Submarine Force Museum – Groton, CT

PRODUCTS: SilSpan

Upon inspection of the building, it was evident the previous sealant failed allowing moisture to penetrate the building envelope and cause damage to the joints within the metal cladding. The owner chose to leave the existing sealant in place and apply Pecora SilSpan over the joint.

The Submarine Force Museum located on the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut, maintains the world’s finest collection of submarine artifacts and is home to the USS Nautilus. It is
the only submarine museum operated by the United States Navy and is the primary repository for artifacts, documents and photographs relating to U.S. submarine force history.

Allied Restoration, Inc. was contracted by the U.S. Navy to upgrade and repair the building envelope. Allied requested Daniel’s Caulking to evaluate the need for sealant replacement in the metal
cladding as one component of the upgrade. Daniel’s Caulking chose Pecora Corporation to assist in inspecting the existing sealant installation and to make recommendations for its successful replacement. Upon inspection of the building, it was evident the previous sealant failed allowing moisture to penetrate the building envelope and cause damage to the joints within the metal cladding.

PROBLEM

To ensure proper adhesion of the new sealant while reducing or eliminating the costly process of rehabilitating the substrate prior to application.

SOLUTION

The owner chose to leave the existing sealant in place and apply Pecora SilSpan over the joint. SilSpan is an ultra-low modulus silicone extrusion designed to span the existing failed joint and provide a weather tight primary seal. It seals joints from moisture in EIFS and accommodates expected movement within the joints, while eliminating costly substrate repairs required in the event a failed sealant is removed.

Given the large number of joints and their aesthetic impact on the design of the building, Pecora created custom colored and custom textured samples to aid the product selection and approval process. Due to the prominence of the joints in the building’s design and the extended lengths of the joints, Daniels recognized that normal production rates would not suffice for this particular application of SilSpan. The process of applying SilSpan first required that all substrates were cleaned and primed. Carefully placed chalk lines and masking tape enabled the applicators to precisely
position the beads of adhesive silicone on the face of the panels ensuring razor-sharp sight lines once the SilSpan was applied.

RESULTS/COMMENTS

The application of SilSpan to the Submarine Force Museum was successfully completed. "We are really pleased that we were able to stop the leaks that had plagued the building over the last ten years while retaining the building's aesthetic appeal." - Daniels Caulking