Weather conditions can strap you with delays all the way to the end of a project. This doesn't have to be the case, however.

Weather will be what it will be, but, with the right plan, you can still complete the job on time. Such is the case with the Fostoria High School project.

High humidity outdoors didn't stop the Fostoria team from staying on schedule indoors.

We discussed how this project utilized hydronic heat for the enclosed portion of the school.

Dry and fume-free heat allowed their job to progress in spite of the weather. Like any project, however, the schedule isn't everything–there's also a budget that needs to be met. So what do you when 1) your heating contract expires 2) it still feels like winter and 3) whenever it does warm up you're hit with high humidity and rain? Oh, and one more thing: add an entirely new enclosed area to address.

The Fostoria team needed to find a way to stay on schedule without breaking the bank.

Well, if you are the team of ACI Inc, Touchstone-Shook, and Garmann-Miller Architects, you fortunately do not need to look very far.

Although work progressed smoothly during finish application, they still needed to protect the work while they waited for the weather to break. That same weather hit the second half of the building before they finished enclosing it. Soaked interior block, concrete, and high humidity levels are a recipe for long term delays—not an option for this team.

The high-humidity that comes with spring posed a threat to the schedule.

Fortunately, the same advantages of dry, even heat extended to the new area. Part of what makes the hydronic system so different is its ability to cause evaporation.

Many other systems add moisture with heat, but evaporating heat is more effective and less costly for large areas. This makes hydronic the least expensive form of temporary heat available. For every 10 degrees above ambient conditions it cuts humidity in half. What did this mean for their project? Areas exposed to winter and spring cold and humidity could safely dry out, putting the schedule back on track.

Ultimately the team didn't need to deliberate for very long.

First hand experience with the initial area proved the value of dry heat to everyone involved. Additionally, Phipps’ seasonal rental policy meant the team knew their out of pocket cost up front, no matter how much longer they needed it.

The answer to their problem was already on-site: hydronic climate control.

In the end, the decision was an easy one.

The system would control conditions on the first side until spring temperatures stabilized and they no longer needed it. Then they'd have the system dry the second half of the building to ensure work continued according to plan.

Experience really is the best teacher. We are proud to provide the best, experience-proven solution on the Fostoria project. Thank you to the entire team at Fostoria for their commitment to success on this project.