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Ten years ago, as of the posting of this project on our website portfolio in 2014, this building was owned by a company called N.W. Pump & Equipment, who hired us to replace some of the damaged glass.
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We don’t know who owns the building today, but as of 2014, it’s no longer a Chevron Gas Station, but rather a Union 76 Gas Station, as shown above.
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Handling large pieces of single-pane plate-glass like this is always a bit disconcerting due to potential breakage. Fortunately, we know a few tricks of the trade to minimize the danger.
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Although the two large sheets of plate-glass we replaced this time were both positioned right next to door openings, which translated into one of several types of safety glass, which lessons to danger of breakage and injury to us,…
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…breakage would still have translated into a work stoppage and the temporary boarding-up of the opening(s). The point being that we still had to employ great care in the handling of the large panes of glass.
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Just about everything about these old gas station structures with the sheet-metal exterior walls is unique, including the neoprene-boot (sample above) that sat around the perimeter of the glass…providing a sealed barrier between the glass and the aluminum frames.
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It took us a bit of research to find a product that would work with the original extruded aluminum window frames, but we prevailed.
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Technicians Nate Velazquez…
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…and Rubin Sanders putting the finishing touches on the glass replacements.
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Project 23628 – Smoke Dome Skylights – 2011
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The National Building Codes demand fire vents for most industrial buildings. Fire officials know that smoke…
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…is the deadliest part of a fire. That’s why Section 910 of the International Fire Code mandates the use of…
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…automatic smoke control systems in high-piled storage facilities and in most one-story buildings greater…
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…than 50,000 square feet. Smoke vents eliminate the need to cut holes in the roof.
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One of the first things firefighters do when they arrive at a fire is cut holes in the roof.
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Smoke vents automatically open to vent toxic smoke and gases, reduce flashback and lower the building’s internal…
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…temperature. Firemen can get into buildings faster to attack the firebase directly.
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Apparently, someone at some point in time built these custom brackets (on the right) that subverted the fusible-link system on the original smoke hatches.
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These are what the fusible-link devices look like on the new smoke hatches. When the link is broken from intense heat, it releases the spring loaded roller arm to open the hatch automatically.
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Project 26232 – Facelift for upscale Flower Shop – 2013
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Flowers by Tommy Luke Flower shop in S.W. downtown Portland on 12th street.
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The store is beginning to unintentionally show the age of the building. Time for an entryway facelift. The original ill-fitting wood door is of course, the center of it all. One of those all-important first impressions you get.
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Rubbing on the exterior soffit, and rubbing on the strike-jamb as evidenced by the marks on the door edge.
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These antiquated hydraulic door closers are quite the novelty, displaying plenty of character, but lack some of the refined adjustments…
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…of the modern hydraulic door closer, such as this LCN Model 4041.
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This variation of the Adams-Rite model 1890 Latch/Lock was reinstalled into the new door.
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If you enlarge this photo by clicking on it, you will see that we were also initially asked to reinstall the original flat-bar push-pull hardware that runs across the door.
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But then we were later asked to return & install a slightly more elegant round push-pull bar ensemble.
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Behold, the finished product which we custom-fit, machined and installed into the original jamb assembly, retaining all the original interior and exterior trim components.
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The face lift. Compare this photo to the second photo (above).
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Project 6345 – Refurbished Old Church Doors – 2000
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Ill-fitting, sticky, hard to operate, weathered wood church doors with water-damage to the bottom-rails. This was an old church in Oregon City.
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The doors were removed, the openings boarded up, the veneer on the bottom-rails was repaired, the doors were trimmed and adjusted for best possible fit and…
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…operation, kick-plates installed to provide a modicum of protection on those bottom-rails. And then we stripped and refinished the doors. Not necessarily in that order.
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Project 15485 – Weathered Doors Refurbished – 2005
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Wood doors finished naturally on the exterior can be stunning.
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But as these photos attest to, even doors with substantial protection and shade…
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…succumb to the destructive effects of ultraviolet-rays where the afternoon sun reaches the door bottoms.
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So what’s a person to do… The answer is one of three solutions.
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1. Only finish doors naturally that face due North. 2. Inspect your doors & touch them up annually or semi-annually.
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3. Pay someone like us to come in every 8 to 10 years or so to perform major surgery.
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Our technician Jon Benson applies his craft with finesse and expertise.
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New Oak Veneer lay over where the damaged wood was removed.
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Just one of the many door & window repair skills gleaned from decades of experience.
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Project 27138 – Doors Repaired & Adjusted – 2013
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Portland City Hall. When the doors of the local power brokers aren’t working…who ya gonna call…
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Sorry. Couldn’t resist the temptation.
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Yeah, were talking about the main entry doors. Just like people, we get old enough and used enough, and we begin to perhaps sag a bit and not work quite like we used to.
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As you can see from this close-up shot, the door on the right is a bit lower than the door on the left. This sagging was translating into the door bottom hitting the vertical-rod strike-plate, which was…
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…keeping the door from closing all the way & the electromagnetic locks weren’t locking. Part of it had to do with the joints between the Stiles & the Rails beginning to separate.
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So master craftsman, Bruce Hickenlooper goes about the task of injecting adhesive into the pertinent joints, and…
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…then applying the necessary pressure via clamps to close those joints back up. And for a little insurance and back…
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…up for the adhesive, holes are drilled and steel anchors inserted to span and reinforce these joints.
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Jared, our senior technician then fills the holes with wood dowelling…
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…and the dowelling is then sanded down flush with the edge of the door.
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Project 27559 – Classic Flashing Foibles Lead to Water Coming in at Top of Window – 2014
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N.W. Camas Washington State.
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Our client had already narrowed down the general point of entry for the water that was…
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…showing up down below in the living room window, as evidenced by the plastic over the 2nd story window in the previous photo.
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If you enlarge the photo by clicking on it, you may be able to make out the wrinkled drywall and the swollen MDF surround-materials. (Red Arrows)
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Technician Sean Miller begins the arduous task of cutting caulking between the trim and the siding.
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While removal of the bottom course of Hardie Plank siding has revealed the complete absence of moisture-barrier reaching the galvanized flashing for the wall to roof transition.
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Removal of the exterior trim components around this 2nd story vinyl window further reveals the pattern of substandard construction via the lack of properly applied moisture-barrier.
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So the vinyl window is removed and the rough-opening is coated with Grace Vycor Plus self-adhesive flashing membrane, beginning at the bottom and working our way up.
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The window is reinstalled.
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After which, more membrane material is applied to cover the nailing-fins on the vinyl window. Then the trim & replacement siding is installed.
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Project 27187 – Lack of Quality Control applying Moisture Barrier – 2013
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On a hillside in Washougal, Washington.
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Water showing up at the top interior side of the large vinyl picture window.
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Mostly shows up when the wind blows the rain in from a certain direction.
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The pump-jacks allow us the access for a up-close inspection.
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Opened caulking seams should not translate into water penetration into the wall cavity. The moisture barrier should be doing its job providing a barrier.
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Here we see one of the reasons water is getting behind the barrier. The nailing-fin at the bottom of the upper window should be overlapping the moisture-barrier, but as you can see, it’s the other way around.
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Here’s another issue…a relatively large gaping hole in the barrier. The photo makes it look like the fabric is being held up by David Castro’s hand…but this is actually exactly what it looked like when the siding was removed.
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Tim Afonin goes about applying his expertise.
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We were fortunate to encounter blue skies during this job we did in early February. Although we would have proceeded rain or shine. There’s no being a “fair-weather” much of anything in the Willamette Valley.
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The sky is just turning grey as we button the wall back up with Hardi-Plank siding.
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Project 24526 – Condo with Leaking Bay Window Assembly – 2012
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Corbett area condos in southwest Portland.
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The main-floor living room center bay picture window has water showing up at the top.
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Any guesses where the water is originating from. If you’ve been reviewing many of our projects here, you should…
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…have a pretty good idea where it’s coming from and what’s causing it.
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As you can see, it was raining the day I arrived to perform our preliminary inspection.
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Journeymen technicians Russell Baldwin & David Castro go about applying their craft.
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Once again, we see the moisture barrier overlapping the bottom of the upper window. Are we seeing a pattern here…
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The only thing keeping water from getting to the top…and then in behind that moisture barrier is this caulking-seam between the window sill and the wood trim below it. Do you see the crack in the caulking seam..
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This is the back of the Hardiplank panel we removed from between the two window assemblies. See the mold along the left edge…
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The finished product all buttoned back up…ready for some paint to cover the fresh caulking seams.
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Project 28111 – On the River, Zero Overhang With Flashing Nonsense – 2013
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One of the many townhouse type condo structures lining the Columbia River channel just off of North Marine Drive.
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Just one of the projects we’ve conducted on these structures
In this neighborhood. Tim Afonin is shown here setting the anchor for his fall-protection rope. Can you see him? The photo will enlarge if you click on it. |
After the first day’s removal of the siding, the exposed exterior wall is temporarily covered for the night. It didn’t take long to find the cause of the leaks.
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Top photo shows the moisture barrier overlapping the bottom nailing-fin…oops. Looks like flashing over the header-trim until the siding is removed…oops again.
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And so it goes.
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The fruit of someone’s labor is exposed.
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In all seriousness, we do not mean to come off as cavalier regarding our client’s unforeseen financial hit.
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We are very conflicted about making our living off the misfortune of others.
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Although we still find significant satisfaction in the proper application of our expertise and skill…
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…it’s not really like upgrading windows or installing a new front door, because we know our clients would have preferred to avoid this expense.
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