diff --git a/@gcmfaces/display.m b/@gcmfaces/display.m
index 3eab640..ee15b2a 100644
--- a/@gcmfaces/display.m
+++ b/@gcmfaces/display.m
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@ function display(a)
 
 stg = sprintf('      nFaces: %d\n',a.nFaces);
 for iFace=1:a.nFaces; 
-   eval(['tmp1=a.f' num2str(iFace) ';']); tmp1=size(tmp1);
+   eval(['tmp1=a.f' num2str(iFace) ';']); 
+   tmp0=class(tmp1);
+   tmp1=size(tmp1);
    tmp2='['; 
    for ii=1:length(tmp1); tmp2=[tmp2 num2str(tmp1(ii)) 'x']; end;
-   tmp2=[tmp2(1:end-1) ' ' class(tmp1) ']']; 
+   tmp2=[tmp2(1:end-1) ' ' tmp0 ']']; 
    stg=strvcat(stg,['      f' num2str(iFace) ': ' tmp2]);
 end;
 disp(stg)
diff --git a/@gcmfaces/double.m b/@gcmfaces/double.m
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..78faa0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/@gcmfaces/double.m
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+function r = double(p)
+%overloaded gcmfaces double function : 
+%  simply calls double double function for each face data
+
+r=p;
+for iFace=1:r.nFaces;
+   iF=num2str(iFace); 
+   eval(['r.f' iF '=double(p.f' iF ');']); 
+end;
+
+
diff --git a/@gcmfaces/single.m b/@gcmfaces/single.m
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6886ed2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/@gcmfaces/single.m
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+function r = single(p)
+%overloaded gcmfaces single function : 
+%  simply calls double single function for each face data
+
+r=p;
+for iFace=1:r.nFaces;
+   iF=num2str(iFace); 
+   eval(['r.f' iF '=single(p.f' iF ');']); 
+end;
+
+