Glaziers are known for being plumb, level and square. To spread that message, District Council 16 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) hosted a group of architects on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, during the opening day of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Conference on Architecture 2023 in San Francisco.
The tour at the Finishing Trades Institute in San Leandro, Calif., featured hands-on opportunities that provided architects with a better understanding of the intricacies of glazing. The purpose, says Jeff Dalaba, is to impress upon the architects the importance of certifications when submitting project specifications. Dalaba is the program development director for the North American Contractor Certification and Architectural Glass and Metal Technician Certification Program.
Adorned with metal clogs to protect the feet, hard hats, safety glasses and gloves, the architects rotated throughout the training institute. The facility is one of 105 IUPAT training sites throughout the country, says Matt Fox, a specialist at the International Finishing Trades Institute.
Four stations were scattered throughout the building: curtainwall, storefront, sealant and glass cutting. Each station was helmed by an instructor, along with several apprentices who taught the architects how to set glass in frames properly, cut glass with a glass cutter, clean, tape and apply caulk to joints and how to install glass doors.
Throughout the four-hour tour, District Council 16 Director of Training Alex Beltran, Fox and Dalaba, drilled into the importance of requesting certified glaziers in project specifications. That’s because qualified glaziers understand how to install the product correctly the first time, says Tina Donnelly, a project executive envelope specialist at Turner Engineering Group, Turner Construction.
“I have found that when tradespeople go through certification programs, it gives them a great deal of knowledge and empowers them to be a part of the installation,” she adds. “… From my experience of more than 30 years in the industry, when technicians and subcontractors go through a discipline certification process, it greatly impacts their bottom line. The quality of the work jumps in the field. The craftsmanship and workmanship decidedly improve.”
The AIA Conference runs until June 10, 2023, with the Expo taking place June 8-9. Stay tuned to USGNN™ for more news and updates from the show.
