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Astra-Glaze-SW+® | Verastone® | Trendstone® | Grey Block

SPECIFICATIONS – Printable : PDF Version – Word Version

Part 1 - General

SUBMITTAL
Submit color samples for selection from manufacturer’s series. Submit product literature, certifications, test reports and full-size sample(s) of each color specified or selected. Custom colors are available. Contact Trenwyth for details.

QUALITY ASSURANCE
Certifications: All glazed sound-absorbing masonry units shall be Astra-Glaze-SW+®/Acousta-Wal® units manufactured by Trenwyth Industries. Glazed concrete blocks manufactured in Pennsylvania shall be lightweight units conforming to ASTM C90. Glazed concrete blocks manufactured in Arizona shall be medium-weight units conforming to ASTM C90 and all applicable Federal Specifications.

Mold and moisture resistant, Astra-Glaze-SW+/Acousta-Wal units are USDA approved for sanitary and clean room environments. The glazed facing is graffiti resistant and easy to clean (never paint or refinish). No VOC’s. Available in custom colors and unique shapes and sizes, Astra-Glaze-SW+/Acousta-Wal units are ideal for interior and exterior applications. The structural integrity of the backing (conforming to ASTM C90) results in a one-step, single trade installation process.

Upon request, Trenwyth will manufacture Astra-Glaze-SW+/Acousta-Wal with post-consumer recycled material. Contact Trenwyth Industries for recycled content details.

Production shall be monitored so that the top of the units are completely closed and edges of slots and ends of blocks are straight and clean. Type IV units shall have fillers, as supplied by Trenwyth Industries, inserted in the cavities at the block plant. Type IV fillers shall be fiberglass fillers laminated to metal septa. All filler material shall be cut accurately to size and installed as recommended for the type of Astra-Glaze-SW+/Acousta-Wal units specified. All units contain Trenwyth-approved integral water repellent admixture at time of manufacture.

Fire Resistance: Define hourly ratings required as 1, 2, 3 or 4 hours.

Field Constructed Mock-ups: Construct a sample panel, no less than 4' x 4', of each color and size to be used in the project.

Trenwyth Industries requires ordering a full-size unit to illustrate color and texture for approval.

Trenwyth Industries requires a jobsite sample panel be installed at the jobsite prior to installation of any Trenwyth products. This panel will represent both the quality of the product and the workmanship to be expected for the project. The panel must be approved by either the owner or the architect for the project. Trenwyth will provide 4" Astra-Glaze-SW+/Acousta-Wal units for a 4' x 4' sample panel at no cost for the material (not including freight to the site).

DELIVERY, STORAGE AND HANDLING
Astra-Glaze-SW+/Acousta-Wal glazed sound-absorbing units shall be delivered to the jobsite on banded pallets with individual protective covers on each glazed sound-absorbing block face. Keep protective block covers on the blocks until installation. Store pallets in single stacks on level ground and cover with waterproof covering (e.g. tarpaulins) to protect the blocks from inclement weather. Handle blocks carefully to avoid breakage and damage to the finished surfaces.

PROJECT/SITE CONDITIONS:
Protection of Work: Cover walls each day after installation to keep open walls protected and dry. After units are installed, they should be protected from damage by other trades performing operations that can stain or otherwise damage the finished surfaces by covering walls with plastic. Corners should be protected from damage after installation by covering them with plywood.

Part II – Products

PRODUCT NAME
Astra-Glaze-SW+®/Acousta-Wal® glazed sound-absorbing masonry units

MANUFACTURER
Trenwyth Industries
One Connelly Road
Emigsville, PA 17318
(800) 233-1924

Trenwyth Industries
4626 N. 42nd Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85019
(800) 331-9823

RELATED MATERIALS
Colored matching or contrasting mortar is available at Trenwyth Industries. Consult NCMA TEK Notes, available at www.trenwyth.com, for mortar type and specifications. For all exterior mortar, use matching Trenwyth-approved water repellent mortar additive, following manufacturer’s instructions. Consult manufacturer for recommendations.

In areas that are exposed to excessive moisture, we recommend joints to be raked and filled with BONSAL B-7000 EPOXY. See Mortar Bedding and Jointing for details.

SIZES AND SHAPES
Actual facing dimensions shall be 7-3/4" x 15-3/4" forming a 1/16" lip around the edges of a modular 7-5/8" x 15-5/8" block. Nominal 2", 4", 6", 8" 10" and 12" standard block thickness shall be used as required, as well as standard and special block shapes. Basic units may include stretchers, jambs, caps and cove bases.

MASONRY CLEANERS
Use Custom Burnished Masonry Cleaner by PROSOCO (dilute 1 part to 3 parts clean water), carefully following manufacturer’s instructions. Available at Trenwyth. Do not powerwash.

Caution! The following solvents must never be used as they may damage the Astra-Glaze-SW+/Acousta-Wal block facings: paint remover, lacquer thinner, epoxy thinner, methylene chloride acetone, muriatic acid. Contact Trenwyth Industries for recommendations for hard to clean areas.

Part 3 — Execution

LAYING MASONRY WALLS
Draw blocks from more than one pallet at a time during installation. All exterior mortar shall include Trenwyth-approved water repellent additive added to each batch in the appropriate dosage rates for mortar type (M, S or N) per manufacturer’s instructions. Refer to NCMA TEK Notes, available at www.trenwyth.com, for Hot and Cold weather construction practices.

Astra-Glaze-SW+/Acousta-Wal units shall be installed by the general contractor or masonry contractor using the best concrete masonry practices. Astra-Glaze-SW+/Acousta-Wal blocks shall be laid in running bond or stack bond as specified with the closed tops up. The slots shall face toward the room or area where sound absorption is required as shown on the plans. Units shall be laid in a full horizontal bed of mortar.

Lay units using the best concrete masonry practices. Install only quality units; reject all defective units as defined by ASTM C744. Lay Astra-Glaze-SW+/Acousta-Wal with the faces level, plumb and true to the line strung horizontally at the glazed face. Units shall have uniform face joint dimensions of 1/4" both horizontally and vertically. Tool joints neatly after they are finger-hard to make them straight and uniform. Size and place cut pieces appropriately to maintain consistency and bond. Slots shall be kept free of mortar and debris and the exposed mortar at the bottom of each slot shall be neatly tooled. NO RAKE JOINTS unless tuckpointing with epoxy.

INSTALLATION
Lighting: Provide adequate lighting for masonry work by placing all lighting at a reasonable distance from the wall for even illumination. Do not use trough lighting.

Base Course: Align base course properly on the floor slab.

Cove Base: Keep the cove base tight to the slab if vinyl floor tile is to be installed. For thicker flooring, raise cove base units to the desired height.

Cutting: Make all unit costs, including those for bonding, holes, boxes, etc., with motor-driven masonry saws using either an abrasive or diamond blade. Cut neatly and locate for best appearance.

MORTAR BEDDING AND JOINTING

1. Lay units with full mortar coverage on head and bed joints taking care not to block cores to be grouted or filled with masonry insulation.
2. Tool all mortar joints when thumbprint hard into a concave configuration.
3. Care should be taken to remove mortar from the face of masonry units before it sets.
4. Tuckpoint the joints of scored units for proper appearance. All exterior scored units must be tuckpointed to prevent water penetration. Rake back the joint when epoxy (Bonsal/Laticrete) is used on select jobs that require better moisture prevention.

Various masonry mortars may be used with Astra-Glaze-SW+/Acousta-Wal concrete masonry units depending on specific structural requirements for the finished walls. In all exterior mortar, we recommend using the matching Trenwyth-approved water repellent mortar additive (which may be purchased at Trenwyth Industries), following manufacturer’s instructions. Consult manufacturer for recommendations.

EPOXY FINISHED JOINTS
In areas exposed to excessive moisture, make sure to tool mortar joints with a minimum of 1/4" and tuckpoint with an approved water-resistant grout. A typical tuckpointing grout is BONSAL® POLYMER MODIFIED SANDED TILE GROUT mixed with the BONSAL B-7000 EPOXY. Do not add water or anything else in addition to the B-7000, which will make it a 100% solid enabling it to be acid and stain resistant.

Recommendations for using BONSAL® – DO NOT FLOAT GROUT ACROSS GLAZED SURFACE. THE PROPER TECHNIQUE IS TO POINT OR USE A MORTAR GUN!

FLASHING OF MASONRY WORK
Install flashing at locations shown in the plans and in strict accordance with the details and the best masonry flashing practices.

WEEP HOLES AND VENTS
Install weep holes and vents at proper intervals at courses above grade and at any water stops over windows, doors and beams. Consult NCMA TEK Notes, available at www.trenwyth.com, for additional information on flashing.

INSPECTION
The glazed facing shall conform to the requirements of ASTM C744 when viewed from a distance of five (5) feet at right angles to the wall with normal lighting. The concrete masonry units on which the glaze is molded shall conform to the requirements
of ASTM C90.

CLEANING:
Keep walls clean daily during installation using brushes or rags and a clean damp cloth. Harsh cleaning methods after walls have been erected may mar the surface of the blocks. Do not allow excess mortar lumps or smears to harden on the glazed surfaces. Remove green mortar with a dry cloth. Do not use steel wood, sandpaper or other abrasives.

FINAL CLEANDOWN
Clean the completed walls with Burnished Custom Masonry Cleaner by PROSOCO (dilute 1 part to 3 parts clean water), carefully following manufacturer’s washdown instructions — including thorough rinsing. Do not use acid or abrasives on the glazed surfaces.

MAINTENANCE
Astra-Glaze-SW+/Acousta-Wal units, properly installed and cleaned, need virtually no maintenance other than routine cleaning with standard commercial grade cleaning agents such as PINESOL® or Fantastik®. Graffiti, paint or dye stains may need special cleaning methods and products, such as Trenwyth’s Graffiti Wizard® environmentally friendly cleaner. Contact manufacturer for specific cleaning recommendations.

INSTALLATION RECOMMENDATIONS
To ensure optimal sound-reduction performance:

• The unslotted side of Astra-Glaze-SW+/Acousta-Wal blocks must be painted or parged to seal the porosity of the aggregates.
• The units must be laid in a full horizontal bed of mortar. They should be laid with the closed tops up.
• The slots should face toward the noise source (with the exception of partitioning a small office off from a large noisy plant area). Slots must be kept free of mortar. The exposed mortar at the bottom of each slot should be neatly tooled and all debris removed. NO RAKE JOINTS unless tuckpointing with epoxy.
• Under no circumstances should the units be laid upside down; that is, with the closed tops down. First, it would be impossible to lay the units in a full horizontal bed of mortar if they are laid upside down; and, second, excess mortar would fall into the slots giving an unsightly appearance. If the cavity volume were reduced by more that 5 to 10% due to mortar falling inside, the acoustical performance of the units would be altered.

GENERAL INSTALLATION RECOMMENDATIONS:

• For walls with a glazed finish on both sides, use two single-faced units. Because masonry units are typically installed aligning one side, the second side of double faced units is almost invariably misaligned. Double-faced units are not recommended. Trenwyth accepts no responsibility for face alignment.
• For best appearance, use stack bond construction when stack bond appearance is desired (as opposed to scored units in running bond).
• All exterior mortar joints must contain a Trenwyth-approved water repellent mortar additive, carefully following manufacturer’s instructions.
• For best appearance and water resistance, tuckpoint scored joints on interior and exterior applications.
• Colored matching or contrasting mortar / epoxy is available when using colorful Astra-Glaze-SW+/Acousta-Wal units. Contact Trenwyth Industries for information.