New York City is the most densely populated city in the United States, making even minor construction projects challenging. Not surprisingly, when Hoffman Architects was hired to renovate the 30 story headquarters building for Verizon Communications located in Manhattan, they were very interested in extending the maintenance cycles for the building.
The exterior renovation of the building included a thorough cleaning of the pre-cast concrete panels along with the coating of over 30,000 sq ft of anodized aluminum louvers.
Since labor was a considerable part of the overall cost to paint the building, the architects wanted a coating system that could perform for many years and thus prevent the need for a costly repaint in the near future.
A system using Series 27 F.C. Typoxy, a polyamide epoxy, as a primer and a fluoropolymer topcoat, Series 1072 Fluoronar, was chosen for the louvers that extend the entire height of the building.
Formulated by Tnemec to provide the ultimate color and gloss retention in an air-dried finish, Fluoronar easily surpasses the aesthetic performance of even the best polyurethane. This exceptional resistance to the damaging effects of ultraviolet light makes Fluoronar a popular choice for high-profile structures or where life-cycle value is desired.
Scaffolding was assembled for the painting crews to access the sides of the building. Both the prime coat of Series 27 and the Series 1072 topcoat were applied to avoid the additional cost of masking and containment. Since the louvers cover in-take vents for the building’s HVAC system, the products were applied after-hours to prevent odor from disrupting office workers during the day.
The satin finish of the black Series 1072 helped the newly coated louvers subtly blend in with the rest of the building, leaving the rejuvenated exterior looking clean and fresh, an appearance that should no doubt grace the skyline for many years to come.