Founded in 1948, Construction Specialties (CS) is a family-owned, specialty building products manufacturer. CS provides solutions to challenges that architects, designers, building owners, facility managers, and contractors face every day. Since inventing the first extruded louver, CS has become a global leader in product categories such as: expansion joint solutions, architectural louvers, sun controls, and architectural elements. Drawing upon our decades of experience, CS provides extensive services resulting in high-quality products found in some of the world’s most significant architecture.
Construction Specialties headquarters in LEBANON, NEW JERSEY, U.S.A.
PRODUCTS
EXPANSION JOINT SOLUTIONS
Construction Specialties expansion joint systems accommodate building movement while maintaining safe, functional transitions across floors, walls, ceilings, roofs, and exterior façades. Solutions are available for thermal, seismic, and wind-related movement in a wide range of project conditions.
ARCHITECTURAL LOUVERS
Construction Specialties architectural louvers support airflow and ventilation while helping manage water penetration, sightlines, security, and acoustical requirements. Traditional, storm-resistant, acoustical, and specialty designs provide options for diverse building-envelope applications.
SUN CONTROL SOLUTIONS
Construction Specialties sun-control systems help manage solar exposure, glare, and heat gain while adding dimension to the building exterior. Horizontal sunshades, vertical fins, perforated panels, and custom configurations can be tailored to the façade orientation and architectural design.
ARCHITECTURAL SCREENS
Construction Specialties architectural screens transform functional requirements into intentional façade features. Decorative and vision-barrier systems can conceal rooftop or ground-level equipment, provide privacy, and introduce customized patterns, colors, depth, and visual identity.
PGP West represents Construction Specialties expansion joint systems, architectural louvers, screens, and sun-control solutions throughout Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Our team supports architects, contractors, developers, and building owners with product selection, specifications, details, samples, budgeting, and project coordination.
Contact our team for assistance selecting and specifying Construction Specialties (CS) expansion joints, architectural louvers, screens, and sun-control systems. We can support product comparisons, details, samples, budgeting, specifications, and design coordination.
Coordinate Performance and Design with CS
Why Construction Specialties?
Construction Specialties has helped define the modern architectural louver industry since developing the first extruded aluminum louver in the United States. That pioneering legacy continues through advancements such as America’s first line of rain-resistant louvers, first line of expansion joint fire barriers, and an expanding portfolio of engineered building products. From expansion joints and high-performance louvers to architectural screens and custom sun-control systems, CS brings proven expertise, creative problem-solving, and a history of innovation to some of the world’s most significant buildings.
design & education
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Louvers enable an exchange of air, allowing for efficient cooling and preventing equipment from overheating. This means louvers contribute to a building’s energy performance. They can also have a creative impact on design, leading with sleek details, or feature unseen benefits like sound attenuation from acoustical louvers.
Good ventilation is necessary for your building for many reasons. A fresh air supply for your HVAC system improves the function of the unit, helping it to last longer and require less maintenance. On top of that, fresh air is useful during the summer months to help cool off the air in your building, reducing the need for your air conditioning system to work as hard. This translates to savings on your energy bills.
Proper ventilation is also essential to limit the amount of condensation that builds up in the building. As you already know, moisture is the official nemesis of steel buildings and ventilation is the superhero that can combat it. Louvers provide the right amount of airflow to keep condensation from building up and can save you so much money in repairs and maintenance costs, not to mention being able to use the building for many more years.
Another problem with moisture in buildings is the fact that mold and mildew love to grow in moist, dark places. A building with poor airflow and plagued with the resulting condensation problems will typically have mold problems as well. Not only can this be damaging to the structure of the building, but also poses a serious health risk to anyone who breathes the air, particularly for an extended period of time. -
When designing a data center, you must consider the environmental conditions within the space. Airflow, cooling, and circulation are essential when huge banks of hot equipment occupy a space. The question of how to intake and exhaust air doesn't have to stump you. Depending on your geographical location, you may also have to consider how to keep out extreme wind or rain, sand, dust, and debris. Ventilation doesn't have to be a restriction, it can be an opportunity-the perfect opportunity for a louver system.
Popular CS Architectural Louvers for Data Centers:
This vertical-oriented louver system is taking the market by storm with its unprecedented performance under the most extreme conditions. This architectural louver meets both AMCA 540 and 550 certifications. This is a great option to use in your intake areas, specially in hurricane-prone regions.
This 6” deep, high-performance drainable blade louver is tested and certified by AMCA. At 57.6% free area, it is a great option to use in your exhaust areas.
RSV-5700 is a 5” deep, storm-resistant louver, available in both horizontal (RSH-5700) and vertical (RSV-5700) orientations. This model offers moderate free area and a very low pressure drop, and is tested and certified for AMCA 540.
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With Construction Specialties Sun Control Solutions, your design can take on intricate patterns, sleek textures, vivid colors, and even LED lighting.
Cantilevered sunshades are suited for installations where loads from wind and snow need to be distributed over a larger area and back to the building's structural support system.
Cascading sunshade blades are mounted with suspension cables instead of solid aluminum outriggers to filter natural light without obstructing the view. They provide an appearance of floating blades.
Fin systems are architectural elements applied on a building’s facade to enhance the exterior and provide a visual effect. They can be provided as individual blades or as pre-assembled panels. Available in vertical and horizontal orientation in sizes ranging from 2’’ and 24’’+. Custom blade shapes and sizes are available.
Supported by bird mouth brackets, frameless systems have the appearance of floating in front of a building’s facade. They can be provided as individual blades or pre-assembled panels. Available in vertical and horizontal orientations, in sizes ranging from 2” to 24+”. Custom blade shapes and sizes are available.
Suspended sunshades are suited for installations where loads from wind and snow need to be distributed over a larger area and back to the building's structural support system.
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Acoustical Louvers provide water resistance and airflow performance. They are ideal anywhere there is a need to minimize sound levels and where ventilation is required.
Blast-resistant louver models are designed to withstand blasts up to 12 PSI, which meet and exceed government requirements.
Construction Specialties Bold Line Louvers don’t just perform beautifully—they are beautiful. And they’re anything but boring.
Extreme-Weather & Storm-Resistant Louvers
Designed to let air in and keep water out, these louvers are tested for wind-driven rain and/or impact performance to ensure they will stand up to the most extreme weather conditions.
An economical approach to airflow solutions for industrial or manufacturing buildings, standing up to more extreme conditions such as high temperatures.
Operable Louvers can be controlled manually or by using an actuator device so you can close them to keep weather out or open them to facilitate air intake or exhaust.
Perform Louvers provide the air movement, security, and sight-screening performance of our standard louvers, under the cover of a modern perforated aluminum skin.
Use Thinline Louvers where depths greater than 3" are not practical. These louvers are ideal for thin wall and curtain wall applications.
Traditional louvers offer high free area and high air flow with a low pressure drop. These economical louvers come in a variety of frame and blade styles, including drainable and non-drainable options.
Mitigate air and water from entering non-ducted areas by applying Blank-Offs to any specified louver. Add more protection with bird or insect screens.
Custom Louvers
There’s no limit to what you can create with CS. Custom design louvers of any size, shape, color or innovate entirely new ideas.
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An expansion joint system accommodates movement between sections of a building while maintaining a usable transition across the opening. Construction Specialties offers systems for floors, walls, ceilings, roofs, and exterior façades that respond to thermal, seismic, wind, and other structural movement.
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Selection depends on the joint width, anticipated movement, location, substrate, traffic, loading, fire-resistance requirements, moisture exposure, and desired appearance. Construction Specialties can help evaluate these conditions and identify an appropriate system early in design.
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A louver is generally designed to provide measurable airflow while helping control water, visibility, or sound. A Construction Specialties architectural screen is primarily used to conceal equipment, provide privacy, or enhance the façade and may not serve the same ventilation function.
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Construction Specialties architectural screens can be used around rooftop equipment, parking structures, service areas, mechanical yards, and other visually sensitive locations. Decorative screen systems may also be used as prominent façade elements independent of screening requirements.
AIA / CEU PRESENTATIONS
Expansion Joint Covers - Mastering the Movement of the Building
credits: 1 LU | 1 HSW
Mastering the Physical Movement of Air, Wind, and Water Using Architectural Louvers
1 credits: LU | 1 HSW
Exterior Sunshades - Mastering the Physical Movement of Sun and Light
credits: 1 LU | 1 HSW
ENGINEERING RCEP PRESENTATIONS
Mechanical System Louver Applications
credits: A PDH
“Construction Specialties (CS) believes that 'better' is a product of shared opportunities. Construction Specialties is a leader in architectural product problem solving because we embrace our customers' complex challenges to deliver world-class solutions. Our goal is to understand our customers' individual design needs and provide inspired solutions for a more "intelligent built" environment.”