The Boys and Girls Clubs of Laredo asked us to install wall pads at their Benavides Club. What made this project unusual was the age of the building and the wall construction. Rather then hanging the wall pads on the existing stone walls, we first needed to construct a new wall. This would give us a smooth level surface for the pads.
History of The Boys and Girls Clubs of Laredo
The building was constructed in 1943 by HB Zachary. And, it was initially occupied by the USO during World War II. The Boys Club moved in a few years later in 1946. This remained their sole location until 1968 when the Northwest Club location was opened. But, the biggest change was in 1984 when Boys Club of Laredo became Boys and Girls Clubs of Laredo. Further expansion took place in 1998 with the opening of the Lamar Bruni Vergara Club. You can learn more about their history on their About Us page.
Wall Construction
The stone walls at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Laredo were not suitable for direct attachment of the wall pads. There would have been no way to properly attach the pads and have a smooth even pad surface. So, we designed and constructed modular 2×4 stud walls. The new wall framing was just 6’-2” tall so as to not be seen above the wall pads. They were fastened to the hardwood gym floor and the stone walls. However, the modular design allows the walls to be disassembled and reassembled when the gym floor is replaced.
Wall Pads
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Laredo Executive Director, Hector Noyola, wanted the new pads to brighten the old gym. So, he chose a rainbow color design. The pads contained 2” of foam glued to an OSB backer board. They measured 2×6 feet and were wrapped in 14oz vinyl. We chose pads with an anchoring flange at the top and bottom. These were the easiest to install, thus saving time and money. Corner pads were added at doorways to fully cover the ends of our newly constructed stud walls.
Installation Video
In this time lapse video, you’ll see each step of the installation process. We start with construction of the modular wall sections. We then move on to anchoring and leveling the wall sections. Next is cove molding and then installation of the pads. And, the last step before clean up is modifying pads to fit the doors.
We provide wall pads services throughout South Texas.
Please contact us to discuss your project. Or, go to our Wall Pads page to learn more.
