Close-up

In late 2009, McCurdy-Walden Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., replaced the roof system on the Mary L. Singleton Senior Center in Jacksonville. The 43,800-square-foot facility consists of 23 roof levels and is completely surrounded by a large handicapped-accessible park.

McCurdy-Walden's work at the facility included removing the existing polymer-modified bitumen roof system and installing a temporary roof system. Because of poor drainage, new lightweight insulating concrete was poured by Roof Decks LLC, Jacksonville, to achieve a 1/4-inch-per-foot slope. The finished roof system consisted of a base sheet fastened for wind speeds up to 120 mph and a Soprema two-ply polymer-modified bitumen torch-applied roof system. The project, which also included removal and replacement of all the roof's large skylights, was completed in only 38 days.

"The Mary Singleton Center was challenging because of its 23 separate roof levels and lack of slope," says Mark Walden, president of McCurdy-Walden. "Each area had to be treated as a separate roof. Some areas needed temporary roofs. Some areas needed new lightweight concrete to achieve better slope. Other areas had slopes that exceeded 2-in-12, which required an entirely different roof system to achieve a Class A rating. To make matters even more challenging, the project was in a high-wind zone, requiring a fastening pattern that would withstand 120 mph winds."

Walden is satisfied by the way the company faced the challenge.

"The most rewarding part of this project was our team's plan," Walden says. "From our project manager, Justin Foster, to our operations manager, Jonathan Walden, to our foreman, Robert Floyd, the plan was created and carried out perfectly. Four hundred and forty squares, 23 different roof levels and multiple roof systems were completed in less than 40 days."

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