Article and images courtesy of Polyglass

Tracing its origins to 1977, Carriere-Stumm is one of the premier contractors in the southern U.S., focusing a large portion of its business on commercial roofing projects. Headquartered in New Orleans, Carriere-Stumm has been highly instrumental in the rebuilding of the New Orleans and Mississippi Gulf regions after Hurricane Katrina, and in recent years they have shifted much of their focus toward sustainable "green roofing" solutions.

With extensive experience in the healthcare sector, Ochsner Health Systems recently contracted them to install a roof on their newly-planned facility, Ochsner West Metairie Hospital – a three-story, 185,0000-square-foot "super-clinic" occupying the old vacant Sears building at Clearview Mall in Metairie, La.

The contractors reached out to Gregg Bennett of GB Sales, a local Polyglass representative, to help them procure suitable roofing materials. Despite time constraints and the supply chain challenges plaguing the market in early 2022, the products were delivered to complete the roofing project on time and within budget.

Project Background and Challenges

The project called for a full new roof on the building – about 100,000 square feet in total. While otherwise a straightforward project, the weather posed the biggest challenge to completion. While trying to get the roof installed quickly under the threat of hurricane season, the team also had to work around an unprecedented weather pattern of heat and rain from July to August 2022, which brought afternoon thunderstorms across southern Louisiana almost daily.

To compensate for these challenges, project supervisor Randy Sumrall and his crew showed up at 6 p.m. every evening after the storms subsided and worked under lights on the roof until 3 a.m. each morning.

The roofing team began by installing a cover board layer over a Polytherm ISO hot-mopped system laid on the concrete roof deck. They completed the installation with a dual torch-applied system with Polyflex Smooth as the base layer and Polyflex G FR as a fire-retardant cap layer. 

Despite the challenging conditions and supply chain concerns, the team completed installation on schedule, passing the Polyglass inspection with flying colors in time for the facility's scheduled opening in early 2023.

Product Details

Carriere-Stumm utilized a torch-applied, dual-layer roofing system using the following Polyglass products:

• Polyflex (Talc Smooth): A premium APP-modified bitumen membrane known for its puncture resistance and long-term weathering performance.
• Polyflex G FR: A modified bitumen cap sheet with fire-retardant additives featuring Polyglass’ patented FASTLap® for improved ease and speed of application. When used in conjunction with approved Polyglass base layers, Polyflex G FR conforms to the highest standards of weathering durability, including strict Miami-Dade standards against severe weather.