Encapsulating Lead-Based Paint: The Giant Louisville Slugger Baseball Bat at Yankee Stadium in New York

Posted on: 10/10/2011

THE STORY

Outside the main entrance gate of the stadium stands a majestic monument: a 42 meter / 138-foot tall chimney, sculpted in the shape of a baseball bat. 

Sponsored by Louisville Slugger, this impressive work is often referred to as "The Louisville Slugger," specifically designed to evoke the model of Babe Ruth. 

This chimney was installed in 1975 to provide heat for the offices of the famous Yankees team for the first time. It was dismantled during the demolition of the legendary stadium and reinstalled at the entrance of the current new stadium. 

More than just a simple sculpture, this bat has become an iconic meeting point for fans, where they easily find their ticket-holding friends before entering the stadium. 

RENOVATION WITH RD-ELASTOMETAL

Made of galvanized steel and erected in 1975, this structure was painted with lead-containing paints. Rather than risking lead dust contamination in the neighborhood when repainting, it was decided to repaint the entire structure with two coats of RD-Elastometal. 

RD-Elastometal has been tested and complies with the requirements of ASTM E 1795 - Standard Specification for Non-Reinforced Liquid Coating Encapsulation Products for Leaded Paint in Buildings. 

As long as the old paints adhere properly to the surface, it is simpler, faster, and much more economical to cover them. 

The choice to use RD-Elastometal was obvious! 

RD-Elastometal has the advantage of being a water-based paint with no solvents, making it very tolerant to different painted surfaces. The use of a solvent-based paint could have softened the old layers and caused surface delamination. 

Visit the Yankee Stadium website here.

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