Schedule is of primary concern for any retail project, especially a fast-food restaurant. When a project gets behind schedule in this time-sensitive industry, it is critical to find ways to make up for lost time and get the project back on track. When the schedule for a White Castle location in Homewood, Ill., was behind, the general contractor leaned on the team to find innovative strategies to accelerate the speed of the project. The answer came from the plaster contractor, Smith Plastering, which suggested using Rapid Set® Eisenwall® for the stucco portion of the project.
Wanting to spruce up the exterior look for this new location, White Castle was incorporating a new design for this project. Instead of the traditional exterior that is porcelain with a white enamel finish, the restaurant chain opted to construct a facility that had the upper portion of the exterior as stucco and the lower portion as stone. When the project got behind schedule during construction, Smith Plastering, which was hired to perform the stucco portion of the project, suggested using Eisenwall to fast track the schedule.
Smith Plastering had used Eisenwall for a small ceiling in a recent project for a bank drive thru. Able to complete the project in one day, Smith Plastering was extremely pleased with the product and thrilled that they were able to complete the work so quickly. This great experience with the product led them to suggest it for the White Castle job.
Although the original specification for the White Castle project was traditional stucco made of portland cement, Smith Plastering suggested Eisenwall to the general contractor as an alternative that could accelerate their portion of the work. Using Eisenwall, Smith Plastering was able to complete their portion of the work in less than one week including scratch, brown, and color. Typically, this process would have taken three weeks with traditional stucco. Further, using traditional stucco materials would have required scaffolding that would have been in place for the entire three weeks, which would have been intrusive to the other contractors working on the site. The speed with which Eisenwall can be applied allowed the scaffolding to be removed more quickly, adding yet another benefit to the project schedule.
The general contractor was very pleased with Smith Plastering’s performance on this job and the suggestion to use Eisenwall to speed up the project. Completed in September 2007, approximately 120 bags of material were used on this project.
Project Highlights
• Fast: Ready for color in 1 hour after moist curing
• Crack-Resistant: High-strength, low-shrink formula
• Efficient: Full thickness in a single application
• Easy To Use: Just add sand and water
• Saves Time: Scratch, brown, and apply color coat the same day
Eisenwall is a premium blend of Rapid Set® Cement and high-performance additives for use in exterior plastering and stucco applications. Eisenwall is ideal where fast turnaround, high strength, superior durability, minimal shrinkage, and reduced cracking are desired. The appearance is similar to portland cement-based plaster and may be applied using like methods. Eisenwall carries a current ICC-ES Evaluation Report (ESR-2671).
