Schaumburg, Ill., located 25 miles northwest of the Chicago Loop, is recognized as the headquarters of Motorola and home to the Woodfield Mall, one of the largest malls in the U.S. with nearly 300 shops and restaurants.
When the paint on the mall’s elevated water storage tank started to deteriorate, the local business association decided it was time for a facelift. “The tank was in bad shape,” said Steve Weinstock, director of engineering and public works for the village of Schaumburg. “The former paint job was peeling, and it was time for repainting.”
The elaborate logo design used on the water tank, which features the name of the mall sandwiched between a representation of blue sky and the silhouette of a cityscape, came from the local business association who paid the cost of the project under an agreement with the village of Schaumburg, which actually owns the tower. “It’s kind of a private-public partnership,” Weinstock explained.
Work on the tank started in October 2005 with surface preparation and the application of the primer and intermediate coating. Winter weather conditions delayed application of the finish coat and logo until May 2006, just in time for Schaumburg’s 50th anniversary celebration.
The 750,000-gallon spheroid water tower had accumulated several coats of lead-based paint, which would have to be removed and fully contained by the contractor. “Seventy-five tons of paint and abrasive were removed using shovels and wheelbarrows,” according to Steve Brend of Jetco, Ltd., a 40-year-old firm specializing in elevated water tank refinishing.
Interior work on the tank was minimal, according to Brend. For the exterior, Series 91-H2O, a twocomponent, moisture-cured aromatic urethane zinc-rich primer; Series 73 Endura-Shield, an aliphatic acrylic polyurethane intermediate coat; and Series 700 HydroFlon, a two-component fluoropolymer polyurethane finish were applied. The finish coat was chosen for its versatile application properties, long-term gloss and color retention, and 15-plus year life expectancy.
The unique logo design was laid out by hand without the use of a stencil and painted onto the tower. The ability of Series 700 to be applied by brush or roller was critical due to the tank’s proximity to the mall and about 10,000 cars, as well as the painting of the detailed logo.
“I love the way it turned out. Everything looks perfect. I couldn’t be more pleased with the results that we achieved with it, and I think everyone else was happy with it,” Brend said.
Tnemec coating consultant Erik Otten added, “The unique design brings a real touch of class to the Woodfield Mall that merchants there can be proud of during the village’s 50th anniversary. And the long-lasting coating system will keep it looking that way for many years to come.”