Pleasing Aesthetics
It provides the foundation for the aesthetic finished surface of walls and ceilings.
Why Including an Expert Drywall Contractor in the Design Assist Process Adds to the Bottom Line
Multi-family projects are growing up. Literally. The days of the three-story, garden-style walkup are behind us and the 300+ unit Podiums and Wraps are today’s standard for apartment projects in the Bay Area. Even now, it seems like four stories of wood over two levels of concrete is a quaint concept from the early ‘teens. Five floors of type IIIA construction over three or four levels of steel and concrete are popping up trying to take full advantage of every square foot of footprint. These projects are more and more complex, requiring more and more code compliance, fire ratings, acoustical considerations, and coordination between trades and disciplines.
As owners, architects, engineers, contractors, and code officials try to muddle through these new challenges, bringing on an expert drywall contractor to assist with the design can be a value-added strategy.
Drywall touches everything these days.
It serves three primary purposes in standard construction techniques:
Safety & Protection
It provides fire protection and compartmentalization.
Sound Control
It adds to the acoustical assemblies of walls and ceilings.
We can’t stress enough that the most important function of drywall is fire protection. It doesn’t matter how good a wall looks or how quiet a room is if it burns down. Fire protection in type VA and IIIA construction is provided primarily by drywall—the most common application is 1-hour and 2-hour interior and exterior walls and 1-hour (and sometimes 2-hour) floor and roof assemblies layered with multiple sheets of 5/8” drywall to achieve tested ratings. Area separations fire walls, structural steel protection, lined joist bays for duct work, lined joist bays for recessed light fixtures, shaft wall assemblies, elevator and stair walls, and grease ducts are just a few more applications where drywall is a necessary component. The variables in construction design, from structural design and joist selection and spacing, to mechanical systems layout, to fully understanding local jurisdiction interpretations of code requirements, all play a part in how much drywall is required to fully protect the building to acceptable standards. These variables can swing the cost of a drywall scope up to 10%. Eliminating superfluous scope that doesn’t add value to the end user should be the objective of bringing on an expert contractor to assist with the design. Knowing how to do this by citing and referencing published literature, tests, and code is where ADCO comes in.
ADCO has focused strictly on multi-family construction.
We have built tens of thousands of units all over the Bay Area in the past 28 years.
We’re also blessed to say that several of our original employees from that first year are still with us. Expertise and experience gleaned from these people, as well as a passion for fire and sound-rated assemblies and building codes gives our preconstruction and estimating department an edge up and a level of service unparalleled in this industry. With a bank of historical data to pull from, we can quickly budget any project from conceptual design, outlining several options for rated construction, sound attenuation preferences, and levels of finish. Our best work comes next: ADCO works closely with the design team and contractor to build a package that optimizes the drywall without waste, solving constructability problems and sequencing and coordination issues along the way. When we do finally hit the job site, our entire team is fully educated and informed on the project specifics and details so proper flow and teamwork is achieved. All of this helps to deliver the project sooner and with less change orders, thereby saving money and getting residents in quicker so that project owners can get their return on investment.
ABOUT
ADCO is a full-service drywall and metal framing company specializing in the large-scale production of multi-family units and common areas, including amenities, leasing and other high profile areas.
