Truly Old School

SPRAY FOAM MAGAZINE – Founded in 1783, the Academy of Richmond County in Augusta, GA, is one of the oldest schools in the country. In fact, President George Washington delivered the school’s commencement address while touring the South in 1791.

So, when it came time to bring the school’s aging building into the 21st century, it was fitting that the job went to Energy One America, which has a reputation for handling projects of historical significance.

Energy One America has worked on several high-profile projects in Washington, D.C., including the National Museum of Women in the Arts (ICYMI you can read about that project in our Winter 2022 Issue), and the Smithsonian Institution’s Hirshhorn Museum, an art museum next to the National Mall.

Established in 2011, Energy One mobilizes crews across the country to install SPF and both sheet- and fluid-applied air barriers from its Chesapeake, VA, and Charleston, S.C., locations, giving the company a “national footprint.”

John Kish, Vice President of National Sales, shared, “Certain projects stand out, especially those with deep ties to national or local history. We pride ourselves on being selected for these kinds of projects. A lot of older buildings don’t come with an exact roadmap. When you build new, you know what you have to do from start to finish. When you renovate or restore, you open things up and are often surprised by what has been done over the past hundred years.”

When the main building at the Academy of Richmond County was unveiled in 1926, its principal said the Gothic-style structure was “second to none in the South in terms of facility.” Over the years, the building began to look its age, so school officials devised a plan. They would build a new three-story building next to the existing one, giving students a place to learn while the old building was renovated.

The new building, which opened in 2021, was designed by Nick Dickinson, a local architect who had graduated from the school and was sending his own children there. He also would plan renovations for the old building with Augusta-based RW Allen Construction hired as the general contractor. Energy One America would spend about six months on the project, finishing in July.

Access was a challenge for Energy One’s installers. The existing three-story building had some finished basements, but large sections were built above crawlspaces with wood timber. In some areas, workers could enter crawlspaces through access doors in foundational walls, but in other areas, they had to remove small sections of plywood to gain access. Trades installing the plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and flooring would leave a small area unfinished so that Energy One’s team could enter the crawlspaces and spray the underside of the joists. The crawlspaces had dirt floors, so there was no moisture barrier or insulation between the joists and the ground several feet below.

“Spray polyurethane foam gives you the ability to monolithically air seal all wood-to-masonry transitions and penetrations that go through the floor, which other insulation systems do not,” Kish said.

Energy One utilized PMC PH-2 proportioners to spray eight inches of Enverge EasySeal .5 open-cell SPF between the joists. With two rigs operating at a time, workers also sprayed five inches of Enverge EasySeal between the first and second floors and five more inches between the second and third floors.  

The roof was in good shape since leaks had been repaired several years earlier, but most of the building would be gutted. The exterior walls are made of concrete and brick masonry, with plaster interior walls and no insulation in between. After gutting the building, workers erected metal stud framing to provide a wall cavity to run mechanicals and allow for spray foam to be installed in the exterior walls.

Energy One’s team then sprayed two and a half inches of open-cell foam on those walls, with drywall installed over that. Using a Titan PowrTwin 8900 Plus gas hydraulic airless sprayer, the team subsequently added a No-Burn Plus ThB fire-protective coating on any SPF that was left exposed or not covered with sheetrock.

“Spray foam insulation air seals, so it controls moisture, temperature, and sound transmission, which compartmentalizes each classroom and each floor. They’ll be able to control the heating and air-conditioning for the individual rooms. Without insulation, it would be nearly impossible to maintain constant temperatures and energy efficiency inside the building envelope. It’s a very humid area, so thermal performance is important,” stated Kish.

According to Benton Starks, Senior Director of Facility Services for Richmond County Schools, after Energy One completed its work, progress continued over the summer towards their goal of modernizing the school while preserving its traditional look. The two-year project is scheduled for completion next spring.

When interviewed by local reporters, Starks informed them that “Much of the brick used to build the school’s distinctive exterior staircases was salvaged for reuse. In addition, the trim will look just like it did back in the day, except that it will be modernized, and the hallways and classrooms will be a bit bigger. When you walk in, you’ll still have the feel of Richmond, but better.”

Local residents have a reason to be protective of the school’s proud history. Founded as a private school for boys, the Academy of Richmond County has two buildings on the National Register of Historic Places – the current building renovated by Energy One and its predecessor, was built in 1857. It became a military school after the Civil War and subsequently transitioned into a public high school, enrolling girls beginning in the 1950s and desegregating in 1964.

Energy One America has performed more than 100,000 installations of SPF. When asked about this project and restoring one of the nation’s oldest schools, Kish explains, “It’s got a great history that means a lot to the whole community. When you restore a historic monument like this, the design team, architectural team, and construction manager all have critical roles in the success of the project, and this team was fantastic to work with. It was especially rewarding for the company.”  

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