Fall 2013 News

Cleveland-based Garland Industries has acquired DryDog Barriers, LLC of Charlotte, North Carolina.   The DryDog line of products and services will be integrated into GMX, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Garland Industries.

The move significantly expands Garland’s line of below-grade water-proofing solutions.

“The [acquisition] positions our newly merged company to take advantage of the slowly improving residential construction market and better suits us to pursue commercial waterproofing opportunities,” explains Tom Carney, GMX general manager.

Lindsay Castles, president of DryDog Barriers, says, “The combined resources of the companies will enable GMX to better serve our existing account base and continue developing innovative product solutions for moisture and air flow management.”

Parex USA, has launched a new marketing campaign under the title “Envision.”  The company, which oversees a range of exterior finish brands including LaHabra, El Rey, and Merkrete, hopes the effort brings added awareness of the benefits of Parex’s  EIFS and Stucco Solutions.

The campaign focuses around the virtually unlimited range of shape, color and texture stucco and acrylic stucco can achieve.

“Generally, architects and building owners understand the technical advantages that EIFS and stucco provide such as continuous insulation and unique application techniques,” said Rodrigo Lacerda, Parex USA president. “But what other exterior cladding provides limitless shapes, limitless colors and limitless textures?  Our new Envision Campaign encourages the building community to reach outside the box and look at the broad range of possibilities that can be achieved with EIFS and Stucco.”

A major convention center in New York City is being renovated, and part of that work includes the installation of a new green roof system.

The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is New York City’s largest convention center, with 840,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, and hosts about 150 events annually.

Earlier this year, the Javits Center embarked on a major renovation project that includes replacement of the building’s roof and upgrades to the mechanical and electrical systems that will reduce energy consumption by 26%.

A massive green roof—one of the largest in the country—is part of the energy-saving retrofit.   Given the size of the Javits Center green roof—more than 6 ½ acres—the environmental benefits will be substantial. For example, with New York City’s average annual rainfall of about 50 inches, the Javits green roof will prevent approximately 6.8 million gallons of run-off per year.

“The benefits of installing a green roof at the Javits Center include the reduction of storm runoff volume and peak flow,” confirms architect Bruce Fowle. “It will conserve energy by moderating temperatures on the roof and lowering the temperature of the air being drawn into the rooftop HVAC units during cooling season, while simultaneously helping to reduce temperature extremes inside the building  “The green roof also adds the aesthetic value of urban open space, a ‘fifth façade’ of the building that will be seen and appreciated from adjacent high-rises.”

The Xero Flor Green Roof System was selected for the job.  Xero Flor America (XFA), a North Carolina-based subsidiary of the German green roof company, specializes in growing green roofs offsite.  This spring, 14 different varieties of Sedum were sown over nearly 300,000 sq. ft. of green roof media in upstate New York.  They’ll grow for 9-12 months before being transferred to the rooftop as pre-vegetated mats.

“When completed this year, the Javits Center green roof at 292,000 square feet will be the second largest green roof on a single, free-standing building in the U.S.,” said Clayton Rugh, general manager and technical director at Xero Flor America. “The largest, at Ford Motor Company’s River Rouge Plant, which will reach the milestone of its tenth anniversary this year, is also a Xero Flor installation.”

The EPDM Roofing Association (ERA) is celebrating its first decade of service to the roofing industry.

“We are proud of our ten-year track record of industry leadership at ERA. And we plan to mark those ten years of success by providing the industry with specific answers to many of the questions that confront us,” said John Geary, of Firestone Building Products, and Chairman of ERA’s Board of Directors.

“We realize this is a critical time for the building community,” he continues. “People have questions about sustainability, cool roofing, recycling, and the environmental impact of construction products.”

The association represents manufacturers of both white and black EPDM roofing membranes, and offers top-of-line expertise in the use of both systems. ERA provides up-to-date information on using EPDM in all climates, as well information about the use of new measurements to accurately assess the long-term environmental impact of roofing.

Robert Reale, Manager of Marketing Communications at Carlisle SynTec and Chairman of the ERA Communications Committee, says, “It’s not enough to stay current on issues facing the roofing industry. We have to stay ahead of the curve and be leaders,” said “We have a strong tradition of leadership, and we are committed to building on that record to deliver value to the roofing industry.”

The Chattanooga Tenn. City Council has decided to add a green roof to the City Council Building as part of a re-roof project for the building. The LiveRoof Hybrid Green Roof System was selected for the 5,260 sq. ft. project.

Iowa State University (ISU) selected the same system for an 855-sq.-ft. green roof slated to be installed atop its historic Memorial Union.  Much of the credit goes to ISU senior Miles Thompson, a horticulture major with a strong interest in green roof technology. When he learned that a green roof had been planned for the Memorial Union, but funding had not been approved, he advocated for the project and ensured the project would become a reality.

The colorful plant palette for the ISU project features four mixes of hardy, drought-tolerant groundcover plants, which display a variety of colors and textures, even during the fall and winter months. Roof Top Sedums and Central States Roofing of Ames, Iowa, a LiveRoof® certified installer, will oversee the installation by student volunteers.

“Green infrastructure has more promise for revitalization of our impaired streams and waters while revitalizing our city than any prior approach,” said David Crockett, Director of the Office of Sustainability, City of Chattanooga. “Green roofs are one of the best examples with multiple positive outcomes.”

Earlier this spring, W. R. Grace & Co. purchased Chemind Construction Products, a specialty manufacturer and distributor of waterproofing coatings technologies.  Chemind is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia. Terms were not disclosed.

The acquisition was folded into Grace Construction Products (GCP), a division W.R. Grace.