Shelter Utilizes Generous Grant From Donor Customer: Michigan Humane Society-Westland Berman Center for Animal Care The Michigan Humane Society, one of the oldest and largest sheltering societies in the United States, operates shelter and veterinary medical center locations in some of Michigan's most populated cities: Rochester Hills, Westland, and the original facility in Detroit. The Society provides services for three veterinary medical centers, conducts humane education programs, supervises pet education and manages a behavioral help line. The Society has three adoption and veterinary medical centers in the Detroit area and cares for more than 100,000 animals each year. A grant received from a local donor allowed The Berman Center for Animal Care in Westland to begin a renovation and expansion project in 2003. The plans were to triple the sheltering and adoption capacity, add a training/education room, incorporate a grief center and add veterinary exam rooms. The original Westland shelter, built in 1971, was well equipped and adequate, but shelter designs were becoming more innovative, animal care needs were more distinctive, and animal adoptions were becoming typical. David Williams, Chief of Operations for the Michigan Humane Society confessed to being ''extremely particular" about who was going to install the flooring system in their new animal care facility. He was looking for state-of-the-art materials and he was willing to go above the standards that OSHA required. Williams spent three years researching flooring options and interviewing potential installers. According to Williams, " I have one time to do this right. There is just one grant, and I have one chance to spend it." Rick Olejnik, of Dur-A-Flex Mid-West, Inc. and Jeff Carnacchi of Concrete Floor Treatments located in Westland, Michigan outbid Dur-A-Flex competitors Stonhard and Silical to get the job. Jeff chose to use Dur-A-Flex's Cryl-A-Chip MMA system because of its fast curing and high strength capabilities. David Williams, Chief of Operations agreed with his choice because after three years of research, he was convinced and went so far as to state that: "MMA is arguably the best product to install in an animal care facility. The system bonds well to concrete and the coefficient of friction is easily adjusted. " Carnacchi installed a 150 square foot test patch of Cryl-A-Chip in the laundry room of the facility. The test patch stayed down for a few months, and Stephen Jensen of Blue Sky Collaborative, the architectural firm hired for the renovation, came in every week to inspect the test patch. Jensen, an architect who specializes in Humane Society/Animal Care facility design was extremely diligent in his inspection of the test patch. He expressed concerns about curling vinyl chips that he thought would become too rough for the animal's paws, and he wanted to make sure the system resisted thermal shock and was slip resistant. The system was being installed in the animal holding rooms and dog/cat run areas, so Carnacchi and Jensen reached an agreement to install the Cryl-A-Chip SL system. This system provides a decorative terrazzo-like appearance, with the added benefits of a seamless floor. According to Carnacchi, surface prep was a bit tedious in the dog and cat run areas because the rooms were small and confined. To prep the floors, they used a combination of eight inch electric shot blast machines and hand-held shot blasters for the vertical curb areas. Fans were strategically spaced to create positive airflow and aid in the curing process. The trench and floor drains present in every room were keyed because they caused the floor to pitch in many different directions. To appease the architects' concerns about the curling vinyl chips that he felt would possibly scrape and harm the animals' paws, Carnacchi would sand the floor after each chip broadcast and then sand again in between each topcoat. The project was done in two phases over a six-week period. The Michigan Humane Society personnel operated out of the old building while the expansion/renovation was taking place in the new facility. Michigan Humane Society personnel are pleased with the floor's performance because the Cryl-A-Chip SL flooring system continues to meet their requirements, and there have been no problems. After visiting the Westland facility to view the facility improvements, the Vice Chairman of General Motors who is a long time patron and supporter of the Michigan Humane Society was so impressed with the Cryl-A-Chip SL system that he scheduled meetings with Concrete Floor Treatment to discuss installing the product in his home. Details are being worked out for several upcoming renovations/expansions for the other Michigan Humane Society facilities, and according to Chief of Operations, David Williams, the MMA systems from the Dur-A-Flex line of flooring systems are the ones he plans to use. Dur-A-Flex Inc. |