For a general contractor, equipment screens rarely show up as a headline item on the schedule, but get them wrong, and they become one fast. A screen spec’d too late collides with structural steel that has already been ordered, a fastener detail that wasn’t coordinated with the roofing sub creates a leak six months after occupancy, or a design review comment on screening surfaces during permitting stalls the whole project. Sharchs Corporation has manufactured aluminum equipment screens for commercial buildings since 2011, and we work directly with GCs, architects, and structural engineers to keep screening decisions out of the critical path instead of on it.
Where Equipment Screens Go Wrong on GC Projects
Equipment screens sit at the intersection of several trades: structural, roofing, mechanical, and sometimes electrical, which is exactly why they cause problems when they’re treated as an afterthought. The most common failure point we see is sequencing: a screen gets specified after the roof structure is finalized, and there’s no engineered support system in place to carry the wind load. That turns a straightforward install into a change order.
The second most common issue is coordination at the waterproofing interface. Screen attachment points that aren’t detailed against the roofing and flashing system before installation create leak risk that shows up long after the GC’s crews have moved on to the next project. Getting ahead of both issues means looping in your equipment screen manufacturer during design development, not after the roof is dried in.
How Sharchs Supports GCs During Preconstruction
We provide site-specific recommendations and technical specifications early enough for your structural engineer to design the support infrastructure as part of the original roof and framing package, not as a retrofit. That includes documentation on aluminum type and finish, wind load ratings, fastener types and spacing, and the anchor layout your team needs for bid-level and construction-level drawings.
To be clear about scope: Sharchs does not provide structural engineering for the screen’s support system, cut into existing roof structures, modify support framing, or connect screens directly to the mechanical equipment itself. What we do provide is the product-side technical expertise, dimensions, wind load data, and attachment requirements that your structural engineer and roofing sub need to do their part correctly the first time.
We also flag code and life-safety constraints early: screens can’t block exit routes or restrict emergency responder access, and fire separation distance requirements can affect screen placement near property lines. Surfacing these constraints during design avoids a redesign after permitting.
American-Made Screens, Built for GC Timelines
Every Sharchs equipment screen is fabricated in the United States from premium-grade aluminum, using inverted horizontal louver blades on vertical support posts as the base configuration, with full customization available for solid, louvered, semi-private, or alternating-panel designs depending on the concealment and airflow requirements of the equipment behind it.
Since we manufacture domestically, our standard lead time runs 6 to 8 weeks from order to delivery, materially shorter than screens sourced overseas. For a General Contractor juggling a tight schedule across multiple trade sequences, that difference is often what keeps equipment screening from becoming the item holding up substantial completion.
What We Need From Your Team
The earlier we are brought in, the more useful we can be. At a minimum, we ask for the equipment schedule (make, model, and dimensions of what’s being screened), the roof plan or site plan showing equipment placement, and any zoning or design review requirements already on record with the jurisdiction. From there, we can turn around a preliminary screen configuration and technical specification your structural engineer can build from, whether you’re bidding the project or already in construction documents.