From Spring 2004 to Winter 2006, Western Specialty Contractors’ Kansas City branch performed restoration work on the exterior of the Commerce Trust Building at 922 Walnut in downtown Kansas City.
The scope of work included replacement of approximately 250 pieces of deteriorated terra cotta, restoration of the granite facade, restoration and recoating of brick on the north elevation, as well as removal and replacement of the historic clock.
Access to the work was a challenge because of an eight foot cornice at the top of the building. This was overcome by fabricating attachments for the lookouts that allowed access under the cornice. A light weight, air-entrained concrete mix was used to fabricate the terra cotta replacement pieces. After installation, the areas were coated with a high quality elastomeric coating that matched the existing coating. Western also completed approximately 14,000 lineal feet of tuckpointing on the granite facade on the bottom four floors. On the north elevation, craftsmen removed brick to expose corroded shelf angles. The shelf angles were cleaned, coating, and new brick was installed. The existing coating on the north was removed using a paint stripper and recoated with a breathable acrylic coating.