ceilings
COMMERCIAL
CASE STUDY
CEILINGS ™ Riverboat Discovery 1975 Discovery Drive Fairbanks, AK 99709 907-479-6673 RiverBoatDiscovery.com
OVERVIEW
Voted the best boat tour in all of North America, The Riverboat Discovery began in Fairbanks in 1950. Hosting thousands of visitors each year, the company started with a small 25 person vessel and has since expanded to a fleet of three sternwheelers, the largest being the Discovery III, licensed to hold up to 900 passengers. A five-generation family business, the Binkley’s have been involved in the steam boating tradition in Alaska for over 100 years. Their goal is to make the guests feel like they are a part of the family for the four hours they spend together. They teach them the history of Alaska natives and introduce them to modern day pioneers that make their home in Fairbanks today. They strive to make everyone feel comfortable, safe and relaxed for the duration of their journey and the aesthetics of the ship are a key component of that.
AmericanTinCeilings.com
866.279.7175
CEILINGS ™
A Family Tradition The original owners, Jim and Mary, worked as riverboat captains, hauling freight and passengers down the rivers of Alaska in the 1940s. His father came to Alaska from Indiana during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898 to make a living building boats and transporting miners in search of buried treasure. In the late 1940s, air freight began replacing riverboat freight, which made finding work as a boat captain challenging. In 1950, they crossed paths with an entrepreneur who was bringing tourists up to Alaska from the lower 48 states. He needed something for them to do in Fairbanks, and a business was born. Today, three brothers, the grandsons of Jim and Mary Binkley, run the tours, but the whole family is still actively involved in its operations.
Q&A
Why did you choose tin for such a unique application? First, it was an improvement in the overall aesthetic of the boat. A sternwheeler riverboat automatically invokes a feeling of the past. These were such a part of American history that we want people to go back in time when they walk into our building or onto our vessel. When I walk into a room with a tin ceiling, it reminds me of the days of my grandfather and great-grandfather. Tin fit perfectly with the look and feel of the dining hall. We serve a high volume of guests a hearty, family style meal that would have been offered to miners working in gold camps back in the 1920s. Every detail in the construction and finish of the building had to fit with that theme. The classic look of the raw tin was the only choice for such a project. Second, tin ceiling tiles are much lighter than the original fiberglass. The weight and balance of a Coast Guard approved vessel is extremely important, and reducing the weight of the boat allowed us to make upgrades in seating that previously wouldn’t have been signed off on.
AmericanTinCeilings.com
866.279.7175
CEILINGS ™ APPLICATION: Tourism TILES INSTALLED: Pattern
#23, Unfinished
Was the ship a new purchase or a revamp? We built the Discovery III in 1987 near Seattle, WA and transported it to Fairbanks, AK the same year. We decided after the 2004 season that we would like to replace the original ceiling tiles. The Dining Hall was a new construction project that we started in the fall of 2010 and opened in the spring of 2011. Which locations on the boat have tin ceilings? All of the Discovery III is outfitted with tin tiles in a white finish. The dining hall has unfinished panels trimmed with C2 molding. Did you consider any other materials? No, tin was always our first choice. Which installation type did you purchase? We use drop-in tiles at both locations. They’re very easy to install, the only challenge is getting them to lay flat. We accomplished this by using metal clips, which are provided for free by American Tin Ceilings. What has the feedback been like? The feedback has been great. It is such a grand space and the ceiling completely sets it off, our customers comment on it all the time. Any future projects in the works for tin? Nothing in the immediate future, but we hope to expand the dining hall sometime within the next five years. AmericanTinCeilings.com
866.279.7175
CASE STUDY
CEILINGS ™ Riverboat Discovery 1975 Discovery Drive Fairbanks, AK 99709 907-479-6673 RiverBoatDiscovery.com
OVERVIEW
Voted the best boat tour in all of North America, The Riverboat Discovery began in Fairbanks in 1950. Hosting thousands of visitors each year, the company started with a small 25 person vessel and has since expanded to a fleet of three sternwheelers, the largest being the Discovery III, licensed to hold up to 900 passengers. A five-generation family business, the Binkley’s have been involved in the steam boating tradition in Alaska for over 100 years. Their goal is to make the guests feel like they are a part of the family for the four hours they spend together. They teach them the history of Alaska natives and introduce them to modern day pioneers that make their home in Fairbanks today. They strive to make everyone feel comfortable, safe and relaxed for the duration of their journey and the aesthetics of the ship are a key component of that.
AmericanTinCeilings.com
866.279.7175
CEILINGS ™
A Family Tradition The original owners, Jim and Mary, worked as riverboat captains, hauling freight and passengers down the rivers of Alaska in the 1940s. His father came to Alaska from Indiana during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898 to make a living building boats and transporting miners in search of buried treasure. In the late 1940s, air freight began replacing riverboat freight, which made finding work as a boat captain challenging. In 1950, they crossed paths with an entrepreneur who was bringing tourists up to Alaska from the lower 48 states. He needed something for them to do in Fairbanks, and a business was born. Today, three brothers, the grandsons of Jim and Mary Binkley, run the tours, but the whole family is still actively involved in its operations.
Q&A
Why did you choose tin for such a unique application? First, it was an improvement in the overall aesthetic of the boat. A sternwheeler riverboat automatically invokes a feeling of the past. These were such a part of American history that we want people to go back in time when they walk into our building or onto our vessel. When I walk into a room with a tin ceiling, it reminds me of the days of my grandfather and great-grandfather. Tin fit perfectly with the look and feel of the dining hall. We serve a high volume of guests a hearty, family style meal that would have been offered to miners working in gold camps back in the 1920s. Every detail in the construction and finish of the building had to fit with that theme. The classic look of the raw tin was the only choice for such a project. Second, tin ceiling tiles are much lighter than the original fiberglass. The weight and balance of a Coast Guard approved vessel is extremely important, and reducing the weight of the boat allowed us to make upgrades in seating that previously wouldn’t have been signed off on.
AmericanTinCeilings.com
866.279.7175
CEILINGS ™ APPLICATION: Tourism TILES INSTALLED: Pattern
#23, Unfinished
Was the ship a new purchase or a revamp? We built the Discovery III in 1987 near Seattle, WA and transported it to Fairbanks, AK the same year. We decided after the 2004 season that we would like to replace the original ceiling tiles. The Dining Hall was a new construction project that we started in the fall of 2010 and opened in the spring of 2011. Which locations on the boat have tin ceilings? All of the Discovery III is outfitted with tin tiles in a white finish. The dining hall has unfinished panels trimmed with C2 molding. Did you consider any other materials? No, tin was always our first choice. Which installation type did you purchase? We use drop-in tiles at both locations. They’re very easy to install, the only challenge is getting them to lay flat. We accomplished this by using metal clips, which are provided for free by American Tin Ceilings. What has the feedback been like? The feedback has been great. It is such a grand space and the ceiling completely sets it off, our customers comment on it all the time. Any future projects in the works for tin? Nothing in the immediate future, but we hope to expand the dining hall sometime within the next five years. AmericanTinCeilings.com
866.279.7175
