Western Specialty Contractors Performs Complete Masonry Façade Restoration of Quapaw Tower Condominiums in Arkansas

(St. Louis, MO) The masonry façade of Quapaw Tower Condominiums in Little Rock, Arkansas was experiencing leaks, cracking and other damage when its owners contacted the façade restoration experts at Western Specialty Contractors – Little Rock, AR branch to resolve the issues.

Western began the project by performing a thorough inspection of the 13-story high-rise’s façade. Then Western’s restoration crew performed sample repairs on the 52-year-old building’s north elevation, which exhibited the most significant leak issues and had no balconies to impede rigging and access, before repairing the rest of the building’s facade. 

Masonry repair work continued on the remaining block façade over the course of a year, which included over 11,000 linear feet of crack repairs and tuckpointing, followed by a thorough cleaning and finally the application of over 60,000 square feet of a protective elastomeric coating.

The project required a total of 3,600 work hours, 16 different swing-stage drops and extensive coordination with on-site property management and individual condominium owners. Due to tie back restrictions, Western’s crews could only use one stage at a time and the stage size was restricted due to the size of the balconies. Work was halted throughout the year due to weather shut downs and cold temperatures which affected the repair materials that the workers were using.

“We had to access many balconies on the building to make repairs, put up protection and access our swing stage. The only way to access these balconies was through the owners’ residences. The coordination was handled through the onsite property management, foreman, superintendent and project manager,” said Arkansas Branch Manager Travis DeJohn.

Additional challenges on the project included working 13 stories over an open swimming pool and a full parking lot and around occupied balconies. Work noise was restricted so the building’s residents would be disturbed as little as possible.

About Western Specialty Contractors

Family-owned and operated for more than 100 years, Western Specialty Contractors is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing and specialty roofing. Western offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects and property managers can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures including: industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational and government buildings, parking structures and sports stadiums. Western is headquartered in St. Louis, MO with 30 branch offices nationwide and employs more than 1,200 salaried and hourly professionals who offer the best, time-tested techniques and innovative technology. For more information about Western Specialty Contractors, visit www.westernspecialtycontractors.com.