Curtainwall Doing Business With Panel Installation Crews No. C-5.1

Doing Business With Panel Installation Crews
(effective date: July 1, 1988)

Winter Panel Corp. maintains a unique working relationship with a number of panel installation crews. While these crews are not Winter Panel employees or even subcontractors, we train, manage and schedule them as a service to our customers. Winter Panel Corporation receives no commission on work done by these crews. We consider the time we put into training, supervision and scheduling strictly a service to you.
When a customer requires an installation crew. scheduling takes place four to six weeks in advance with a Winter Panel salesman, after an order has been placed. The crews are assigned on a rotating basis, so it is difficult to tell in advance which crew will be assigned to the job.
The installation crew will work as a subcontractor to you under the arrangement outlined in this letter. Please review this information carefully to avoid any misunderstandings or confusion as to responsibilities with panel installation. Because the crew will usually not have seen your site until they arrive to install panels, certain requirements and arrangements must be spelled out here.

Necessary Materials and Site-Work

The frame must be completed and ready for panel installation. Framing members should be plumb, level and straight; the deck should be level and square: and the frame should be fully ready for panel installation. The panel installation crew is not expected to have to spend time correcting problems with framing, and will have to charge extra for any such work that is required.
The foundation should be back-filled and the site generally picked up, providing safe working conditions for panel installation. It will be a big help if debris is removed or piled away from the building, so that access is not restricted.
There must be power at the site. The crew will need 110 volt service at the site, with at least 20 amps of capacity. If line power is not available, you must provide a gasoline-powered generator (2,500 watt or larger with AC output). The crew will provide all of its own tools.
A crane and crane operator are required for setting roof and upper wall panels. The crew will make the final arrangements with the crane operator in terms of scheduling and specific equipment needs (straps, etc.), but you are responsible for locating a crane company, negotiating price, paying the equipment and operator fees, etc. The crane operator will be working as a subcontractor to you, not the panel installation crew.
Installing panels does not require a large crane. Usually a tree service or sign installation extension crane is fine (300 pound capacity, fully extended), as long as the reach is adequate to get panels to the roof peak. Try to line up several crane possibilities that you can discuss with the Crew Foreman.
Have an ample supply of 2x4s at the site. Top-grade, KD#1 8' or longer 2x4s are required (2x6s are required in addition to 2x4s if thick rather than standard panels are being installed). They are used for reinforcing wall corners, reinforcing the roof perimeter and blocking around window and door rough openings. as well as for miscellaneous uses such as temporary roof stops. Estimating exactly how many linear feet of lumber will be required is difficult. It may make sense for you to purchase a full lift of 8' 2x4s (about 300). That will provide enough for panel installation, and it should provide enough for a lot of your interior studding. Plywood panel splines are different – these are purchased from Winter Panel and should be included on your panel order. If thicker panels are being used on the roof or walls, be sure to have an ample supply of 2x6s on site, along with some 2x4s. The crew will rip the 2x6s to the proper width for fitting into routed panel edges.
Winter Panel can supply the following:
- Panels (weather-protected in a breathable lumber wrap). All panels are delivered full-size and un-routed, unless specified otherwise. Winter Panel can pre-rout the long edges of panels for dual 5/8 x 3" splines at no extra cost. This must be specified on your order. Split orders (routed and un-routed panels) are fine.
- Panel nails for securing panels into the frame (be sure your order includes these)
- Foam sealant (high-expanding and low-expanding foam available (be sure your order includes these)
- Plywood splines (be sure your order includes these)
The installation crew will provide:
- All nails and screws required for joining panels, blocking out rough openings, etc. are provided by the installation crew and included in labor price. (Longer fasteners, for securing panels to the frame, must be ordered from Winter Panel.)
- All tools required for panel installation
Responsibilities During Panel Installation
The crew handles all panel installation. They will install panels according to the plans you have provided, including:
- Foaming between panels, installing plywood splines, securing panels to spines from both sides, and securing panels to frame.
- Cutting rough openings for doors and windows, routing out perimeters and installing two-by reinforcing lumber as per working drawings.
- Installing two-by spines at panel corners and along the roof perimeter.
- Foaming any significant gaps between panels after installation, particularly at intentional gaps such as that between wall and roof panels.
The crew will utilize panels in an optimal fashion based on their experience and the working drawings of the building. This may result in more exposed panel joints (joints not hidden by framing members) than you would like. If this is a concern, discuss it with your Winter Panel sales rep when you are ordering panels. He may size the panels differently (please note that waste could be increased in this situation).
You are responsible for installing windows and doors. The panel installation crew will cut rough openings to the sizes specified on the plans, but you or your subcontractors handle installation. Be sure to double-check rough opening sizes and locations before the installation crew begins work (refer to the rough opening specifications in your manufacturer's literature). After panel installation is complete, you should install windows and doors according to manufacturer's recommendations, being sure to seal them to the rough openings with low-expanding foam sealant (available from Winter Panel).
You are responsible for keeping panels protected once they are installed on the frame. The panel installation crew will make sure that panels remain protected until they are installed, but then it is your responsibility to protect them from rain and other damage. During inclement weather, this may require covering the partially enclosed frame with tarps or plastic in the evening after the crew has finished their work. Some moisture exposure will not damage panels, but prolonged exposure should be avoided. You should seal the roof panel joints as soon as possible after the crew has finished their work (see below) and have the finish roofing and siding installed as quickly as possible thereafter. Minor drywall damage is expected with Curtainwall panels during installation. Damage should be repaired during the taping and finishing process.
You are responsible for electrical wiring. If any wiring is to be done during panel installation (as is required with certain wiring techniques), it is your responsibility to run the wiring — either with your own workers or an electrician. The panel installation crew does not handle any electrical wiring. A detailed sheet on wiring options is available from Winter Panel Corp.
You are responsible for taking any necessary precautions to reduce the likelihood of insect penetration into the house or panels. Winter Panel Corp. recommends setting wall panels on a layer of tar spread along the sill to discourage insects from entering. This should be done just before wall panels are installed. Winter Panel also recommends having the sill and ground immediately around the house treated with a suitable insecticide by a licensed exterminator. The panel installation crew cannot take responsibility for these measures. Winter Panel Corp. can provide you with detailed information on protection from carpenter ants.
You are responsible for cutting away any foam sealant that has expanded out of panel joints. The crew will fill any gaps between panels with foam sealant before leaving the job site, but you or your roofing/siding contractors will need to inspect the outer surface of the building after the foam has cured (2 or 3 hours) and remove any excess with a knife or paint scraper (removal is very easy).
You are responsible for tarring roof joints after panels are installed. This procedure is recommended by Winter Panel to protect the roof until roofing is installed and to help prevent moisture migration through roof panel joints. You or your roofing contractor should apply a heavy coat of asphalt-based roofing cement about 4" wide along each joint with brush or wide putty knife.
You are responsible for removing panel waste. The installation crew will leave all panel scraps and waste in piles designated by you, but they are not responsible for hauling it away.
Pricing
Base Price for panel installation: The base price for installation of Curtainwall and Structurewall™ stresskin panels within a 150-mile radius of the company is $1.15 – $1.25 per square foot of panels delivered. This price includes fasteners and use of tools as previously described, as well as, in most cases, all meals, lodging, travel and miscellaneous expenses. Unusual expenses such as ferry fees and exorbitant lodging fees (in a resort area during peak season, for example) will be billed extra.
Surcharge for higher-difficulty work: The installation crew may charge extra for installations in the following situations:
- Very difficult installation jobs (complex roof valleys, gabled dormers, inside corners, rounded window openings, etc)
- When the working conditions are difficult (site not back-filled, limited access because of cliffs or ravines, etc.)
- When modifications or corrections to the frame are required
- When poor-quality materials, such as the 2x4s supplied, require extra work
- When design changes result in extra work
Such surcharges will be negotiated by you and the Installation Foreman at the site. Whenever possible, the extra charges will be clarified before work begins, although that is not possible in all cases.
Base price for installations more than 150 miles from Brattleboro, VT: For jobs more than 150 miles from Brattleboro, the base price for installation is the same ($1.15 – 1.25 per square foot), but this does not include travel, meals and lodging. These costs should be discussed by you and the Foreman a few days prior to panel installation.
Base price for installing Woodclad panels: The installation price will vary, depending on difficulty, from $1.50 to $1.75 per square foot of panels delivered. Items included in this price and extra charges are as described above.
Payment terms: As mentioned previously, the installation crews are not Winter Panel employees or subcontractors. Payment should be made directly to the Foreman, payable to the particular crew as specified below:
- Half of the expected labor cost is due upon arrival of the crew.
- The remainder of labor costs, including any extra charges as described above, is due upon completion of panel installation.
Scheduling: Scheduling of panel installation crews is handled by Winter Panel Corp. as a service to its customers. An attempt is made to have a crew on site within one week after panels are delivered. Delays due to weather or unavoidable circumstances may sometimes delay the installation crew's arrival. The Foreman will be in touch with you a few days before the expected panel installation to discuss details on crane rental and other arrangements.

Consider a Training Seminar as a lower-cost alternative for panel installation: Particularly with very distant installations, it may make more sense for you to schedule a one-day instructional seminar for your own crew with an installation expert provided by Winter Panel Corp. One day of training (the first day of panel installation for your prospect) should provide ample time to train your own crew in the recommended procedures of panel installation and the proper use of specialized power tools required. Keep in mind that panel installation requires a crew skilled in carpentry; it is not recommended for novice owner-builders.

The cost of a training consultant is $350 per day, including travel and expenses, within a 150-mile radius of Brattleboro. With greater distances, the cost is $350 per day plus travel expenses. Tool rental is your responsibility with this arrangement (tools are available for rent or purchase from Winter Panel Corp.). The training consultant will provide services for one day maximum.

Summary
Winter Panel supplies the following (if ordered):	Installation Crew supplies:	Homeowner/General Contractor supplies:
Panels (shipped to site in protective wrap) Nails for panel attachment to frame Foam sealant Plywood splines	Tools required for panel installation Small nails and screws for securing splines, blocking in windows, etc.	Safe, clean working conditions (foundation backfilled, etc.) Electrical power Square and level deck Square and level frame Several crane rental sources Two-by lumber (2x4s and 2x6s as required)
Winter Panel is responsible for:	Installation Crew is responsible for:	Homeowner/General Contractor is responsible for:
Delivery of panels and other materials ordered Scheduling of panel installation crew	Panel installation as per working drawings Sealing significant gaps between panels	Prompt payment to installation crew as per schedule Protection of panels once installed Installation of doors and windows Sealing roof panel joints Installing roofing and siding Finishing interior walls

For More Information
If you have any questions about doing business with panel installation crews, or if you would like information on Winter Panel products and services, do not hesitate to visit our form or call a salesman.

WINTER PANEL CORP.
74 Glen Orne Drive, Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 254-3435 • Fax: (802) 254-4999

Copyright © 1999-2006. All rights reserved.
TOP