Last year, Extra Space Storage completed a self storage facility expansion project that added 21,731 rentable square feet to a property located at 1989 Montreal Rd in Tucker, GA. The expansion, led by Program Manager Scott Armstrong and Design Lead John Bennett, had two major components, which included adding a unique five-story section to an existing cement pad and converting commercial space into additional storage space.

Though the property’s original developer had laid down a cement pad and positioned elevator shafts in such a way that future expansions wouldn’t be an issue, Armstrong says replacement of the existing pad was ultimately necessary to support the facility’s additional square footage.

However, the pad wasn’t the biggest challenge the Extra Space Storage team encountered while upgrading this self storage facility. There was also an issue with the facility’s fire sprinkler system size and water pressure in relation to the expansion of the building.

“We added a booster pump during this project,” explained Armstrong. “Because the existing system was never tested with the full water pressure, we didn’t know if the existing pipes would hold the higher water pressure in the already rented parts of the building. We had to gradually increase the water pressure and provide constant supervision to make sure the existing pipes did not leak.”

Fortunately, the water pressure test with the fire sprinkler system proved successful, and the Extra Space Storage team was able to continue the project without any further issues. In addition, the team completed construction just under budget and without any major delays, which Armstrong says was a huge win for everyone involved in the expansion project.

Thanks to the local managers, District Vice President Chuck Machenheimer, District Manager Jaxon Lee, and the Extra Space Storage Operations team, the storage facility at Montreal Rd now has an additional 256 units available to Tucker self storage customers.

Keep up on the latest business news from Extra Space Storage (EXR) as our Board of Directors grows our company as a successful self storage industry leader.