Red Roof Inn Selects Pressure-Equalized System

Red Roof Inn after renovation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mansfield, MA – Moisture problems resulting from poorly installed cladding can be a big problem for any structure. But when a hotel property suffers from moisture problems, such as the Red Roof Inn in Mansfield did, the problems can be even greater. Not only are repairs necessary, but they may interrupt business.

Enter the Dryvit Infinity Pressure-Equalized Rainscreen System. The high-performance system was specified by project engineers Jacques Whitford, working closely with Dryvit distributor George Travis of Merrimack Building Supply and applicator Randy Gifford of Innovative Construction, as an antidote to some vexing moisture problems around several of the property’s package terminal air conditioning (PTAC) units located in the guestrooms.

And as the owners soon discovered, once they addressed the PTAC problems, Infinity was the perfect solution to their recladding needs, and the energy efficiency and green benefits inherent to the Dryvit system exceeded their expectations as well. Moreover, the flexibility and lightweight nature of the pressure-equalized exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS) allowed the property to maintain close-to-average occupancy levels with minimal disruption by never working on more than 25% of the building area at a time.

“This project really represented a total team effort, from the material supplier all the way through the project engineers, to deliver a high-performance solution to the building,” said Gifford, president of Innovative Construction of Tiverton, R.I., the Infinity applicator for the project.

A close look at the vent assembly

There has long been widespread acknowledgement in the design and engineering communities that pressure-equalized wall systems represent an optimal choice, particularly in multi-story construction and buildings located in areas of high rain and wind exposures. The incorporation of pressure-equalization technology into EIFS makes this optimal building technology affordable enough for mainstream use without compromising any of the performance characteristics that make pressure-equalized systems so effective in the first place.

Those thoughts were foremost in mind when Jacques Whitford specified a pressure-equalized rain screen cladding for the five-story Red Roof Inn challenge.

“Pressure equalization prevents water from entering the pressure-equalized wall area, thereby providing protection from moisture infiltration with an anticipated extended service life for the building structure, as well as providing sustainable solutions to the owner and occupants,” said Thomas W. Snyder, RA, principal, facility assessment, sustainability and renewal at Jacques Whitford. “In our opinion, the Infinity system can likely extend the service life of the structure by minimizing water infiltration that caused the prior problems.” The owner instantly recognized the unique benefits provided by the pressure-equalized cladding solution. The performance and the warranty were keys to the owner’s decision.

“The recommendation from our consultant was to replace the current cladding with pressure-equalized EIFS and a new moisture resistant substrate,” said Perry Parker, senior project manager for Red Roof Inn. “The Dryvit Infinity system was the right fit for us because of the drainage and pressure equalization abilities. Plus, Dryvit provided us a 12-year warranty, which was a big selling point.”

“Energy efficiency was an important part of our decision to use the Infinity system,” said Parker. “Our mission at Red Roof Inn is to be efficient, cost effective, and a segment leader. The use of the Infinity system helped us to meet those goals. The small carbon footprint and the tremendous green aspects of the Dryvit system were factors in us using this system with our renovation,” Parker said.

Those thoughts were echoed by Gifford, whose firm is often challenged to bring green building solutions to the table for the projects on which they bid.

“Any time you’re looking at a Dryvit EIFS, you’re looking at the green factor, Gifford says. “More and more for us, finding products that have third-party testing of the carbon footprint is critical, and the Dryvit systems provide us that validation.”