Located in Sarasota, Florida, the 10-year-old Broadway Promenade Condominium was in need of repair. The stucco was cracked, unbounded and inadequately cured during construction, resulting in a high alkaline stucco. As a result, the exterior paint exhibited severe alkaline burn, became mottled in color and had begun to delaminate and peel despite several attempts to repaint areas.
Delta Engineering & Inspection, Inc., a consulting engineering firm headquartered in Sarasota, was already assisting the Condo association with other construction defects and was asked to evaluate these conditions after other consultants determined the only solution was to remove all of the stucco from the buildings. Delta performed various stucco and coatings tests and evaluated several paint coating systems, all of which would not provide long-term performance nor the necessary warranty provisions. According to Delta principal, Steven Mainardi, PE, the search for a long-term solution for the property resulted in a system from Sto Corp. being specified and used on the project.
“Not only was it important to mitigate the reoccurrence of the alkali burn and weatherproof the building, but the buildings required substantial stucco repair which would have been noticeable even with the best stucco applicator,” said Mainardi.
Credit: Sto Corp.
A thin veneer overlay system comprised of Sto RFP, fiber reinforcement mesh and Stolit Lotusan finish was used to resurface areas that required substantial stucco repair. For areas that only needed recoating, StoColor Lotusan, the smooth coatings version of the super hydrophobic finish, was used. In combination, these two systems met all project objectives, created seamless compatibility, and ensured long-lasting color retention. The paint, in its current state was not performing well, as it was in various states of coating failure (i.e., peeling, blistering, discoloration, cracking, and efflorescence). Sto Studio, a creative design division of Sto Corp, was formed in the 1970s to help building owners, design professionals, engineers, and contractors understand and realize the value of their projects’ aesthetic character. Sto Studio is all about color, and matching the existing color was a must for the project.
“People often talk about color, but it really needs to be understood,” said Billy Rosbottom, who heads up Sto Studio. “We created large renderings with the new color, matching the original color for the outside of the building, which were shown to the board of directors. The board was sold. The color matched their original color scheme.”
According to Dan Reed, senior project manager at Delta Engineering & Inspection, the project included a six-story, mixed-use building comprised of lobby-level retail commercial units and residential condominium units, and a four-story building comprised of residential condominium units which would be occupied during the restoration process. Reed mentioned it was critical to have a contractor experienced in high-quality exterior finish systems to perform this work, and Valcourt Building Services was selected.
The original exterior cladding was comprised primarily of stucco, stucco control joints, exterior sealants, and EIFS trim bands. In the process of applying the new exterior finish system, the existing stucco was examined for loose and debonded stucco, which was repaired prior to the installation of the Sto systems.
According to Reed, the Sto systems featured Stolit Lotusan and StoColor Lotusan’s unique super hydrophobic technology. Both systems provide a weather-resistant barrier while also providing a self-cleaning finish, resulting in long-term performance with less maintenance costs for the owners.
It took approximately one year to complete the restoration. Reed had worked with Sto’s waterproofing and concrete repair products in the past and had been pleased with the performance of the products and the collaborative support from Sto personnel. “During the course of the project when questions arose, Sto technical services and our Sto representative, Jim Doyle, were prompt to respond,” said Reed.
Through the collaborative efforts between Delta, Valcourt and Sto, the residential and multi-use complex now has the appearance of a brand new building. Gone are the areas of damaged stucco and the associated peeling and discolored paint. The character and integrity of the Broadway Promenade Condominium has been restored at a substantial savings compared to the previous option of conducting a complete tear-off and reclad of the buildings.
Credit: Sto Corp.
Broadway Promenade Condominium
Sto Products: Stolit Lotusan: textured acrylic finish with Lotus Effect; StoColor Lotusan: smooth coating with Lotus Effect; StoColor Acryl Plus: smooth coating; Sto RFP and Mesh: thin veneer overlay system; Sto Flexible Crack Filler for crack repair; Sto Hot Prime: enhanced primer; and StoPlex W: surface conditioner
General Contractor: Valcourt Building Services
Applicator: Valcourt Building Services
Distributor: Foundation Building Materials
Engineer: Delta Engineering & Inspection, Inc.
About Sto
Sto is an international technology leader in the design and production of innovative building materials tailored to human needs. Our wall systems, coatings and finishes have been the choice of leading architects, engineers and contractors for 61 years, and we are the world’s largest manufacturer of exterior thermal insulation systems, with 35 subsidiaries, more than 5000 employees, and 21 factories operating around the globe.
Sto Corp., based in Atlanta, Georgia, produces a broad range of advanced cladding, air moisture barrier and coating systems that deliver energy efficiency and superior aesthetics for building construction, maintenance, and restoration. Sto Corp’s plants are ISO certified for environmental protection and quality control, and are strategically located to serve more than 200 distributor shipping locations throughout North and South America. Sto Corp. is committed to developing next-generation building solutions, and the company’s employees are advocates for technical mastery in pursuit of a sustainable built environment.
For more information, visit www.stocorp.com or call toll free (800) 221-2397. Follow Sto Corp. on Twitter @stocorp, LinkedIn, Facebook at www.facebook.com/stocorp, Architizer http://architizer.com/brands/sto/, and the Sto blog “ARCHITRENDS.” http://blog.stocorp.com.
