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Heavy-Use Entertainment Application of LP® FlameBlock® Fire-Rated OSB Sheathing

SUMMARY

Cottonwood Municipal Liquor Store is owned by the City of Cottonwood, Minnesota, a small community of about 1,170 people that provides the liquor store as a service to the citizens of this growing town. The town wanted to add a 1,600-square-foot bar and grill, housing dining tables, pool tables and other amenities as an enhanced service to the community.

OBJECTIVES

As with any construction project, budget and construction time are major concerns. Any delay can be costly, and winters in Cottonwood can be brutal. With lows frequently reaching zero degrees and sometimes below, the need to preserve energy and protect patrons from the elements is great.

Finally, in a bar and grill environment, the walls can take a beating. Accidental jabs from pool cues and other mishaps can wreak havoc on walls, making durability a critical factor.

IMPLEMENTATION

Time and expense were saved by using Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) provided by a local manufacturer, Extreme Panel. The SIPs were constructed in the factory and shipped pre-assembled to the jobsite. Contractors saved time on estimating and ordering materials, as well as the time and expense of the construction of traditional stud walls and blowing or placing insulation.

SIPs offer great protection from Minnesota's brutal elements. When sheathed with Barrier Technology Corporation's Blaseguard®, they help protect patrons from fire by slowing its progression. The factory-applied fire retardant offers a Calls A flame spread rating and a 20-minute thermal barrier, meeting or exceeding the local construction codes in Cottonwood.

In addition to offering protection from the elements and fire, the combination also saved crews time and effort.

According to Terry Dieken, president and CEO of Extreme Panel and the vice president of the Structural Insulated Panel Association, LP FlameBlock panels offer the fastest and most efficient way to meet fire codes on commercial construction because builders have fire code compliance built into the panel. Not only does this avoid inspection delays, but the time and expense of hanging gypsum is eliminated.

Steve Doom, vice president of general contractor Doom & Cuypers Construction in Marshall, Minnesota, was impressed with the ease of use and efficiency of SIPs.

"Extreme Panel supplied all the materials," Doom Said. "We just caulked the seams and fastened them. We put in the foundation, and from then on the structure was taken care of." He added that the panels eliminated the need to estimate materials needed.

OUTCOME

The project was built quickly as construction crews simply had to set and glue panels and caulk panel seams while building the 1,600-square-foot addition. No gypsum was needed, further reducing construction times.

"The building went up in a hurry," Doom said.

Greg Isaackson, clerk-administrator for the city of Cottonwood, noted the product contributed to a savings in energy costs as well, saying, "The change in energy costs has been very minimal or hardly noticeable. In fact, a small baseboard heater and a window air conditioner are able to heat and cool the entire addition."

An added bonus of LP FlameBlock coating is the impact resistance not offered by gypsum wallboard. In a bar and grill, this means marks left by chairs or pool cues are easy to clean and paint over. This impact resistance, according to Jib Dukart, national sales manager for Barrier Technology Corporation, makes SIPs with LP FlameBlock coating ideal for use in warehouses, airplane hangars, shop garages and other types of buildings.