The Exchange, is the third heritage restoration project taken on by Mend Restoration / Szolyd. This follows in the footsteps of the Trapp + Holbrook project.

Mend Restoration has shipped off two batches of ductal pieces for the old Vancouver Stock Exchange building located at 475 Howe Street, Vancouver BC. With some of the units now installed, it is impossible to tell which are the original terra cotta blocks, and which are the ductal uhpc concrete. Mend is working with Maltesen Masonry to colour match the ductal blocks as close as possible to the original terra cotta.

The grey base ductal concrete, from Lafarge, is tinted with an integral pigment to create a base layer. Maltesen Masonry is then picking up the unsealed blocks and applying a sealed finish that replicates the original terra cotta. This faux glaze treatment is only a final step in the right direction, the raw pigmented ductal block on it’s own is hard to distinguish from the terra cotta.

ductal integrally coloured next to the original terra cotta blocks

Manage, repair and improve Old Stock Exchange Building at 475 Howe Street. The latest manifestation of a sustainable office building is being proposed by global financial giant Credit Suisse, which is jumping in with a $200-million plan to build a structure that will vie to be among the world’s greenest.Among other things, the building at the corner of Howe and Pender — to be completed by 2015 — is targeted to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum and ‘Living Building’ certifications with cutting-edge features such as on-site waste water treatment and reuse, energy consumption at a rate about half that of similar towers, a high-efficiency heating and cooling system, storm water retention and reuse, and solar thermal panels.From The Vancouver Sun, September 26 2011

Source: Old Stock Exchange Building | Swiss Real Group

rendering of new building with old stock exchange building

conceptual rendering of stock exchange vancouver bc

FAÇADE RESTORATION UPDATEWe’ve been busy at Trapp+Holbrook meticulously rebuilding the striking terracotta and brick façades to their original glory.

You may not be able to see it, but the brick repointing in the interior of the Holbrook portion of the building is now complete! Brick repointing is a process that involves the renewing of pointing the external joints between bricks, to fill in any gaps that may have been formed over time due to weathering. This important process is to ensure that all voids between the mortars are filled to guarantee no future water damage or leaks.The exterior bricks will begin repointing later this week and then the bricks will be getting a nice fresh coat of paint.Not only is the vital repointing task nearly complete, but the highly-anticipated terracotta installation will commence soon and the boom lift is on site. Atlantis Rauch has been hard at work cleaning and repairing all 1,449 pieces of the terracotta facade, which are now ready to be re-installed. This stunning restoration of original terracotta pieces will change the face of Columbia Street giving Downtown New West an iconic focal point speaking to the history of the neighborhood.You may have also noticed the new windows on the Holbrook section of the building. These large wooden windows give our Holbrook suites an abundance of character. Coupled with the interior heritage brick walls, these suites feature a unique mix of old and new that cannot be matched.The windows for the Trapp section are soon to follow. The mix of large refurbished and wood windows combined with the terracotta stone will add charm to Trapp+Holbrook inside as well as out making it a stunning place to live.Come see the progress of this one of a kind project for yourself at 702 Columbia Street. We are open daily 12-5pm, except Fridays. Please visit us or give us a call at 604.525.0223 to learn more about our extended Summer Festival Special*, which could save you $5,000 in upgrades and moving expenses on your brand new home at Trapp+Holbrook.*Some conditions apply, please ask a sales representative for more details. Pricing, sizing and availability are subject to change.The developer reserves the right to make changes to the information contained herein without notice. E.&O.E.

Source: Façade Restoration Update – Trapp + Holbrook

Re-finished concrete counter, better than original!

Does your concrete countertop look dull and worn out?  Is the finish inconsistent, peeling or badly stained?  Mend Restoration is pleased to offer on-site refinishing and sealing to bring your concrete countertop back to life.

Concrete countertops were in vogue for the last ten years. During this period there have been a lot of do it yourself, home enthusiasts fabricating precast and cast in place concrete. Some of these projects looked great at first, but without proper care and maintenance, they tended to deteriorate rather quickly. The Mend team has brought over 20 concrete countertops back to life, saving thousands of dollars for homeowners on the verge of ripping them out. On average, a complete redo of your concrete countertop will cost 15 – 30% the cost of getting a new solid surface material installed. Often small areas and stains can be spot hit, without grinding or stripping the entire counter.

 There are two basic systems applied to concrete countertops:

#1 Pentrating sealer/ wax combo – This system leaves concrete looking the most natural and aesthetically pleasing, but it is susceptible to acids, oils and other chemical agents. Over time the sacrificial wax layer deteriorates in high traffic areas, the sealer wears off, and the raw concrete countertop is exposed to the elements. Dark stains and etched ring marks appear, and wear patterns generally leave the counter looking generally tired and dirty. With this type of concrete countertop, small stains and areas can be spot hit without stripping the entire counter.  Any chips or spalls can be colour matched and filled, likely disappearing completely. Once refinished, it is important to wax the countertop a couple times a year to prevent future problems.

#2 Urethane / Epoxy sealers – These more plastic looking finishes protect against staining but are prone to bubbling, peeling and eventually fail. Once a cut or nick in the surface happens, water can get underneath and lift entire sheets of the sealer or film. With these types of sealed concrete counters, refinishing usually means grinding and or stripping the entire piece back to raw concrete. Most stains will entirely come out, usually aggregate and sand is exposed during this process. Any chips or spalls can be colour matched and filled, likely disappearing completely.

Refinishing concrete counters can be tricky, back splashes can limit access, faucets and sinks can be hard to work around, and often there are hardwoods and finished surfaces in the near vicinity. The professional team at Mend will address these concerns, and build a plan that considers dust control, water recovery and cleanup after the project is complete.

concrete counter before mend restoration

concrete counter after mend restoration

Link to a restoration of the St Patrick Cathedral in New York City using the Rotec Vortex http://vimeo.com/71035329

Architectural terracotta has been used as a building material for thousands of years. Many historical landmarks in our downtown cores are clad with this beautiful material.

This old world building product is cast from clay, glazed and finished in kilns. Terra cotta components add great color and detail to a building, but are also highly susceptible to cracking and damage from impacts or freeze and thaw cycles. Modern building materials such as precast concrete, can provide the look, shape, feel and appearance of terracotta, while offering superior durability to extreme weather conditions.

In most geographical locations, heritage structures need to be seismically upgraded. Materials such as Ductal by Lafarge, with its tremendous compressive and flexural strength, can help engineers develop fastening systems.

Designers, facility owners, and community planners are under tremendous pressure to preserve historical buildings, but often have extremely limited budgets. Mend Restoration and our precast concrete expertise can help meet project deadlines and offer a cost effective solution to terracotta replacement. Precast concrete does not shrink because it only requires air drying. Not needing to design for this shrinkage factor, results in the reduced cost of precast when compared to terracotta.

Wherever your terracotta restoration project is in the world, give us a call to consider using ultra high performance concrete and the Szolyd Development custom precast concrete design and manufacturing team.

The ancient pillar is deceptively fragile, and conservationists have been hesitant simply to hose it down. The solution? Blast it with lasers, of course. After careful testing, the Central Park Conservancy determined that a gentle bath of infrared lasers is both the most sensitive and environmentally friendly cleaning method available. The non-profit organization plans to slowly vaporize the monument’s modest dust collection over the next several months. Project planners have also uncovered several particularly fragile areas on the obelisk’s surface, which will be patched up with granite adhesives. Looking forward to seeing NYC’s oldest landmark at its best? You’ll have to wait until fall: the restoration is going to take awhile.

Nolan Mayrhofer from Szolyd Development was recently interview and featured in Concrete Decor Magazine. Follow the link to see the article.

http://www.concretedecor.net/decorativeconcretearticles/vol-13-no-5-july-2013/nolan-mayrhofer-szolyd-development-corp/