SK Plastering creates the look of aluminum facade
Service King achieves a metallic building facade without ACM at 40% cost savings—thanks to Metallic Effects from Senergy Wall Systems.
Well-trained as a youngster in a multi-generational family plastering business in his native Lebanon, Salem Kobrossly, through his company SK Plastering, has for decades provided Houston-area customers with high quality textured coating application services characterized by a high level of craftsmanship, innovative and creative solutions, a meticulous attention to detail, and a personal commitment to delivering outstanding results for every customer every time.
Another respected Houston institution, Service King Collision Repair Centers, shares not only initials with SK Plastering but also a penchant for highly professional, superior quality, customer-pleasing work. From a single repair shop, they have grown to a 345-unit chain with locations throughout Houston and the entire state of Texas and 23 other states as well—and are still expanding vigorously throughout the country.
So it was not a surprise when developers and architects representing the Service King franchise began looking for a way to reduce costs in the building of their newest location in nearby Spring, Texas, they were pointed in Kobrossly’s direction, whose company could likely deliver the challenging combination of application skill and innovative products that could make the concept a success. A specific area of interest was the glistening metallic façade, which has typically been achieved with costly Aluminum Composite Panels (ACM). Could SK Plastering, match the aluminum façade that has been so familiar through hundreds of other Service King buildings for over four decades with a non-metallic concept, and do full justice to the hard-earned look and feel created by the franchise?
Kobrossly did a thorough assessment, and after consulting with his contacts at Master Builders Solutions, told the Service King team that he “was 100% confident” that he could deliver outstanding metallic quality in a non-metallic solution for the new Spring location.
The look of metal—for less money
The product that gave him the confidence, he explained, was Senergy Metallic Effects by Master Builders Solutions, a multi-step wall coating application that had been getting high marks nationwide for effectively duplicating the look of metal at a fraction of the cost.
“I took a look at the product and application technique and knew right away that my company could get excellent aesthetic results for the client,” said Kobrossly. “We also estimated that their costs would be about 35-40% less than the aluminum composite panels they had been using—so they were very excited by the possibilities.”
They were even further excited when Kobrossly pointed out an additional cost saving “bonus” that would be delivered.
“In the Houston area, 95-degree temperatures are very common and that sun beating down on the aluminum panels makes the building and everything else around it very hot,” he explained. “The Metallic Effect uses Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) backing that is an outstanding insulator—better than brick for its size, I believe. I fully expect that this will enable Service King to not only save money upfront but also save money on electricity and cooling costs every single day.”
Delivering on costs, and on colors too
While these savings were extremely attractive, the proper representation of the façade elements and colors, including brick*, metal, yellow* and red was of utmost importance to Service King and any deviation would be unacceptable. Most specifically, there were distinct silver and red shades, up to that point done in aluminum panel, that were intrinsic to portions of the building brand presentation. As it turned out, according to Kobrossly, the Metallic Effects silver color was fortunately a dead ringer for the Service King silver. Matching the red, however, proved to be, at first, a bit more challenging.
“They sent over some samples, but the client and I agreed—they just weren’t right. These colors really had to be perfect,” he explained. “It took a couple of back and forths, but in short order Master Builders Solutions was able to custom develop a pretty much perfect match. There is some non-metallic red on the building, and side by side, no one can tell the difference!”
Thanks to the skill of SK Plastering and the effectiveness of Senergy Metallic Effects, everyone on the Service King side is delighted with the results—with stakeholders commenting that the metallic finish on the building looks as sleek and shiny as “a well-painted car.” The results were so impressive, in fact, that a new corporate mandate was released—Senergy Metallic Effects would henceforth be used instead of metal on all future Service King Repair Center locations wherever possible. In fact, as of this writing, SK Plastering is well underway working on a second location in the Houston area, and has at least two more on the drawing board. Further, the architects and developers involved noted that the concept will be highly beneficial for other structures for their clients of all kinds, including convenience stores and similar retail locations.
“I think that not a lot of people know about Senergy Metallic Effects yet, but it’s a really good finish application, it looks great and it saves a lot of money,” said Kobrossly. “I think that as word gets out, more and more people will be looking to get the great look of aluminum in a non-metallic product—and enjoying all of the benefits that come with it.”
*Provided by another manufacturer
Project Summary
Developer
Distributor
While Service King typically used Aluminum Composite Material (ACM) panels as part of their façade, the developer of the Spring, Texas location recently achieved the same look of metal with Senergy's Metallic Effect resulting in significant savings. The Service King team was so pleased with the savings and the metallic look, that Senergy's Metallic Effect has now become the new specified finish standard for Service King's new builds. This location will also benefit from Senergy's Channeled Adhesive CI Design, which includes continuous exterior insulation for optimal energy savings.