THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY (well almost)

The work continues with the installation of the plenums which carry air into and out of the new Carrier units. High performance and very efficient units will keep MCHS comfortable in our North Texas weather extremes.

One of the first projects completed during the remodeling was to repair and lift the foundation below Miss Jeanne's classroom. It had dropped considerably over the last (almost) 37 years. While the foundation was raised, it was not possible to do the same with the small patio outside the classroom door. It had fallen away from the building and settled a great deal. Now with the classroom level, the patio is a big step down from the class. In order to meet accessibility standards, it must be removed and properly poured. The demolition began...

and was completed the same day. These are the same great concrete crews that poured the foundation for the new BAC wing. They will be working on this area as well as the new retaining wall.

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT STUCCO*

*but were afraid to ask.

Even with the rain yesterday, the stucco men got a good start on their work. Stucco (true stucco) is a cement base finish. We are filling in the old openings by chipping away any loose material (as you saw in earlier photographs) and attaching metal lath (screening) to the sheathing of the building. Then a brown coat is applied with pushes through the lath is used to hold the stucco to the building so the solid attachment is needed. However, space must be left between the lath and the sheathing so that the brown coat can be embedded by the lath. This is the stage we are at now in the stucco application process. We will then stop the stucco work until all the sheetrock is hung inside the building. The exterior walls undergo some stress and movement during the sheetrock process and we do not want the finish coat of stucco to crack. All existing stucco is being repaired and will then be reskimmed so that no patches appear and the old cracks and patches are no longer in site.

Infill of the old tiny arch windows on the Main Facade
The brown coat is mixed in the parking lot and then moved to each work area in a wheelbarrow. Not an easy task. It must be the correct mix to stick to a vertical surface, not sag after it is applied and still be maleable enough to trowel to a rough finish. This rough finish then gives the finish coat somthing to attach to.

It can be a very messy job, but as you see, the masons have covered the work area to protect the concrete. The windows and frames are also protected.

Working up on the scaffold, this mason puts the finishing touches on the plastic wrap for the clerstory windows in the Reception Hall. As of the end of the day, all the scratch coat had been completed!


Stucco is just one of the exterior finishes while both have cement as part of their content. The Hardi siding has been completed and is awaiting some final weatherproofing at the windows so that we may install the trim. Below you see the view toward the BAC Courtyard.


View to the Nap Room and Enrichment Class Room


The North Elevation including the BAC Porch.


The miles of electrical wire are being run while the plumbers and HVAC contractors are getting close to requesting inspections.

More on Friday!

HEIGH HO HEIGH HO ITS OFF TO WORK WE GO...

It is another busy busy week as we work toward completing the electrical rough, the mechanical rough and the plumbing top out so that we may have them all inspected. It takes a lot of manpower to put it all together.

Dale Buchanan sent along these photos of the team installing the ductwork work for the new and highly efficient HVAC system. Previously the guides had a daily game of thermostat "musical chairs" since the entire building was served by only one ancient and very noisy unit.

The new mechanical plan calls for seven units which will allow the building to be very effectively zoned for heating and cooling. That combined with an advanced insulation system will make a major improvement in the health and comfort of the students and adults alike. No longer will the Northeast classroom be chilly while the heat is too great in the Southwest classroom. Additionally, it is environmentally responsible. Our calculations show that the larger building should cost about the same, if not less, to operate than the smaller space. It will be a real benefit to be able to heat and cool the BAC comfortably after regular school hours without having to condition the entire building. We are also bringing in clean air from the outside to avoid 'sick building syndrome'. A lot of new structures are so tightly constructed that the air inside them becomes very stale. That won't be a problem at the new MCHS.

We are also installing a serious drainage system in Miss Sarah's courtyard to carry away the water that has been a problem in this area in the past. Since we have lowered the ground level to create a really beautiful outdoor space for the children, the drainage was a "must have". Because the large North plane of the roof and the new East plane both will be guttered to this area, we must be very careful about how we deal with water.

The work is continuing at a great pace and we are very excited. Again, we want to remind everyone that construction sites are, by nature, very dangerous places. It is a violation of Dallas City Ordinances for anyone not directly related to the construction of the project to be on the job site at anytime without prior approval of the Fire and Rescue Depart and the City of Dallas Building Inspection Division. Effective Thursday, the building will be secured and the monitored security system operational. So please do not make visits to the site. We will invite everyone for the open house and be very eager to show you what we have accomplished.

I was reviewing some documentation today and came across my original agreement with the school to work with the Board on the design of the new space in 2006. It has been a long road, but the results are absolutely worth the wait. With the dedicated efforts of our Project Manager, Dale Buchanan and his entire team of top notch sub-contractors, we are building something each and every contributor to the process can be proud of!