Westway Selects New TPO Roofing System for Property in Arlington Heights, IL
Westway couldn't believe it. The newly installed roof was Blistering (due to moisture trapped in between the plies). Half of the roof was fine, but the other half of the 38,000 square foot roof had a blister every three feet and was as high as 12 inches.
That was back in 1979 when built-up roofing was the primary offering for roofing systems. Westway was never able to uncover the cause of the blistering roof, but it was ready to be replaced due to a growing number of leaks.
The Westway building, home to Carlson Labs in Arlington Heights, was built in 1976. Later in 1979, they added another 105 x 220 sq feet to the building totaling 38,000 sq. feet as it stands today. The building enjoys a lot of natural light with 8 skylights on the original construction and an additional 14 on the addition.
Five years ago, problems began with the tar roofing system...leaks. It took a bit of time to uncover the path of the leaks: through the roof, into the channels of flutes, in the steel decking until it found spot welding holes.
At the same time, five years ago, Westway was experiencing another problem with a roofing system on their building in Wheaton, IL. Because of a trusted relationship with Bone Roofing Supply, Westway called upon Showalter Roofing because they were impressed with the quality of work, methodology for installation and attention to detail, Showalter became a trusted source.
With a new roof needing to be installed on the Arlington Heights property, Westway again called upon Showalter Roofing. Because five years passed, a second bid was considered. Again, Showalter Roofing won their trust and respect.
Two Weeks and One Day
Fifteen working days and seven crew members is all it took to tear off and install a new roofing system from Showalter Roofing. Westway watched in interest the speed and accuracy of seven crew members.
The first day on the job, the workers swept the gravel and prepared the supplies for tear off and installation. Westway was continuously aware of the progress and the crew supervisor kept everyone informed to ensure no surprises and to maintain expectations.
As the installation began, Westway observed the methodology Showalter Roofing took to minimize mess and maximize productivity. Two crew members cut the current roofing system into three foot sections. Crew members follow behind removing the old roofing system onto a Panther (a motorized hopper) which was then taken to the edge of the roof and into the dumpster below.
The building was protected with tarps to ensure that no damage was done to the existing property. In addition, Westway chose to use their dumpster company. Regardless of choices of companies, Showalter's crew prepared the site by ensuring plywood was used under each dumpster to protect against the weight of the old roofing materials from damaging the asphalt parking lot.
As each section was prepped for installation, Showalter Roofing's crew installed a 3 inch layer of polyisocyanurate insulation and an additional 2 inches on top. The polyisocyanurate was fastened to the decking and the TPO was secured on top with strong and durable adhesive. The crew accomplished anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 square feet per day.
At the end of each day, Showalter's crew wanted to ensure their work had a water tight seal. The edges of the TPO were sealed to existing roof membrane. At the start of the next day, the crew would simply cut into the existing roof and continue installation without any materials shifting or moving. As always, Showalter adheres to safety standards by OSHA as well as its own. Showalter regularly conducts training sessions for its crew with reinforcing current safety techniques to discussing and implementing new ones.
Roofing Around an Obstacle Course
No installation can go without a few obstacles on the roof. After 22 skylights, 9 HVAC units, flattening the parapet by approximately 4 inches, the installation was complete. Showalter Roofing will continue to service the roof by inspecting the roofing system twice per year ensuring the integrity of the roofing system. With HVAC and other service vendors on the roofing system as well as the severe weather in Chicago, ensuring perfection is maintained will mean another 30 years.
