As one of the most valuable and iconic properties in the Washington, D.C. region, Wardman Tower became a “capital view” after its exterior renovation that included repointing original brickwork and the restoration of decorative metal with fluoropolymer technology from Tnemec.
“It was a very involved project,” recalled Travis Gold of Mid-Atlantic Coatings, Inc. “Tnemec provided exceptional technical support with repeated visits to the site by myself and Cory Brown, who is vice president of the company’s technical services unit.”
The building’s status on the National Registry of Historic Places was among the challenges faced by the project’s developer and restoration contractor.
“Every time we were at the jobsite, the historical significance of the building was discussed,” Gold acknowledged. “Every decision and change had to be reviewed by the appropriate channels. In addition, the Tower was connected to a high-end hotel, so quiet hours and quiet days had to be observed when noisy work was prohibited.”
The building’s original decorative cornice formed by thin-gauge sheet metal was encrusted with numerous coats of old paint that required light chemical stripping and hand tool cleaning to remove the buildup in preparation for overcoating.
“The developers were looking for a coating system with a long service life and durability,” according to Gold. “Compatibility with caulking and other materials was also a requirement for the coatings.”
A mockup was prepared on a section of the cornice using Series 118 Uni-Bond Mastic, a single component, mastic waterborne acrylic coating for use over minimally prepared painted metal. The mockup demonstrated that Series 118 could be topcoated with a fluoropolymer finish coat.
The Series 118 was spray-applied and followed by a finish coat of Series 1071 Fluoronar, a fluoropolymer coating that offers outstanding color and gloss retention.
“The building’s cast-iron railings were removed, coated in the shop with a similar Tnemec coatings system, then reattached,” according to Gold. “They also pulled every window out of the building, repointed all of the brickwork, and installed new lintels, so some of the coating system was covered.”
Constructed in 1928 and named for its developer, Wardman Tower features 32 luxury condos with residences priced from $3 million to more than $9 million each, placing them among the most expensive units in the city.