The Carver-Hawkeye Arena at the University of Iowa’s Iowa City campus has been the site of many winning performances, including that of its roof. The 48-mil, mechanically attached Sarnafil roof had done its job admirably for 25 years, until an unusually severe storm damaged parts of the roof in the spring of 2006. Yet, like a dedicated athlete who refuses to give up the game, the aging membrane continues to perform today in its new, recycled rendition as roofing walkway membranes. Meanwhile, its Sarnafil replacement roof continues the legacy of being a high-performing player.
Every time I think about that job now I get a shiver down my spine. What scares me is not my near-death experiences, but rather the fact that this kind of situation happens daily with professional contractors and service workers who work on and around residential homes. Whether it’s reroofing houses, installing satellite and cable systems, or even cleaning out gutters, providing fall protection for finished residential buildings can be difficult to set up and does not always seem cost efficient. But, is the alternative any better? Falls while working on ladders and residential roofs account for lost time, thousands of accidents and hundreds of deaths across North America every year.
With most buildings there is always a tension between design considerations and cost concerns. In the case of the Victory Centre of Bartlett, Ill., which offers assisted living options for senior citizens, that balance was even more delicate. The state of Illinois was involved with the project, so costs had to be kept in check while making sure that the end result was a desirable place to live for area seniors. In the final analysis, it was the use of common materials such as brick, siding and a shingled roof that proved to be the key to giving the complex a familiar feel for its residents.
As it approached its 40th birthday, the original coal tar roof was starting to show its age. The building owners, concerned about their long-term investment, commissioned a study. Roofing consultant Facility Engineering Associates (FEA), PC, of Virginia and their senior project manger Jim Justus were asked to determine if the evidence of water leaks meant that the best course of action would be a total roof replacement. After careful study in 2003, the engineers at FEA came to that conclusion. They recommended that all three original roof areas - the 51st floor, the 54th floor and the 55th floor roofs - be replaced.
The use of lightweight concrete as a roof decking and insulation system has expanded in the past five years. Increased usage can be attributed to the recent industry-wide insulation shortages and delamination deficiencies. The increase can also be attributed to the economic and environmental advantages that lightweight insulating concrete (LWIC) provides in roof assemblies. The increased use in specific regions of the country has spawned new technology to meet the demands of the market from the economic and environmental standpoints. Advances in pumping equipment and mixing ratios have provided materials that are consistent in compressive strength and density.
Even after years of excellent growth, there is still a lot of room for metal roofing to expand. According to the National Roofing Contractors association’s most recent annual survey, in 2005 the overall share of metal roofing was 4 percent of low-slope new construction, while the share for new steep-slope installations was 28 percent. While metal can be found on virtually any roof, it still takes an investment not only to buy it, but to sell and install it as well.
With the variety of roofing material options available, like asphalt, composite, metal and tile (to name just a few), homeowners are often overwhelmed when choosing the best product for their new roof or roof replacement. According to a recent survey, more than half of homeowners opt for asphalt roofing materials, but as they search for more durable, low-maintenance options, composite shingles are quickly gaining in popularity.
We wanted to see if things had improved since our last survey. So, in November of 2006, we conducted a follow-up study. The survey was mailed to 1,300 property owners representing an even geographic dispersion nationally. About 94 percent of the respondents were owners of single-family homes and had purchased a replacement roof within the previous three years. What do the results of the survey indicate? In the big picture, the industry is improving. That’s the good news. The bad news is that there is still a long way to go.
As the son of a roofer and the founder of two roofing companies, Ken Hendricks had always found dealing with roofing distributors frustrating. He couldn’t find one business that could meet all of his needs, and the level of service he and his father received was often poor. Seeing a chance to succeed in a highly fragmented industry, he decided to go into the distribution business himself. In 1982, he formed American Builders and Contractors Supply with the ultimate goal of creating a nationwide chain of one-stop shops for roofing professionals that would thrive by delivering the type of customer service he and his father never received.
St. John the Evangelist Church in Greece, New York, is a uniquely designed building that features two rooftops - a lower-level roof that covers the main entrance and an upper-level roof that sits atop the church’s large sanctuary. Both rooftops wrap around a central tower that extends high into the air, but the lower roof is low-sloped while the upper one is drastically steeper.
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