With the North American, even, global, emphasis on curbside recycling, mining landfills, back-to-nature foods, and making furniture from mild cartons, it is only natural that the concept be extended to old buildings. Sometimes rebuilding would be more accurately termed "reclaiming"; particularly when one talks about the abandoned commercial and industrial structures (living in the post-industrial 1990s has its price) that dot the countryside and surround the centers of urban living. The inventory of old buildings in North America provides a plethora of opportunities for the innovative "redeveloper."

Not too many years ago, most city planners or downtown development organizations would have been chomping at the bit to bring in the wrecking ball to make room for shiny new buildings of steel and glass. Not so in today's culture of repair, reuse, and nostalgia. Buildings that were considered "eyesores" or "public nuisances just a few years ago are now being seen as a raw material, a resource to be salvaged and converted into functional, even profitable, new uses. The new paradigm makes these old buildings ripe for restoration and reuse in a world rapidly tiring of the throwaway legacy that it leaving behind.

Reclaiming these relics of the not-so-distant past takes the form of converting a dilapidated warehouse district into a collection of fine ethnic restaurants, or transforming an abandoned factory into a cluster of specialty shops, or bringing the grandeur of a classic old hotel to a rundown flophouse or office building. The possibilities are only limited by the imagination.

Restoration of older buildings, however rewarding it may be, presents a number of challenges to the would-be restorer; challenges that include such things as unknown substrates, plasters and trims of archaic materials, concealed damage from years of disuse and exposure, uncertain fire resistance ratings, and uneven and seemingly petrified framing. All of these little surprises add up to unanswered (and sometimes unanswerable) questions and increased costs.

Modern technology has made it possible to reclaim some of the finest buildings ever built without destroying their original charm and ambiance. And it can be done at a fraction of the cost of bringing in artisans skilled in the waning trades that first built this country. Enter today's professional wall and ceiling contractor.

Whether one is converting a group of old grain silos into a high-rise office building, or fully restoring a grand old hotel, metal framing and furring, gypsum board, gypsum veneer plaster systems, a supply of shims, and a little patience, understanding and creativity will go a long way toward bringing life and design flexibility into virtually any renovation project _ and at a reasonable cost, too. Gypsum board and gypsum veneer plaster systems are a natural choice for restoration or retrofit work involving old plastered surfaces.

Following a bare minimum of surface preparation, gypsum board can be applied directly over existing plaster walls or ceilings. Usually all that is required is the removal of loose plaster and wallpaper. Only when wall or ceiling surfaces are unsound or extremely uneven is it necessary to do any large scale plaster removal. When voids created by removing old plaster are shimmed out to the same level as the surrounding plaster, a solid backing is provided for the new gypsum board. Also, light gage metal framing and gypsum board partitions can be used to create new spaces, or to replace those partitions too unsound to salvage.

Gypsum veneer base can be easily applied over masonry walls using direct adhesive attachment or furring strips. On interior masonry walls that are plumb, level and free of dirt and oil, the base can be adhesively attached directly to the masonry wall. On uneven masonry walls, furring strips can be applied either vertically or horizontally with the gypsum veneer base being applied at right angles to the furring strips.

Every experienced drywall contractor is familiar with the versatility and design flexibility offered by gypsum board systems and gypsum veneer plaster systems. Gypsum veneer plaster is perfectly suited to restoration work that must either blend in with or replicate the look of the full thickness plaster found in many of the buildings being restored today. Gypsum veneer plaster systems are thin-coat, high strength systems that can be quickly applied and simulate in many respects the versatility, beauty and durability of the long established art of plastering. These qualities readily meet modern building schedules and enhance the range of finishes available to the designer, owner, and contractor. Gypsum veneer plaster has many positive features:

Speed:

Under ideal drying conditions, single coat systems can be applied on one day and decorated in a couple of days.

Durability:

High strength finishes provide a hard, dense surface providing scuff, dent, crack and abrasion resistance.

Variety:

Finishes ranging from mirror smooth to floated, swirled, or light textured can be achieved.

Versatility:

One-component systems provide quick and easy finishing; two-component systems provide improved aesthetics, especially where low angled lighting or high gloss paint are involved.

Economy:

These low-cost, high quality systems fit neatly into almost any serious renovator's budget.

A great advantage of veneer systems is the time saved in their application. With sufficient manpower, a job can be started and completed the same day; the setting time of veneer plaster materials is generally between 45 minutes and 1 hour.

Not all gypsum veneer plaster systems are the same. Gypsum veneer base, the gypsum board designed for use in gypsum veneer plaster systems, varies among manufacturers. Each company's gypsum veneer base is designed to be compatible with that company's gypsum veneer finish. The manufacturer knows its own materials better than anyone else; adherence to the manufacturer's instructions for application and for the proper matching of the gypsum veneer vase and veneer plaster products is an important factor in achieving a top-quality finished job.

Building renovation can be an exciting and rewarding field of practice for the wall and ceiling contractor who is willing to accept the challenge.

For more information on using gypsum board or veneer plaster systems refer to Recommendations for Covering Existing Interior Walls and Ceilings With Gypsum Board (GA-650) available from the Gypsum Association. For more information on gypsum veneer plaster systems, contact your gypsum supplier. Where fire resistance and sound control are a consideration, refer to the Gypsum Association's Fire Resistance Design Manual.

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