Prairie Avenue
Lofts
(Multi-family renovation)
LOCATION
Chicago, Ill.
PRODUCT
LEVELROCK Brand Floor Underlayment 2500
GENERAL
CONTRACTOR
Legacy Development Group
LEVELROCK
APPLICATOR
Barrier Corp. |
"The flooring contractor told us that the LEVELROCK underlayment
provided the best-quality flooring surface he'd ever seen."
 Ronald
Johnson
Senior Project Manager
Barrier Corp.
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NOTE: This page is formatted to print out as a USG LEVELROCK Brand
Floor Underlayment Case Study. The print format differs slightly from Web page
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LEVELROCK® Brand Floor Underlayment Provides
Cost-Effective
Solution for Complex Rehab Project
LEVELROCK® Brand
Floor Underlayment 2500 provided the versatility and high-strength performance
that Barrier Corp. flooring crews needed to quickly and cost-effectively
complete a complex floor underlayment application at the Prairie Avenue Lofts
in Chicago's historic Prairie Avenue district south of the city's "Loop".
Originally built to house the Atwell Printing Company in the 1920s, the
Prairie Avenue Lofts re-development consists of 108 loft condos on eight
rehabbed floors and 30 penthouses located on three additional new floors.
According to Ronald Johnson, senior project manager for Barrier Corp.,
flooring contractor for the project, application of the floor underlayment in
the building was a challenge. "The existing concrete floors sloped up from the
exterior wall perimeters by 3 inches," he said. "The floors peaked from both
sides at a centrally located corridor running the length of the building. So,
the underlayment needed to be poured from featheredge to a full 3-inch
thickness."
Cellular concrete could not be used for the project since
it must be applied to a minimum 1-1/2 inch thickness. Given the slope of the
floor, that thickness wouldn't work unless the floors were raised along the
wall perimeter -- a cost-prohibitive operation.
Barrier Corp. offered a
perfect solution. Based in Morton Grove, Ill., the company has been offering
engineered flooring services for major local construction projects since 1981.
It recently became a trained applicator for USG's new LEVELROCK underlayment.
"By using LEVELROCK 2500 underlayment, we were able to provide the
general contractor with a practical, cost-efficient solution," said Johnson.
"The product was screeded from 0" featheredge to 3 inches thick. It worked
beautifully."
The USG product also delivered superior compressive
strength performance. The minimum 2500 psi strength of the LEVELROCK
underlayment is significantly stronger than other competing entry level poured
gypsum underlayments. They typically average only 1200 to 1500 psi. It is also
stronger than cellular concrete, which averages approximately 1800 psi.
The underlayment also provides all the benefits typically associated
with other poured gypsum flooring products, including fire resistance,
excellent sound control properties, and quick, cost-effective installation.
Despite the complexity of the job, Barrier Corp. crews completed floor
preparations and poured approximately 16,000 sq. ft. per floor on schedule and
on budget.
To ensure a smooth floor surface, even at featheredge
applications, mason sand was added to the LEVELROCK underlayment mix. The fine
sand also ensured that the floor strength remained consistent, no matter how
thick -- or thin -- the pour.
The finished results received rave
reviews. "The flooring contractor told us that the LEVELROCK underlayment
provided the best-quality flooring surface he'd ever seen," said
Johnson.
Tight quality control measures were maintained throughout the
project. Mix consistency was periodically checked using slump tests, and
compressive strength was monitored by "cube testing". The on-site cube test
samples were evaluated for compressive strength at the USG Research Center,
insuring consistent and reliable performance.
Developed by Legacy
Development Group, the Prairie Avenue Lofts units will range in size from 850
to 2,100 sq. ft., and in price from $180,000 to $340,000.
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