Long-term Coating Benefits
Specifying an AAMA 2605 coating, like a 70 percent fluoropolymer coating, to be applied in the field can protect an aluminum façade for 20 to 30 years while providing additional benefits to a building owner. “Once you apply a 2605 system, which is easier to clean, the frequency of cleaning the building and water footprint is significantly reduced during the lifetime of the coating,” says Chris Incorvaia, Stuart Dean’s business development manager for façade restoration and NACEcertified coating inspector. “When we’re talking about refurbishment rather than replacement, there are additional benefits to your green footprint, as well. You don’t have to mine whatever material you’re going to put on your building or dispose of or recycle whatever material you’re taking off the building.”
All field-applied coatings meeting AAMA specifications are within the VOC regulations of each state, and some offer very low VOCs. Stuart Dean’s teams, which are located in 22 offices in the U.S. and Canada, follow VOC regulations in each state in which they’re performing work.
Because climates vary across the world, Stuart Dean’s teams also are trained to accommodate all types of environments with unique staging systems. In addition, care is taken to restore sealants during a coating restoration. All sealants are removed before the surfaces are restored and then new sealants are installed. As part of the restoration process, glass often must be polished. “We have the technology to repolish the architectural glass on the structures while cladding work is taking place,” Dean adds.
New York Palace Hotel, Manhattan
Located at 455 Madison Avenue, the 55-story New York Palace Hotel is located across the street from St. Patrick’s Cathedral and only steps away from Rockefeller Center. With 815 rooms and 84 suites, the hotel is known for its spectacular views and service.
Stuart Dean’s restoration of the hotel’s anodized aluminum façade and several interior areas was part of a $135 million comprehensive renovation of the property, which included redesigning the Elite Towers rooms and suites. The team restored and protected 200,000 square feet of anodized aluminum on the building’s façade with a proprietary silicon acrylic coating—Sodric—that meets the AAMA 2604 specification. The façade had experienced degradation after years of wear and tear from the elements.