GENERAL CONTRACTORS & COMMERCIAL TRADESMEN

THE CHALLENGE

General Contractors are burdened with the task of having to coordinate the many diverse trades, including fireproofing on most commercial projects. Trade contractors also have to deal with the other trades (and the General) as well as having to worry about their own trade. Adding fireproofing to the mix, typically not a major trade in terms of dollars, but a trade that can impact every square foot of the project, as well as every one of the other installing trades, large and small.

The question to the General Contractor becomes, how you interface the fireproofing with 20, 30 or more of the other trades. The question to the tradesmen becomes how I can protect myself from unnecessary exposure. At the Vellrath Group we believe both questions have two responses: one, is through education, and the other is through the Universal Fireproofing Patch kit.

THE SOLUTION

I think we can all agree that a $1000.00 problem is easier to resolve than a $10,000.00 problem, so the first objective has to be to reduce the size of the problem (cost). How many times have you, either as a GC or as a trade, been stuck with a patching back charge, whatever the number ends up being? 

As a General Contractor you have to somehow distribute this cost and you know, no one is going to be happy. You can try to get the owner pay for it, you may absorb it yourself, or you may distribute it among the trades working in the area.  Guaranteed, no one will be happy.

As a Trade Contractor you know the GC has to distribute this extra expense to somebody and your legitimate share is costly enough you don’t want anybody else’s, that’s for sure.

Our position at the Vellrath Group is to solve the problem. Understanding the nature of the beast (fireproofing) will tend to avoid issues in the first place but then if there is damage our Universal Fireproofing Patch (UFP) can get it resolved. The Vellrath Group has designed a detailed and complete education program with a focus on fireproofing but generally expands to include all of passive fire protection issues.

First, Universal Fireproofing Patch is easy to install. We tried to make UFP idiot proof, but now we say we have made it idiot resistant. Second, it’s cheaper; if we analyze the total cost of the patch, studies have shown that our cost is about 55% less than traditional means. Third, the technicalities of the patch; our adhesion is stronger (nearly 5 x), our density is greater (nigh medium density), we are more robust than alternatives, our cost is lower, and we are installed more quickly than traditional methodologies. Our material is available and can be shipped out the next day via UPS or overland shipping.

I have been installing fireproofing since 1977; I know what the issues are and I know how to avoid them. The Vellrath Group can help in two ways, the first being to avoid the issues in the first place through education. Our “edu” offering include our 400+ page handbook, our 300+ page workbook for a general understanding of fireproofing. But we also offer topic specific discussion through our Building Blocks and Topic Synopsis.

Over that last 40 years I know there will be patching; some through carelessness and other time unavoidable. Either way it has to be fixed, we think our Universal Fireproofing Patch may be the better option in terms of cost, compliance, and schedule.