Brentwood Elementary School in Austin, Texas
Originally constructed in the 1950s, Brentwood Elementary School in Austin, Texas, has undergone multiple renovations over the years. Recently, school officials decided to undertake a full-scale modern renovation of the school’s enclosed 8362 m2 (90,000 sf) area to bring
its buildings up to where they wanted it to be.
In the initial mockup of materials, challenges arose with the chosen liquid barrier because it would not adhere properly to the already installed water-resistive barrier-air barrier (WRB-AB) sheathing system. This is an example of how various products and systems can create compatibility and adhesion challenges. Fortunately, an alternate single-component, monolithic, elastomeric, silane-terminated polymers (STP)-based fluid-applied WRB-AB was found. The only concern? It was new to the team working on the project.
The product manufacturer sent a representative to the jobsite to share the product, collaborate with the team, review discrete information, educate the crew on installation techniques, and raise the comfort level. The product was then assessed and added to the mockup ahead of the full review by the project’s drywall consultant. It was chosen for the project to mitigate the risk of unwanted air movement, protect against water intrusion, and help modernize the 70-year-old structure.1
Several key elements led to the chosen WRB-AB being selected as the product of choice for this renovation. Choosing a WRB means only one trip around the building for installation (opposed to multiple trips for other products) which translates directly to time and labor saved. Given the tight building schedule, all renovation needed to happen while the school was closed, the product manufacturer was able to meet the product delivery deadline, even allowing for a buffer zone to compensate for potential weather delays. Lastly, the non-combustible nature of the product meant once it was installed and covered with brick cladding, the entire wall was non-combustible.
Note
1 Read this case study on Brentwood Elementary School, “Acing a School Renovation: Finding Compatible Materials Against Water Intrusion.” Visit https://buildgp.com/denselement/case-study/acing-a-school-renovation-finding-compatible-materials-against-water-intrusion.
