Planners of a major remodeling project at Miami Children’s Hospital didn’t kid around when it came to choosing long-lasting exterior coatings in a kaleidoscope of lively colors from Tnemec Company. “The architect wanted to use Tnemec products with color retention properties, since they were using bright, vibrant greens, yellows, blues and reds to make the hospital more inviting to children,” acknowledged Tnemec coating consultant Michael Woodward. “They had some experience with previous applications using competitive products that faded prematurely, so they wanted to specify a product that was formulated specifically for long-term color retention.”
More than 6,500 gallons of Series 6 Tneme-Cryl, an acrylic emulsion with exceptional color retention, were applied to the concrete and fiberglass reinforced panels. The reinforced panels were selected for their ability to resist a Category 5 hurricane. Series 1070 Fluoronar, a high-solids fluoropolymer polyurethane, was applied on exterior metal surfaces. Fluoronar provides outstanding color and gloss retention even in the most severe exposures.
The hospital’s concrete helicopter landing pad was also recoated after an existing flexible membrane system was shredded by the helicopter’s landing skids. The old membrane material was replaced with a system consisting of: • Series 205 Terra-Tread FC, a polyamide epoxy primer, roller-applied.
- Series 275 Stranlok, a 100 percent solids fiberglass-reinforced novolac epoxy, applied using a notched trowel to leave a groove for slip resistance.
- Series 280 Tneme-Glaze, a polyamine epoxy, roller-applied.
- Series 290 CRU, an aliphatic polyester polyurethane with excellent abrasion resistance and UV resistance, roller-applied.
“The color of the landing pad was light gray and the striping for the helicopter emblems and landing pad was red,” Woodward added. “There are specific standards required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that have to be followed, so we precisely matched those colors.” Founded in 1950, the 289-bed Miami Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children.