Shoring for collapsing buildings in Chicago
20 year old Brick/Block residence in Old Town, Chicago with entire roof removed, rotting trusses and wall to be replaced under a 365 Construction Tent
Jadwin, various Hoagland jobs
Blah, blah, blah ... Parapets are the short walls that extend above a flat roof along the perimeter of a building. They are mostly decorative, but they also conceal rooftop mechanicals, like AC units, and provide privacy and safety for rooftop decks.
Parapets take a lot of abuse. They are exposed to wind driven rain and snow on all 3 sides - the interior, the exterior and the top.
Rotting wood and rusting steel....
Leister with her bathroom lifted to repair LVL
Blah, blah, blah ... Parapets are the short walls that extend above a flat roof along the perimeter of a building. They are mostly decorative, but they also conceal rooftop mechanicals, like AC units, and provide privacy and safety for rooftop decks.
Parapets take a lot of abuse. They are exposed to wind driven rain and snow on all 3 sides - the interior, the exterior and the top.
Support wall built to keep roof from collapsing when trusses sheered off along the parapet wall – Lakeview, Chicago
Supporting collapsing roof trusses... Leffingwell...
Blah, blah, blah ... Metal copings are a fine way to finish parapet walls – IF they are fabricated at least 4" legs on each side, and pitch to the interior side.
This design properly protects the top and sides of a parapet from wind-driven rain and keep moisture out – but also protect pedestrians from falling ice and snow.
Flat metal copings with short legs are cheap for the builder, but will cost the building owner dearly. Regular maintenance of caulked seams and corners is required. Most caulks have a useful life of 5 years.
We recommend overlapping copings and/or using "slip sheets" to bridge the transition between coping lengths.
Failed Trusses – Edgewater, Chicago
Failed trusses create a dangerous situation...
Blah, blah, blah ...
Clay copings are a great choice for finishing parapets. However, when they are installed with Portland cement mortar, they do not perform as well as clay copings set with lime/sand mortar or polyurethane sealant.
Overtime clay coping tiles crack and break. Regular maintenance is essential as broken clay copings let a significant amount of water into a wall. Clay copings are readily available and not costly if replacement is necessary.
Many low-end masonry and roofing contractors "fix" clay copings with tar or construction adhesive. This fix is temporary at best. Give Wet Building Solutions a call to get the right repair recommendation for your building.