Kurtis Topping, design engineer for Read Jones Christoffersen (RJC).

“The common thread between projects is a pre-existing structure that introduces constraints like existing conventional tolerances and systems.”

RJC typically starts with an evaluation of the envelop and puts together a restoration strategy to fit the requirements and see the project through construction.

The company works with all types of building materials and structures in Vancouver’s landscape of historical and glazed structures.

“There is a lot of glass downtown, and we see quite a bit of EIFS and some stucco in the residential buildings,” said Topping. wallandceiling.ca » June / July 2015 » 23

■

Restoration Engineering From a envelope standpoint, some of the biggest issues are with respect to the older face-sealed systems, which rely on their outer skin being continuous.

“They don’t have a provision for draining or drawing and water gets trapped and results in the deterioration of the structure,” said Topping.

After five years in the industry Topping sees a sharp trend towards greater energy efficiency in general and the continuation of more stringent regulations that will require upgrades and repairs to buildings across the city.

While great for the environment and construction industry, regulation changes can be tricky with historical buildings, which always pose the inherent challenge of the unknown.

“There are always the hidden conditions inside an existing structure that are not always possible to foresee,” he said.

“Heritage buildings present potential hazardous materials and another challenge is, ‘how do we define where the restoration scope ends?’”

Narrowing the scope appears to be the biggest hurdle, and the answer depends on the focus and scope of the project and how the restoration components tie into the adjacent elements and walls.

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Building codes are simultaneously evolving, sometimes requiring some clever wrangling to make sure these are met along side energy requirements.

“In heritage projects in particular, sometimes it just isn’t possible to meet code requirements,” said Topping. “I think municipalities are recognizing this and in the latest version of the Vancouver building bylaws there is a new section committed to heritage conservation.

“Because it is a focus of the city of Vancouver in particular it gives us an indication they were willing to work with engineers to accommodate conservation,” he said.

We work for you.

A case in point in the Lower Mainland that demonstrated complexity and good practice in this regard was a Waterfront residential project in Vancouver.

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There was scaffolding on the facade a year ago and crews are now working on the back side of the building. “There is moisture-induced penetration to the terracotta elements,” said Topping. “We had to expose the existing support steel, clean and fix the terracotta where possible and salvge what we can.

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“We are working with hundred-year-old materials, which can be challenging and requires special consideration in terms of how we re-anchor the elements back to the structure.” ■

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24 » The Trowel

feature FOCUS A Small Company with a Big Impact New West Gypsum’s business is small, but its mandate enormous--positively affecting where we live. The recycler-one of Canada’s first--just opened its seventh location in Kent, Washington.

Photo courtesy of New West Gypsum.

Currently, the company has three Canadian locations and facilities in France, Belgium, and the UK. “We are small, and very spread out,” said Cheryl McKitterick, market and business development manager with New West Gypsum.

“Our goal is that no gypsum ever ends up in a landfill,” she says. “Strong relationships with local wallboard manufacturers have made for an ideal closed-loop solution for the reutilization of all gypsum wallboard in the Seattle area.”

Wallboard manufacturers use the reclaimed gypsum in the manufacturing of new wallboard, and Armstrong uses much of the paper liner when making new ceiling tiles.

New West Gypsum recently crested the 5 million tonnes recycled mark, having been in business for almost 30 years. As more municipalities gear up to ban drywall from the waste stream, the future is looking bright for the Vancouver-based company.

close the product loop,” she said. “So far some amazing companies have stepped forward and taken this responsibility on,

Whether you call it Drywall, Gypsum Wallboard or Sheetrock, its all 100% recyclable to us!

NEW WEST GYPSUM

“It is going to happen in the future, and people should be prepared,” says McKitterick. “The great part is we have a solution for it. Even now it is cheaper to recycle drywall in Seattle than it is to throw it away.”

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The company is looking at global expansion over the next five years. A big push towards environmental regulation in Europe is calling for stringent recycling and closed-loop systems for major consumer products.

“We are on the hunt for wallboard manufacturers willing to step up and take on responsibility for their products and

and we can’t say enough how much we value these relationships.” ■

800-965-8870

www.nwgypsum.com wallandceiling.ca » June / July 2015 » 25

feature FOCUS The Aluminum Baseboard Trend What have designers been doing to accentuate the interior walls of a home that can, dare I say, be overlooked?

One of the hottest trends in wall design, particularly in high-end residential construction, is to eliminate or alter the traditional use of wood baseboards.

Alternatives to wood baseboards have been around for decades, but with the current design trends focusing on sharp lines and clean edges, architects and interior designers have opted to specify trims such as Flannery’s Drywall Shadow Molds, also known as Z-Metal.

Designers have turned to the use of reveals and base molds like the Drywall Shadow Mold to replace traditional baseboards in order to break-up the “flat” or “uniform” look of a typical gypsum board wall. Drywall trims help to accentuate walls and create horizontal and vertical breaks along a wall. Shadow Molds, in particular, separate a gypsum wall from the floor, thus creating a “floating wall” effect.

With available widths ranging from ¼” all the way up to a 6” reveal, Flannery’s Aluminum Drywall Shadow Mold has become a very popular trim for the base of a gypsum board wall. The Shadow Mold is designed with a 7/8” taping flange that thins to allow for the proper

float and feathering of the compound joint. The fact that it is manufactured from extruded aluminum also makes it more of a green product compared to a traditional wood baseboard. By replacing traditional wood baseboards with Shadow Molds, you can reduce the cost of your wall design and eliminate the extra step that is required for the installation of baseboards.

If trends continue, Flannery’s prediction is that Shadow Molds

Make Them Look Up

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26 » The Trowel

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will no longer be seen in just custom homes, but may also become a part of mainstream use in future tract home developments. If aluminum is too expensive, just remember that Flannery also manufacturers a ½” or ¾” reveal in a galvanized Shadow Mold.

To read more about Flannery’s Shadow Molds and to keep up with all that Flannery has to offer please visit www. flannerytrim.com. ■

ask the EXPERT Maximize Quality and Minimize Effort The goal of every professional finisher is to maximize finish quality and board feet, while minimizing effort and eliminating callbacks. Fortunately, there are dozens of tricks, shortcuts, and trade secrets developed by Ames Taping Tools over our 76-year history.

Q: My tape always seems to wrinkle when I use a corner roller. Am I doing something wrong?

A: Wrinkles usually happen if you start to roll your corners from one end of the corner to the other instead of from the middle. Try starting from the center and working toward each end first, then roll the entire length of the corner once the tape is embedded. Also, check to be sure that the rollers are turning freely as this could cause the roller to “drag” the tape and create wrinkles.

Q: When should you use the straight box handle versus a bent handle?

A: The type of box handle you use is really a personal preference. The Ames EasyFinish® straight box handle provides solid control to cleanly sweep the boxes off the joint, while the bent handle is ideal if you finish a lot of flat or butt drywall joints over shoulder height. The bent handle provides natural leverage that makes depressing the pressure plate of the finishing box easier. If you stand your drywall vertically, the EasyFinish® bent handle can help reduce the effort when boxing these drywall joints.

By / Mark Wilson Director of Education, Ames Tools

Q: Why do I get scratches in the joint compound with the Nail Spotter?

A: Check the blade on the Nail Spotter to be sure there is no debris. You should also check to see if the blade has been damaged, which sometimes happens when the tool repeatedly strikes the heads of screws or nails that were not properly set.

Q: Where should the crown level be set on my finishing boxes?

A: Generally speaking, the crown for the finishing boxes is usually set at 0 or 1 for the first coat. This provides the maximum amount of crown and effectively fills the joint.

For the second application, or topping coat, set the crown to 3 or 4. This reduces the crown and fills in any remaining recesses from the first application. If you apply a third coat – such as in Level 5 finishes – set the crown to 5, the least amount of crown.

Q: When I am using my BAZOOKA® automatic taper, why does the tape cut at an angle instead of square?

A: Be sure to stop running the taper before pulling back on the control tube to cut the tape. When you stop running the taper, your natural motion usually makes the taper more square to the wall, resulting in a better, and more square, cut.

Q: Why does my corner finisher leave edges?

A: Ames’ corner finishers are factory calibrated to feather both edges of the inside corner joint simultaneously. If your corner finisher is leaving one edge, be sure to apply equal pressure to both sides by centering the tool in the corner. If the edges are occurring on both sides of the inside corner joint, the blades of the corner finisher are most likely worn.

Got a finishing question?

Email us at answers@amestools.com.

Photo courtesy of Ames Tools wallandceiling.ca » June / July 2015 » 27

building SCIENCE Bio-concrete Designed to Self-repair Concrete embedded with limestoneproducing bacteria is set to change the building materials world in a significant way, if scientists at Delft University in the Netherlands successfully complete a ten-year project aimed at producing self-healing concrete.

The ability to heal cracks in concrete will extend the service life of buildings, bridges, and tunnels while improving safety and saving the European Union a good portion of the six billion Euros it spends annually on building renovations.

The team, led by by microbiologist Hendrick Jonkers and the Delft University of Technlogy's Center for Materials, is prepared to release the product to the market this year.

Jonkers was inspired by nature and plants and animals that heal themselves. The bacteria he chose for the mix usually occur in stones near volcanoes and high-alkaline lakes, and are heat and cold resistant. Their most

important quality is the ability to form spores, which means they can survive for up to 200 years in a dormant state.

The bacteria mix is applied mixed into new concrete in a powder form along with nitrogen, phosphorus, and its food source, calcium lactate, or as a spray to existing buildings.

When a crack forms in the concrete, water penetrates and awakens the bacteria, which then begins to eat its food and excrete limestone. It takes approximately three weeks for the bacteria to seal a crack, regardless of its length. The width, however, is important—the bacteria is functional on cracks up to .8 mm wide.

Currently, the team is developing a liquid that can be applied to conventional concrete buildings and will be released later this year. The organic concrete will come in 2016. The product’s single obstacle is cost—selfrepairing concrete in its current form costs twice that of regular concrete at

around 80-90 Euros per square meter, thanks to the high cost of calcium lactate nutrient that feeds the bacteria.

Jonkers and his team are also working on a sugar-based nutrient that would reduce the cost. Jonkers is also keeping his eye on the first building constructed of the material—its concrete layer is only 6 cm thick, a third less than that of a conventional home. It is inspected regularly to ensure any cracks are healing.

This work may earn Jonkers the The European Inventor Award, now in its 10th year.■

3D Printing Drone Builds with Concrete Two designers at Gensler’s Los Angeles office have constructed a drone fitted with a 3D printer that extrudes concrete.

The project’s aim is to remove a key obstacle in 3D printing—being limited to the size of the print bed. The airborne technology allows designers unprecedented flexibility in terms of size and reaching geographical areas where it would be difficult to ship construction materials or larger printers. “[We] were really frustrated about how the current 3D printing technology is always limited to the build site,” said Tam Tran, designer with Gensler. “So we asked a different question: What if we remove the printer box altogether and freed the printer head ... allowing it to print in any direction and also in any location?”

28 » The Trowel

Ariel vehicles seems to be the best robotic platform to achieve the team’s vision. If the drones can extrude in a straight line and create layered shapes by this time next year, the project will be on schedule. Key challenges include the marriage of two changing industries—3D printing and small drone development, the latter in a constant state of regulatory change.

vibrations shook concrete loose form the extrusion tube during trials, prompting the team to experiment with new assemblies to stabilize the printer.

The project’s logistics have also been a challenge—the team initially explored extruding PLA plastic but found it was too small and lightweight for its purposes. Concrete proved a more effective option that called for a balancing of payload and flight capacity—for the moment, the drone can carry 10 ounces of material for 20 minutes. The drone’s mechanical

“We’re an architecture firm and we come up with amazing ideas and innovations and put it out there with the intent to push technology and innovation,” says Tran. “But we realize that this is now becoming more of an engineering feat versus a concept or idea.” For more information please visit Gensler at www.gensler.com ■

Looking forward, the firm is looking to partner up with any firm or individual willing to advance the technology in a way that supports the project’s development.

around the WORLD Restoration of Award-Winning 12th Century Castle Restored Astley Castle recipient of prestigious Riba Stirling Prize for Architecture Patented anchors from Cintec International were used in the restoration of Astley Castle in Warwickshire after company representatives teamed up with architects and engineers from Mann Williams and Newport-based Protectahome.

The first phase of restoration included structural repairs and stabilizing the remaining walls of the building prior to rebuilding. Cintec’s anchors were used to stitch together and strengthen the walls.

The process of restoring Astley Castle involved using a diamond drill to insert steel anchors into the building. Once in place, grout was pumped into a special sleeve surrounding the anchor, and air pumped out. Cores removed during this process were retained and reused where the anchors were installed, leaving an almost invisible repair. The work has ensured the survival of the original walls, allowing the award-winning holiday home to be built within the shell of the ancient castle.

The Riba Stirling Prize is the UK’s most prestigious architectural award. Judging is based upon original, imaginative and

well-executed designs that excellently meet the needs of their users and inspire those who use and visit them.

“The restoration work on Astley Castle was an impressive enterprise, as anyone who saw the castle prior to its transformation could have been forgiven for thinking it a hopeless ruin,” said Peter James, managing director of Cintec International. “To be awarded the Riba Stirling Prize demonstrates the true extent of its transformation. It has now been turned into a structurally stable building that will stand the test of time and can be enjoyed by many people in its reincarnation as a holiday home.” ■

Fast Fact: Windsor Castle is the Oldest Still-Occupied European Castle At about 900 years old, Windsor is still occupied by Queen Elizabeth II (one of the many facilities she calls home). Originally, it was a wooden motte-andbailey-type castle built by William I as the first in a series of nine castles. Later, it was renovated with stones and was given a few additions by way of some outer walls and a round tower by a generous Henry II. Sounds similar to the way every elected US president has added a new feature to the White House (most recently with President Obama’s basketball court). Whatever you can do to call it home…

Source: Listverse. More information can be found at: http://listverse.com/2012/05/27/top-10-fascinatingfacts-about-castles/ Photo Credit: “Castillo de Windsor, Inglaterra, 2014-08-12, DD 15” by Diego Delso. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Castillo_de_Windsor,_ Inglaterra,_2014-08-12,_DD_15.JPG#/media/File:Castillo_de_Windsor,_Inglaterra,_2014-08-12,_DD_15.

JPG wallandceiling.ca »June / July 2015 » 29

it’s the LAW Avoiding the Cost of Bad Advice Experienced contractors know the importance of limiting the scope of their advice to areas in which they are experienced. In the case of Litt v. Gill, a contractor was protected from liability by refusing to advise a client on matters outside the realm of his expertise.

The Facts

By / Andrew Delmonico and Amelia Cline

he Plaintiff in this case, Ms. Gill, wanted to build a new home on a large lot she owned in Coquitlam (the “Project”). She intended to finance the Project by subdividing her property into two lots and selling one of them to finance construction on the other.

Ms. Gill retained Mr. Litt as the contractor responsible for building her new home. Mr. Litt had limited experience with subdivisions. However, he offered to help Ms. Gill in any way he could, including putting her in touch with contractors to do site work. Mr. Litt also arranged for a survey of Ms. Gill’s property and, together with Ms. Gill, filed a subdivision application at City Hall.

A number of conditions needed to be met prior to the City approving the subdivision, including removal of Ms. Gill’s existing house. Ms. Gill undertook to complete these conditions. As a result, her existing home was demolished prematurely, well before the subdivision was ready for construction of the new house.

Effectively, this left Ms. Gill homeless

for an extended period of time. She blamed Mr. Litt for the premature demolition of her pre-existing home and sued him for damages.

Gill’s home being demolished before approval of the subdivision, because he never agreed to advise her on this issue in the first place.

The Decision

Lessons Learned

The Court disagreed with Ms. Gill, finding that Mr. Litt had only agreed to provide contact information and accompany Ms. Gill to City Hall; importantly, he had clearly informed Ms. Gill that he was not experienced with subdivision work.

Because of the limited scope of Mr. Litt’s agreement, he had no legal duty in these circumstances to become familiar with the subdivision process. The Court found that the legal standard of care to which builders are held on a project involving subdivision and construction of a home will depend on the express scope of their contract. If a contractor limits the scope of his or her contract properly, he or she will not be liable for losses caused by events occurring outside the scope of this agreement. In this case, Mr. Litt was not held liable for losses that occurred as a result of Ms.

1. This decision serves as an important reminder that contractors and builders should clearly and expressly set out the precise scope of work they are being retained for, particularly if elements of the project are outside their expertise.

2. Builders should always confine the scope of advice offered to a homeowner to matters in which they are experienced.

When consulted on a question falling outside the realm of their expertise, builders should consider referring their clients to someone that can give them the advice they need.■ This article was written by Andrew D. Delmonico, a lawyer, and Amelia G. Cline, an articled student, who practice in construction law with the law firm of Kuhn LLP. This article is only intended as a guide and cannot cover every situation. It is important to get legal advice for specific situations. If you have any questions or comments about this case or other construction law matters, please contact us at 604.864.8877.

ION

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We’ll be launching late this fall so watch for more information to come about what you will find on our website in the months ahead.

30 » The Trowel

industry NEWS Reversal of Economic Fortune for Canadian Cities Toronto, Vancouver, and Halifax will record the fastest economic growth rates this year among the 13 census metropolitan areas (CMAs) covered in The Conference Board of Canada’s Metropolitan Outlook: Spring 2015.

Meanwhile, long-standing economic leaders, Calgary and Edmonton, are expected to fall into recession in 2015.

Highlights • Toronto, Vancouver, and Halifax will be the fastest growing metropolitan economies in the country this year.

• Hit hard by the slump in oil prices, the economies of Calgary and Edmonton are expected to shrink by 1.2 per cent and 0.8 per cent respectively.

• Aside from Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Saskatoon, most of the 13 census metropolitan areas covered in this edition of the Metropolitan Outlook can expect improved economic growth this year.

Toronto’s economy is expected to expand by 3.1 per cent in 2015, making it one of the fastest growing metropolitan economies in the country this year. The CMA’s manufacturing

and transportation and warehousing sectors will benefit from stronger U.S. demand and a weaker loonie. Toronto can also expect a boost in tourism activity when the region hosts the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games this summer.

Widespread gains across all sectors of Vancouver’s economy will lead to growth of 3.1 per cent this year. The manufacturing sector will be kept busy by work on new non-combat vessels, while construction activity is set to increase thanks to an upward trend in housing starts and a healthy nonresidential sector.

Halifax joins Toronto and Vancouver, as one of the economic growth leaders this year, with real GDP growth of 3.1 per cent. The local manufacturing sector is expected to see a big increase in output this year, as production begins at the Halifax Shipyard on the first set of new vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy. Moreover, both residential and non-residential construction activity is expected to be healthy.

Real GDP growth in Montreal will reach 2.6 per cent in 2015. The construction sector is expected to be a growth leader, thanks to major infrastructure

Advertiser Index

Company

Phone Page

Bailey Metals Products

800.818.2666

OBC

CGC Inc.

800-565.6607

05

Demand Products

800.325.7540

24

Flannery Trim

818.837.7585 26

Grabber Construction Products (Canada) Inc.

800.567.8876

Kinetics Noise Control

800.684.2766 18

LENOX®/A Newell Rubbermaid Company

800.628.8810

09

Mansonville Plastics

604.534.8626

11

New West Gypsum Recycling

604.534.9925

25

SCAFCO Steel Stud Company

403.265.9005

IFC

Steeler Ltd (Delta BC)

877.678.6565

24

Sturdy Ladder Inc.

403.264.2934

19

Tree Island Industries

800.663.0955

15

Wallworks Acoustic Architectural Products Inc. 877.829.2550

13

Winroc Corporation

12

888.2.WINROC

04

projects such as the Champlain Bridge replacement.

Winnipeg’s economy is expected to grow by 2.5 per cent in 2015, as services growth stays healthy and nonresidential construction picks up. This should help fuel employment increase of 2.2 per cent in Winnipeg, the biggest gain since 2010.

Driven by a turnaround in the public sector and strong manufacturing, Victoria’s real GDP is forecast to rise by 2.1 per cent in 2015, the first time since 2007 that growth will surpass 2 per cent.

Prompted by the decline in oil prices, Regina’s economic growth will slow to 1.9 per cent this year, down from 5 per cent in 2014. Employment increases will remain below 1 per cent for the second straight year in 2015, and this will boost the unemployment rate to a five-year high of 4.7 per cent.

Following gains exceeding 6 per cent in five of the past six years, Saskatoon’s economic growth is forecast to slow to a post-recession low of 1.8 per cent in 2015. The slowdown will be led by a dramatic cooling in Saskatoon’s resources, agriculture and utilities industry, due to lower oil prices.

Declining oil prices will put Edmonton and Calgary in recession in 2015.

Calgary’s economy is expected to shrink by 1.2 per cent this year, while Edmonton’s real GDP is forecast to fall by 0.8 per cent. The energy sectors in both cities will decline, but other sectors will also feel the pinch from lower oil prices, including construction, transportation and warehousing, and wholesale and retail trade. But with oil prices expected to recover somewhat next year, modest economic growth is anticipated for both cities next year.

Calgary’s real GDP is forecast to rise by 1.5 per cent and an expansion of 1.3 per cent is projected for Edmonton in 2016. ■ wallandceiling.ca »June / July 2015 » 31

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