Western Specialty Contractors’ Chicago Facades Branch recently completed a four-month project to waterproof and restore the façade of PNC Centre at One North Franklin Street in the heart of Chicago’s Central Business District.
Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and completed in 1991, the 37-story, 733,400-square-foot building offers office and retail space; its twin, 2 ½ story beacons light up and can be viewed from miles away.
Western was contracted to replace caulk/sealant at the building’s window perimeters, precast joints and window gaskets, pressure wash the building’s facade and apply a penetrating silane sealer to repel water on its precast concrete. Western’s crew was able to access the building’s façade using its davit system and swing stages.
Caulking is the first line of defense against water getting into a building, and failed caulking is the number one cause of water issues in all types of buildings.
Western’s waterproofing experts recommend inspecting a building’s caulk joints at least once a year for any signs of deterioration, such as cracking, flaking or missing caulk. When caulk is deteriorating, water can easily seep into a building’s interior, causing unhappy tenants and costly interior damage. If caulk deterioration is present, Western recommends having the damaged caulk removed and replaced immediately.
Western also recommends pressure washing a building’s façade as part of its routine maintenance to increase the life of the property, make it more appealing to tenants, improve the building’s value and make surveying any damage easier to see.
Have a project you need completed? Contact the Chicago Facades branch today https://westernspecialtycontractors.com/chicago-branch/
About Western Specialty Contractors
Family-owned and operated for more than 100 years, Western Specialty Contractors is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing, and specialty roofing. Western offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects, and property managers can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures, including industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational and government buildings, parking structures, and sports stadiums. Western is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, with 30 branch offices nationwide and employs more than 1,200 salaried and hourly professionals who offer the best, time-tested techniques and innovative technology. For more information about Western Specialty Contractors, visit https://westernspecialtycontractors.com.