GreatGlazing: Montour High School renovation

Specified Systems Inc., www.specifiedsystems.com, was ranked No. 39 on the 2012 Top 50 Glaziers list, up from No. 44 in 2011. With annual sales of between $10 million and $15 million, the contract glazier saw sales increase 5.8 percent from 2010 to 2011. Headquartered in Canonsburg, Pa., the company has two U.S. locations and between 42 and 59 employees.   Photos by Phillip Sams Photography, McMurray, Pa.

The basics: The $26 million renovation of Montour High School in McKees Rocks, Pa., transformed the 1956 campus of concrete block buildings clad in brick veneer into a modern educational facility enclosed in metal cladding, and ample windows, curtain wall and storefront systems. The project, which was completed in October 2011, included renovation of existing structures in addition to some new building. The total amount of glazing on the existing buildings was increased by 25 percent.

"When we first looked at the project, we thought the best thing they could do would be tear the buildings down. As we look at it now, we find it to be pretty unique looking [facility]," says Bill Wilson, president, Specified Systems Inc. "There were many challenges to this project. First and foremost was the coordination of our work with the exterior metal cladding system on a building with bulging walls, and that was settled and [not] level. The second challenge was coming up with size averaging of the existing openings so all of the interior conditions would line up properly with our products."

The players: Architect, Apostolou Associates; general contractor, Yarborough Development; window and glazing system supplier, Traco, a division of Kawneer Co.; glass manufacturer, Guardian Industries; glazing system finisher, PPG Industries; glazing contractor, Specified Systems Inc.

The glass and systems: Traco NX3500 Series windows; Traco 7800 Series curtain wall, fabricated by Specified Systems; Traco storefronts/doors, fabricated by Specified Systems. "All of the door blanks were fabricated by Specified system, and of the 39 pairs, a third of them were custom-sized," Wilson says. The insulating glass is Guardian SN68 gray tempered glass over clear tempered. The glazing systems were finished in PPG Duranar.

"The only glazing contractor who could handle this job had to have complete fabrication capability," Wilson says. "For that reason, a lot of our standard competition steered away from it. Fortunately, Traco was on board with making some new trim dies and supplying us with lineal extrusions. With our in house fabrication ability, the project went smoothly."