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MegaFume Treats Historic Jacob Weinberger U.S. Courthouse

The Jacob Weinberger United States Courthouse, located in San Diego, is more than the area’s local court of law — it’s a historic landmark built in 1913 that has been photographed by numerous movie, news, and public relations cameras. The building is popular among these groups because film crews and news media often find that the historic building has just the right look for their movie shoots and press-conference backdrops.

Like many California buildings from that era, the Weinberger Courthouse found itself under attack from drywood termites. Orange, Calif.-based MegaFume, led by President Dave Wadleigh, was contracted to fumigate the building by Steve Whitson of HiTech Termite Control.

The fumigation was a 1 million-cubic-foot job that involved 40 tarps and more than 8,000 clips (the numerous clips were needed to avoid a "blow open" since the crew had to contend with an afternoon sea breeze). Wadleigh said the project involved the usual pre-planning tasks of measuring the job and walking the perimeter. However, once work began, every employee that was going to be on the job site had to pass security clearance by the Federal government. The MegaFume crew had to meet with the building’s administrator, computer engineers, and the building’s engineer.

"The concerns raised ranged from the breakage of the tile roof, to leaving the air-conditioning on in the computer server room, to not touching any paperwork in the judge’s chambers, to which people were allowed in the building," Wadleigh said. "During the procedure we had to post a man at each open door while being watched by U.S. Marshals. To do the job we had to have a man-lift for the high seems and a forklift to get the tarps to the roof."

Wadleigh said MegaFume used a 20-man crew, which began work at 7 a.m., and finished around 5 p.m. There were some inherent challenges with the structure, including the height of the two towers. "The building had a lot of exterior antique décor we had to take time and care to prevent damage," Wadleigh said. "Plus, we had to be very careful. A historical building must have approval from the historical society to do any wood work, which includes any repair work (i.e., painting, etc.). If we would have broken something we just couldn’t fix it; we would have had to have gotten approval. We even walked around wiping up any dirt or a possible hand print."

Wadleigh said overall that the Weinberger Courthouse fumigation went smoothly thanks to pre-planning and an experienced crew. — Brad Harbison