How did this apartment complex end up choosing Wahoo Rail from Wahoo Decks?
Wahoo Rail to the rescue… Ensuring the safety of residents has always been a top concern for Village Green Apartments, an award-winning residential community in St. Louis, Missouri.
When the wood balconies and railings on its 252 units began to show signs of aging and rotting, they wasted no time. They quickly turned to a local building expert for his recommendation on a safe and cost effective replacement option. This led them to Wahoo Rail.
Challenge Met by Wahoo Rail:
The management at Village Green asked Randy Phillips, a veteran in the construction industry and CEO of Phillips Service Company, to evaluate several types of products that could potentially be used to replace the wood balconies and railings. They relied on his expert opinion in understanding the differences between wood, composite and aluminum products, hoping to find the right solution that would minimize long-term cost, require little maintenance and continue to look great over time.
The Wahoo Rail Solution:
Phillips, who was selected by Village Green for his attention to detail and willingness to consider innovative products, invested weeks of hard work in meetings and product briefings. He wanted to uncover an option that would meet the cost and safety requirements of Village Green and also enhance the appearance of the community today and in the years to come.
As a volunteer firefighter, Phillips was well aware of the building codes and safety implications that could occur from choosing the wrong product. When they approached Phillips, the team at Village Green was leaning toward installing composite decking. It had an appealing appearance and didn’t require much maintenance, but it was missing one element that Phillips knew very well.
According to the fire department, composite failed to meet the fire codes around combustion. Although a composite material will not ignite, it can smolder and create a significant amount of smoke. In the 6,000 deaths that occur in residential fires each year, most victims of fires die from smoke or toxic gases and not from burns. Considering resident safety along with strength, low maintenance requirements and long-term sustainability, Phillips ultimately recommended a combination of AridDek and Wahoo Rail from Wahoo Decks.
AridDek was created on the notion that aesthetics don’t have to be sacrificed when it comes to durability and safety. Stronger than wood, AridDek won’t rot, warp or decay and unlike composite decking products, has a zero fire rating, is non-combustible and won’t smolder. Being able to combine this with Wahoo Rail, pre-fabricated aluminum rail sections that are quick and easy to install, would give Village Green Apartments an incredibly stable, solid and long lasting balcony and railing product.
As an added bonus, on rainy days, AridDek’s integrated gutter systems creates a dry, usable area under the deck while, on warmer days, its textured powder coating provides a safe, non-skid surface that naturally stays cooler to the touch than traditional decking planks.
Results:
Today, AridDek and Wahoo Rail have been installed in 252 units of the Village Green Apartment community.
“My goal was to recommend durable, safe building materials that would save the property owner money on future maintenance. AridDek was the natural front runner,” said Randy Phillips. “I was well aware of the benefits of AridDek but felt especially confident when the county building inspector was also impressed by its strength.”
AridDek and Wahoo Rail at a Glance:
- Manufactured using 45% recycled content from industrial and post-consumer aluminum scrap and assists builders in achieving points toward LEED credits
- Available in two color options, Ash Gray and Sandstone
- Needs no staining, sealing or painting like most decking materials
- Extruded from a pure aluminum alloy that won’t rust
- Non-combustible and durable. Will not split, splinter, decay, crack or rot
- Cool to the touch since aluminum’s high thermal conductivity rapidly dissipates heat, creating a cooler surface than most traditional types of decking
- Creates a 100% waterproof space beneath deck suitable for interior conditioned space or outdoor patio