For 20 years the volunteer firemen have been planning and saving to expand their firehouse.

Unknown to the customer the previous architect designed the building with an EIFs product. After four years due to the EIFS insulation and moisture trapped in the walls black and green mold permeated to the outside of the walls causing distortions. The final coat of the EIFS started to pull away creating a dangerous situation as the mold spread through the building. The building was in need of a facelift and they wanted to beautify the building for the whole neighborhood.

They wanted a permanent maintenance, free exterior. After several meetings with the building committee it was decided they wanted a traditional red brick firehouse with lintels, keystones and quoines. The masonry product used on the front exterior was a rough, brickface design carved into the cement.

Due to the emergency status of the business involved (saving lives at a moments notice) a crew was assembled which was much larger than usual so that entire 50-foot sections could be opened and closed in one day.

In removing the two inches of foam a separate container had to be acquired due to the mold and quantity of the material. It was discovered that the second floor of the building had no sub-straight. Exterior grade plywood had to be tech screwed into the steel studs and 3.4” galvanized steel lath was applied, followed by an “Instant-Crete” Cementitious material, with the final application of the rough brickface design carved into the cement. The quoines, sills and keystones had to be formed out of cement as the Fire Company wanted nothing to do with any foam products. The finishing touch was the sculpted Maltese Cross etched into the cement on the front of the building representing the fire service ideals of saving lives and extinguishing fires.

The volunteer firemen risk their lives everyday, one of their rewards is to come home to an extraordinary, beautifully detailed firehouse that they can be proud of.