A blend of versatile, high-performance CertainTeed gypsum products has contributed toward a sustainable and stable interior for Winsport Canada, a sprawling 500,000 square-foot new winter sports complex in Calgary, Alberta. CertainTeed was able to provide Calgary wall and ceiling contractor Winwood Construction, Ltd., with all of the gypsum products needed to meet the sustainability and performance demands of the LEED-targeted project’s design.

“We use CertainTeed gypsum products on projects quite a bit, since they have a plant right here in Calgary, and we have always been pleased with their quality,” says Kevin Stanwood, president of Winwood Construction’s Alberta operations. “Winsport Canada is a very big and important project with an emphasis on sustainability, so it was important for us to use gypsum boards with attributes that met the design’s performance demands. Fortunately, CertainTeed had all the solutions to help us meet those demands.”

The three-phase construction of Winsport Canada began in 2010. Winwood Construction installed GlasRoc Sheathing Type X on the exterior to provide protection against moisture and mold during construction. Moisture, mold and fire resistance were provided on the inside through a mix of CertainTeed Type X and Type C Gypsum Board and M2Tech Type X Moisture & Mold Resistant Gypsum on interior walls. GlasRoc Tile Backer Type X panels were used to provide much needed moisture resistance in the complex’s locker rooms and restrooms, while M2Tech Extra Abuse Moisture & Mold Resistant and Abuse Resistant Gypsum Board offered enhanced moisture, mold and impact resistance throughout high-traffic corridors and lobbies. Each product was able to contribute credits toward the complex’s impending LEED certification.

HOCKEY TIME

Phase I of Winsport Canada, consisting of three community hockey rinks, and Phase II, which includes an international-size hockey rink with spectator seating and a five-story office tower, were completed and opened to the public by Summer 2011. Phase III, which includes training rooms, meeting rooms and open space, is underway and expected to be complete early this year. So far, the complex’s rinks have been a huge hit with the public and have already garnered the attention of the international hockey community as a training facility for Canada’s team in the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship.

“We’re pleased with the work that we’ve contributed to this project and the way that the building has been put into use in Calgary and also at an international hockey level,” Stanwood says. “The CertainTeed gypsum products helped us get the job done on time and within budget, with their easy installation and availability, and helped us create a sustainable interior for the many people who will visit Winsport Canada in years to come.”

The GlasRoc product line provides long-term moisture resistance, with the help of CertainTeed’s Embedded Glass Reinforced Gypsum technology—the combination of a paperless gypsum surface and glass mats that are fully embedded into a water-resistant gypsum core. Gypsum boards with CertainTeed’s M2Tech technology offer moisture resistance and enhanced protection against mold growth, utilizing a water-resistive core and a moisture- and mold-resistant paper facing. Type X and Type C gypsum boards also have a specially formulated core for fire resistance ratings, making them an important component in fire-rated wall assemblies. For more information, go to www.certainteed.com/gypsum.