

Uplighting was installed recently, and the brick will get a fresh coat of paint. The final touches are being made on the outside of the building. A big project like this requires a lot of meetings because what happened six months ago can catch up to you, and it gets frustrating when there are a lot of hands in the pot,” DeMatteo said. “We’re always working around other contractors, so communication is important. LED lighting was used for the whole project. Uplighting is seen on the outside of the Gallagher Building. Most of the time, he says it’s about being as efficient as possible. The price tag for the entire renovation is more than $4 million. A job like this, you can get lost very quickly if you’re not keeping track,” he said.ĭeMatteo consistently kept two or three electricians on the job. “I am constantly pushing and checking because I have to make sure my guys are being productive to be on time. Highlights of a High-Stress JobĭeMatteo points out extreme organization and efficiency is needed for a project like this. Sometimes it’s not the neatest, but the job dictates what you have to do,” he said.
TIN CEILING KITCHEN HOW TO
“It’s about knowing where everything goes and how to get it there. Some basement space is expected to be used as storage for the tenants.ĭeMatteo says some of the work required drilling through the brick to run wire. The remnants of the old panel are outlined on two big boards along a brick wall which will be removed. After a four-month wait to have the outage on a weekend, electricians installed the new transformer, and power was restored. The main panel for the old service is in the basement, and he says it was tied in with the federal building. “We had to completely shut down the power and schedule an outage that affected the federal building to put in a new transformer to support the new load,” DeMatteo said.

Basement BlundersĪside from not being able to walk through the basement of the building at first, Santon’s electricians have been dealing with adversity there. The water lines for the Gallagher Building’s sprinkler system. The renovations also meant building a new fire escape. The Youngstown Fire Department has been there to test the system and walk every floor to get familiar with the building in case of an emergency. “We did the wiring, installed strobe lights, smoke detectors, everything that’s required by code,” DeMatteo said. The Gallagher now has the most up to date fire alarm and sprinkler system. When it comes to old buildings, updating the safety system is a common necessity. The framing of where it used to be on each floor is now the archway leading to the living units. The old shaft and wiring still runs through the building. The new elevator is in a different location than the original one. For us, that means getting creative because what’s there is the finished product,” DeMatteo said. “They also want to keep the original brick walls. The tin ceiling is staying there, as well.

He’ll be facing the same issue in the old Cedar’s space when work begins on the restaurant and kitchen. “Trying to keep those sections intact while getting all the wiring where it needed to go was no easy task,” DeMatteo said. Some characteristics are being kept, like the original hardwood flooring and sections of wall space that expose old layers of paint or brick.įor the electricians, preserving the tin ceilings has posed quite a challenge. Despite the changes inside the Gallagher Building, not everything old is being made new again.
