Copeland Building Envelope Consulting
We solve building envelope problems.
CopelandBEC recently provided technical and financial support for a team of students from the University of Minnesota competing in the national Solar Decathlon Collegiate Competition in Golden, Colorado. We’re thrilled to report that the UMN team came away with first place in the attached housing division and the grand prize of the entire residential division! Read the full results here.
Read more
Last year CopelandBEC wrapped up a multi-year masonry facade restoration project at 15-17 James Street in Brookline, MA. Statewide RM, the contractor on the project, recently posted a great write-up on their website and it’s so good we wanted to share it!
It was a challenging project for many reasons. From Statewide’s article:
The portico at 15-17 James Street, Brookline, had become a safety concern. Replacing it with a similar portico would have been expensive and difficult to accomplish, but it was too worn down to be repaired. Work was completed in tight quarters, primarily during the cold winter months.
-Statewide RM
Check out the full Statewide RM feature here.
Brick veneer cracking is one of the most common brick veneer problems we encounter, with cracking often associated with either insufficient or poorly located veneer expansion joints. Brick, like many other construction materials, expand and/or contract with changes in temperature and humidity though brick masonry will typically expand overall during its service life.
Read more
Parapet walls are raised barriers at the edge of a roof and are often extensions of the structure’s main wall and act as a barricade. Historically speaking, parapet walls date back thousands of years. Many ancient castles and military forts had defensive parapets constructed on the roof to provide cover for troops defending the structure from attackers. Parapets serve a number of purposes including aesthetics, privacy, safety, and protection from weather elements including high winds/airborne debris.
Read more
Winter is here! Cold temps and snow bring complications for construction work, and this is especially true for temperature-sensitive materials like masonry. What special steps need to be taken for cold weather masonry work?
In this post we’ll share some resources that we often consult when we encounter wintertime masonry work.
Read more