Numerous
leaks in an auto plant roof had resulted in rust damage to the metal deck.
Although less than 4 percent of the roof deck was in this condition, problems
were widely scattered throughout the building’s 1,800,000 square feet of total
roof area.
In today’s tight economic times, more building owners are searching for ways to extend the service life of their existing roofs. Capital expenditures and financing typically required to replace roofs can be difficult to obtain at this time. Fortunately, there are products available to help in the life extension of existing roofs.
In the case of an aged coal tar or asphalt built-up roof, the annual maintenance budget is probably a lot higher than most owners would like it to be. The replacement cost is prohibitive. More than likely the vast majority of the roof is performing well, and any problems are coming from a relatively small percentage of the total roof area. There may also be the scenario where you may be dealing with inefficient repairs - the same roof areas are worked over again and again.
In
those areas where the deck was replaced, the newly installed Hyload membrane
was securely tied into the field of the existing roof, resulting in an
effective long-term repair.
Hyload offers a wide variety of environmentally friendly adhesives that are specially formulated to tie into all conventional low-slope roof materials and systems. Hyload also offers white membranes and coatings that comply with all reflectivity rates. In addition, Hyload can provide assistance in developing specifications that can break the expensive repair cycle, giving you an effective, long-term solution.
Leak
areas that resulted from blistering, ridging, or floating plies were
effectively repaired with a watertight tie-in to the adjacent existing roof
areas that were still performing well.
An automotive plant in Indianapolis was looking for help with a 1,800,000-square-foot aggregate-surfaced coal tar built-up roof that was more than 20 years old. For the past several years the plant had spent $500,000 annually on a traditional approach for ongoing leak repairs. The common method used primarily involved a coal-tar saturation application. These repairs were neither effective nor long-lasting. The owner had been told that the roof was finished - deteriorated beyond any hope of effective repair. Although much of the roof was still serviceable, there were several scattered problem areas. The most significant problems on the roof involved approximately 60,000 square feet of total roof area that had leaked to the point of deck deterioration. These sections of roof were safety hazards and were flagged off to traffic due to the rusted and weakened metal deck. Additionally, there were numerous blisters, ridging and other problems that all contributed to many leaks throughout the facility. The replacement cost was estimated to be $20 million.
Because of this large capital cost, the plant facilities management team was open to an alternative long-term repair approach. Hyload Inc. provided a long-term repair solution for less than 10 percent of the replacement cost. Because the Hyload Coal Tar Elastomeric Membrane (CTEM) and adhesive products are totally compatible with coal tar, tie-in specifications were easily developed to address all the problem conditions.
The rusted sections of decking were totally cut out and removed. New decking, insulation and recover board were installed, then covered with a self-adhering Hyload membrane. The replaced area was stripped and tied into the spudded field of the existing roof using Hyload’s adhesives and strip-in plies. In the areas of blistering and ridging, the problem areas were spudded and covered with Hyload membrane set into adhesives. All edges were dressed with a sealant to create a watertight repair.
The repair solution not only provided long-term waterproofing protection, but the ease of application. No heavy equipment was required, and the lack of fumes allowed the contractor to work in different areas of the roof without interrupting plant operations. The Hyload material is environmentally friendly and is compatible with all roofing materials. The material is currently the only product on the market that is compatible with coal-tar and is effective for repairing coal-tar problems such as “floating plies.”
The success of this repair program has eliminated the leaking that plagued the plant for years. It has taken a roof that presumably was finished and extended the life for an additional 10 to 12 years of service. The same techniques can be employed as needed to additional roof areas should problems occur in the future. A large capital outlay was avoided and dry conditions were restored. Management is very pleased.
