Roofing News

Spotlight: Colorado Mountain School Expansion Roofed With Johns Manville EPDM R Fit

Summit High School (SHS) expanded its main building by 35,200 square feet. Arapahoe Roofing and Sheet Metal Inc. won the job to roof this major addition. As a long-time Johns Manville partner, Arapahoe worked with the district’s facilities manager to choose a complete JM system that included 75 mil reinforced membrane as specified by the architect. The choice to use the JM EPDM R 75 mil - FIT membrane assures Summit School District that the new roof has excellent puncture and hail resistance.

Challenge:

The Summit School District generally has roofing projects done over the summer but the construction and roofing took place in part while school was in session. This required crews to work during Colorado’s snowy, bitter cold winter months.

Solution:

Johns Manville’s exclusive single-ply mechanically attached EPDM R FIT Tape-to-Tape system was the perfect solution for this mountain school sitting at an elevation of 9,600 feet. JM delivered ready to use 10’ x 100’ pre-taped rolls to Arapahoe Roofing and work progressed quickly. They were able to continue the installation in temperatures as low as 20 degrees. The choice of Factory Inseam Tape (FIT) yields a noteworthy labor savings compared to field-fabricated seams. Using pre-taped rolls opened up a longer window for the application since the time usually spent waiting for primer to dry was eliminated. Also, due to the extreme heating and cooling in Colorado, and the condensation created by those cycles, JM Vapor Barrier SA was chosen to combat the harsh Colorado climate.

Arapahoe Roofing confidently recommended the new FIT system. “We’ve worked with Johns Manville since we opened our doors in 1967. Their product evolutions have been great to see. The crew loved it, the learning curve was very short,” said Bob Bellitt, president of Arapahoe Roofing and Sheet Metal.

“With the EPDM R FIT system, I’ll be able to keep more crews working during winter months even at our high altitude in low temperatures. We’ve always worked year-round but this JM new system lets us work more efficiently. It’s a win-win all around,” added Bellitt.